Ann-Thology Number Seven - October 2001

A poem I wrote in a cab on October 4th:

All the something
Of nothing
The glaring presense
Of absence
The first look
At the orphaning skyline
As if they killed
My mommy and daddy
The two of them
Looking at us always
Wishing us well
It is an illusion
That they are gone
Too much life to be death
Too much love
To be cast away
There must be
Pillars of light
Pillars of earth
Calling to heaven
Pillars of heaven
Reaching below
The invisible glow
Of God.
Pillars.

Improvisation now, on the 23rd anniversary of my move from Chicago to my beloved New York:

To make room
For so much sorrow,
So much love,
So much gratitude,
And to make sure
People will always feel
They are welcomed
And cherished,
We have grown
A giant heart.
It's called
New York City.

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Blessings to all beings in all times and all places. May September 11th be a day of remembrance and reflection. May it be a day of thanksgiving. May it be a day of deep contemplation and connection. May it be a day that unifies us all over the world in our common yearning for peace.

There are no words to adequately describe what we have experienced and what we are all feeling. But there are actions. There are ways to live our lives with a deepened awareness of how precious our time together is. There are songs, there are gestures, there are acts of kindness and acts of heroicism. We have been finding these ways with each other. We have been opening our hearts to each other. Let us not forget the lessons we have learned, for to forget, would be to dishonor those we have lost. Let us instead, celebrate the lives we miss, by living our lives with great love and respect for each other. Let the heavens weep in joy for the kindness we offer each other. Out of so much grief can come so much goodness. Let us find the goodness that we were born with, and let it rise out of us like a phoenix from the ashes of our sadness. Let us make a heaven on earth that is so tender, so full of compassion, that no stone heart can fail to melt.

Blessings to you on this day and to us all forever more.

All my love,

Ann