Something Seized the Air That Day

Something seized the air that day
I never can forget
It almost made some folks betray
And pushed some to regret

The deeper pangs of hate had grown
From frolic in the sun
Such memories of souls that moan
And ramparts not yet won

If ever I could wish for hope
It'd be that fateful day
Harboring our steepest slope
Enemies washed away

Something seized the air that day
I can never understand
It stymied our nation's play
With wicked contraband

What kind of ruthless mind would think that way?
I ask myself, why?
It decimated virtue in a day
And made us fear the sky

Something seized the air that day
That took us by surprise
It made us stop our work and play
And singed our weary eyes

Two hundred fifty voices
Broadcasting silent pleas
Death embracing choices
They brought us to our knees

The heat's scary power
Forced them to a gloom
Jumping from the tower
Leaping to their doom

Bodies flying through the air
Landing in the acrid mire
Deciding which horror to bear
Jumping or facing the fire

Sending chills through my brain
There must have been a million crimes
Feeling all the wrath and pain
I felt I died a thousand times

I couldn't turn from the site
However hard the towers burned
It couched me like a special rite
While all the time emotions churned

At my lowest ebb, when I felt out of luck
When things couldn't possibly be worse
The second building then was struck
Like a horrid medieval curse

How could two planes strike twice, I thought
At first I couldn't picture that track
Until I heard it was a terrorists' plot
Then I knew we were under attack

When I saw an air force plane
I felt both safe and scared
I realized there'd be a gain
When two of them were paired

Ripping through our tranquil blue
I dreaded and feared for war
Wondered what the victims knew
With death right at their door

Something seized the air that day
I just don't know why
It interrupted our work and play
Disturbing our peaceful sky

I had to keep the kids sedate
As the air force patrolled the sky
I knew I had a brush with fate
I could not explain why

Fire, fire all around
The entire structure crumbled
It cracked and shifted with each sound
As innocent victims tumbled

I was there,
I saw those running for their lives
Some hiding and escaping throes
Some abandoning their wives

The smoke and ash raced down the wall
Like something from a Hitchcock flick
Who knew American would be attacked at all
So sudden and so quick?

I wondered about those souls
Surrendering that ill-fated day
Had they lost their hope and goals?
Had their spirits led them astray?

Unanswered questions yet bothered me
To this day I still can't understand
What kind of people can hate so fervently?
Why did they pick us to reprimand?

I heard some people try to mumble
While watching from the subway train
I saw the giant structure crumble
The image locked forever inside my brain