WORLD TRADE 9/11
(Part 1)

The plane touches down at J.F.K, where we are greeted by the sun;
It’s the first day of our holiday, the date is Monday the 10th of September 2001.

We drop our suitcases at the hotel, before heading straight out to sight see;
I hold my girlfriends hand as we walk, she has no idea tomorrow I will ask her to marry me.

I’m thinking for the ideal destination to ask her, an unforgettable proposal to sweep her off her feet;
Then it comes to me as I glance up towards the heavens, and see the world trade centre’s towering over me at the bottom of the street.

I say in the morning we will go to the top and watch the sun as it rises into the sky;
She kisses me gently whispering “that would be a dream come true”, as I watch her eyes fill up to cry.

Back at the hotel, I quickly hide the engagement ring in my bag before she walks back out of the bathroom, turning out the light;
We lay in each other’s arms until she falls asleep, I kiss her on the forehead and say “I love you baby, goodnight”.

I’m awake before my alarm sounds, nerves are over-whelming my heart;
Today is Tuesday the 11th of September 2001, today is a new beginning, a brand new start.

Its 8:30am when we make our way out of the hotel to the bottom of the World Trade;
The sun is shining so brightly, this is the day dreams could be made.

It dawns on me, in the rush I left the engagement ring back in our hotel room;
I tell my beautiful girlfriend “I’ve forgotten something, you make your way to the top and I will catch you up real soon”.

I run as fast as my legs will go, I pick up the ring, and glance at my watch, the time now is 9 ‘o clock;
I make it back outside and smile as I see the World Trade centre’s standing proudly at the end of our block.

As I make my way down the street I run through in my mind how I will propose and declare my undying love;
My thoughts are disrupted as I glance up to see a huge plane flying really low in the blue skies above.

Time then moved in slow motion as my heart seemed to be drained of all of its power;
I watch on helplessly as the plane flies directly into the World Trade centre’s North facing tower.

Screams are coming from the building as smoke and flames lick up at the skies;
The roof top where my girlfriend will be waiting is surrounded in smoke, sirens sounds on the streets, drowning out there cries.

I make it to ground zero, the police push me back as pieces of the building are falling all around me as everyone starts to cower;
Police officers hold me down facing the skies, as another plane crashes into the second World Trade tower.

Panic sets in, even the emergency services look petrified, and nobody knows just what is going to happen;
I over hear fire fighters say they cannot reach the top floors, as smoke blocks out the sun in lower Manhattan.

People are hanging out of the windows screaming, everyone is being pushed back as bodies start to fall from the sky;
Those poor souls chose to jump, instead of staying up there in the black clouds to die.

Fire fighters tell me there is no way to the top, a dead tone is all I get when I try to call my girlfriends phone;
I feel so helpless standing here, as I think she is up there dying all on her own.

Everyone starts to run as the South tower starts to crumble, but I didn’t know which way to turn;
The building crashes to the ground in a cloud of dust, as the first tower still continues to burn.

I open my eyes, the air is thick with dust, and it seemed to be chasing people down the street;
The force of the collapse was so immense it knocks us all straight off of our feet.

I squint my eye’s through the ash just in time to watch as the North tower comes crashing down onto our dream;
Its falling confirms my worst nightmare, my love is dead, and all I could do was scream.

Everyone is still running away, but I’m running back towards the mass of rubble, fumbling blind through the smoke;
I put my hand over my mouth, coughing, this ash is causing me to choke.

I drop to my knees as I find what was the top of the North tower, all that’s left Is the stars and stripes of America’s flag;
I remember I still have my girlfriends engagement ring safely stored away in my bag.

The diamond sparkles, as I lay back trying to look through the ash so that I can see the sun;
This date will now never be forgotten Tuesday the 11th of September 2001.

BARRY MOWLES ©2011

WORLD TRADE 2
(PART 2…DEAR DIARY)

I hold my boyfriend’s hand real tight as the plane bounce’s down onto the runway at J.F.K;
It’s the 10th of September 2001, which means the beginning of my very first New York holiday.

Our hotel is amazing, but I hear the shops on Fifth Avenue calling me;
I love my boyfriend so much, at last I have found my destiny.

We walk hand in hand in the sun, until shadows make us stare into the skies above;
The World Trade Centre’s tower over us, as I hug my boyfriend tightly, dear diary I am so in love.

My boyfriend whispers “in the morning we will go to the top of the World Trade and watch the sun rising into the sky”;
I kiss him gently and say “that would be a dream come true” and my eyes fill up to cry.

We make it back to the hotel, I relax in the Jacuzzi bath, before going to bed and turning out the light;
I lay in my boyfriend’s arms falling asleep, as I feel him kiss my forehead whispering to me “goodnight”.

My eyes open, I am so excited as through the curtains I see the rising sun;
Dear diary today is Tuesday the 11th of September 2001.

By half past eight we are walking down the block, making our way to the bottom of the World Trade;
The sun is shining so brightly, this is the sort of day dreams are made.

Just as we are about to enter the World Trade Centre my boyfriend panics, his left something back in our hotel room;
He says “I have to go and get it baby, you make your way to the top and I will catch you up real soon”.

I kiss him on the cheek, as I tell him to hurry up, he smiles and says “I will darling, see you later”;
I slowly make my way through the North towers lobby, and enter the closest elevator.

After what seemed an eternity the lift door opens, and I make my way to the top of the tower;
I glance at my watch wondering where my boyfriend has got to, he has been gone almost half an hour.

The view takes my breath away, I close my eyes and feel the wind brushing through my hair;
I walk towards the barrier to try and see my boyfriend, but the people look just like little ants crawling all the way down there.

As I take in the view I notice a plane flying really low, in fact it’s heading right this way;
Fear freezes me to the spot, my legs wouldn’t move, I couldn’t even try to run away.

I stare petrified as I watch the plane come so close, an image that seemed so surreal, it felt like a never ending dream;
I thought the plane would turn at the last second but it didn’t, and all I could do was scream.

The impact rocked the tower, knocking me back straight off of my feet;
Even from all the way up here, I could hear screaming and shouting from down there on the street.

I try to crawl away as everyone on the roof top is screaming, I call out to my boyfriend, I’m praying that he made it up here okay;
Thick black smoke starts to engulf the roof, blocking out sunlight from the day.

I make it to the elevator, hitting the button, but the doors never open;
Flames and smoke cover the broken stairwell, as I crawl back to the roof top choking.

I can make out the sound of sirens from down below, but the noise is faint, being drowned out by thousands of peoples cries;
I make it back to the barrier just in time to watch another plane crash into the opposite tower, after falling from the skies.

I scream out for my boyfriend, I pray, I beg for him to come and tell me that everything is going to be alright;
But no one answers my calls, as I am crouched down on the ground choking, the smoke is so black I couldn’t tell if it’s the day or the night.

Through the smoke I see people standing on the edge, waving their arms, I scream as some decide to jump from the skies;
I watch as a woman holds her baby in her arms, trying to calm her child as she cries.

I hear a massive rumble like an earthquake, through the smoke I see the second tower smash down to the streets in lower Manhattan;
I realize I am going to die, as I break down into tears screaming “why did this have to happen”.

I lay back, through the smoke I can just about make out the blue of the sky;
Through my prayers I say goodbye to my family and boyfriend, as I cover my face with my hands and cry.

The floor starts collapsing as my body falls to the ground, my soul rises up into heaven;
I am writing this letter from the skies, dedicated to all the fallen souls who passed away during 9/11.

BARRY MOWLES ©2011