The Guantlet by Rich Shriver

A friend and colleague of mine, Rich Shriver shares his thoughts on this the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.

The Gauntlet

I walked the Gauntlet today
it is a path I've taken many times
on the other side is something brighter

today is particularly hard

I believe I can see the difference in their faces
- the one's who were there
- those that lost someone
- the one's who want to know more
and those that are there for the spectacle

each picture or banner or arrangement of flowers
is to remind us all of points of light that are gone

I think of David, his wife, his son

I can no longer see through the tears

I feel rage and anger, sorrow and sadness
my mood is amplified by the crowd and the sirens
I smell the burning concrete
I see the flames in burnt out windows
I feel the dust falling on me
I hear the madness of it all

I can't breathe
my heart is racing
the open space is closing in with crowds of people
laughing,
crying, and
walking

everybody stares

And then I'm finally through
my body aches
my eyes are filled with clouds of yesterday
I'm drenched with sweat and
I smell the residue of panic and fear

even though I don't want to, I will always remember