It came without a warning, one beautiful breezy sunny morning.

It seemed a day like any other, no reason for any one to bother.

Children went to school and parents where they worked, but right around the corner no one knew what lurked.

The Horror came quick, like a window smashed with a brick.

It spread rapidly like a disease, causing all other activities to cease.

Everything started moving in slow-motion, while people tried to make sense of the commotion.

The wind no longer blew, and birds no longer flew.

Except for one white bird which I did see fly, it flew so slow I felt I could take it from the sky.

An eerie silence made its way, announcing it was here to stay.

While four demons flying high in the air, sought to destroy the living and make the ground bare.

Darkness fell upon the land, snatching helpless souls with its hand.

Above the earth it came to hover, laying down a death blanket for all to cover.

That white bird flies repeatedly in my mind I can still see it, but it’s the eerie, slowness of it all that makes me fear it.

There is no need for explanation, no matter how this story is told, there can be no exaggeration.

Multitudes of lives where taken on that day and why it happened only God can truly say.

The time has come for Americans to rise up and make a stance, stare evil in the eyes and say you will not destroy my heart, my soul, my land.

The answer cannot be hate, for that will only seal your fate.

The answer is to discover, how we can help heal each other.

That’s the day the earth stood still. Now what will you do with what you feel?

Cesar Ruvalcaba GulfWar Veteran