Souls of a Nation

My mother just ran across a poem that I had written in the wake of 9/11 and subsequently forgotten. Thought I would share it here:

Souls of a Nation

Cloudless skies of azure blue
Graceful birds of riveted steel
Unseen wires bring last words of love,
But the soul lives on...

Scorching tongues of blazing fire,
Billowing clouds of choking smoke,
Mortal vessels are broken and burned,
But the soul lives on...

Wailing sirens of red and blue
Valiant heroes of many hues,
Their hopes are crushed in a breathless moment,
But the soul lives on...

Fatherless children of nameless terror,
Motherless orphans of unspeakable tragedy,
The family grieves for what it has lost,
But the soul lives on...

Arching spires of heavenly homes,
Comforting words of divine grace,
Lives are celebrated in sacred service,
But the soul lives on...

Bloodied honor of free men,
Solemn oaths of promised vengeance,
The heart of a nation is tested,
But the soul lives on...