My 9/11 Poem

In the blink of an eye
And a flash of smoke and fire
The city skyline changed
And the whole world with it.
After that day
Nothing would be the same
Ever again.
After the burning towers crashed
And the dust had settled
And the damage assessed
And the names
And the stories set straight;
Then the real hurt set in.
The eagle's claw clutching
The olive branch relaxed a bit
And the claw clutching
The arrows tightened some.
What were they thinking?
Perhaps they anticipated
A different reaction?
A seemingly secure nation
Shook off its complacency
And sons and daughters
Geared themselves up for war.
Nothing has been the same
After that day.