Terrorist Trilogy: (Ii) In The Aftermath Poem by Tushar Ray

In the aftermath of the heart-breaking tragedy
At ground zero where used to be the World Trade Center
Giant cranes are still busy working day and night weeks later
While the lonely fall wind keeps on howling around
Sighing and moaning every now and then over the buried souls
That is still hidden under the fuming rubble
And may never be returned from the piles in ways we want them
A loud reminder of the tragic nine-eleven

But life in the city rolls on as in the rest of our nation
In spite of all the commotion and confusion
And the question began haunting the nation, time and again,
Why is there so much of hate against the US?
Where did we go wrong?

The problem is a complex one without an easy answer
And has worsened among some quarters in recent years
But one thing has been made perfectly clear:
Nothing can justify this sort of hideous act
Nothing in this universe, what-so-ever
No matter what the US might have done in the past
Such actions are fully uncalled for in this civil world
So, justice must be served for this gruesome act

But where did we go wrong as a nation?
And what must we do differently from now on
In order to avoid such awful events in the future
We must find the precise answer
Going deeper into our National Conscience, and
Reviewing carefully all our past deed and decide
When and where we did go against our Universal Nature
Then bring equitable changes in our global policies
Setting up new examples for others to follow, and thus
Help mending the behaviors of other nations in the world.

Below is a present day scenario
Involving welfare of our world that we all need to follow
That in this day of our digital-age,
We are connected to each other by so many different ways
That as residents of this new-found world
We became more liable for our own acts than ever before
And due to this intimacy in world culture
Our leaders must set new examples by their own behavior

Their thoughts words and deeds must reflect thus, that
We in the US are not only anxious for our own wellbeing
But also care about the welfare of other people in this world And in all such overture we must be frank and sincere.

Hey brother, we are here all together, and
Connected to each other by World Wide feedback net
And hence we have got to realize that
All countries in this world, either rich or poor
Are parts of the same global community, called humanity
Bearing same ambition of health, hope and love
Expressed variously in ways called cultural diversity
And all must be treated with due respect and dignity
Irrespective of our economic status and capacity

In times of any major conflict in global scene
We must look warily into all the forces seen and unseen
Which often work behind the arena, and
Paying equal attention to all the parties concerned,
We must help bring all conflicts to a happy and just ending.

So, in essence we must change our own thoughts and deeds
And lead the world by the new examples we set
Rather than telling others how to behave and act
And as the greatest nation in this new-age world
We must be prepared to do just that, because
That’s how we can maintain moral strength and stay great
And make this world an enjoyable place for all.

For such a goal to be achieved, however,
There is a small price that we must be ready to pay.
That we must reject some self-interest for the sake of others
And of course for a great nation like ours
This is not simply too much to ask for
Because we have got plenty to share, thus
Must feed the hungry in true humility to save human dignity
Give hope to hopeless and build faith in loving spirituality
Offering skills to the weak to help build their moral integrity
And receive in return their love, trust and solidarity.
This is how we can make our World a better place for living
And save it from the terrorists’ hands in future
And save our humanity from a huge impending danger
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10/28/2001 Phoenix, AZ