My 911 Poem

Five Thousand Stars

No questions in the car, school is out
Still quiet at dinner, but I want to shout.
Then at bedtime they finally come
Questions about when
Things came undone

We talked, she said, in school today
Planes crashed after bad men took them away.
We flew on a plane, could that happen to us?
I didn't know an answer,
But I knew I must.

Honey, our plane we flew that day
Took us safely home from our week away.
But bad men who did not like the USA
Took the planes
That crashed today.

Like men who killed Jesus?, she said
And put those thorns in his head?
Yes, honey, I softly replied,
And just like Jesus,
Many people died.

Oh Mom, she cried, and out it came
Were there children and babies on the plane?
Maybe, I said, and this was honestly true
She knew there were babies
The day we flew

Would the mom's hold their babies, and older kids too?
And how about the daddies, what would they do?
They would hold tight, I said, and never let go.
And then what would happen?
She wanted to know.

They would all go to Jesus, and be held in his arms
Away from the earth and the men that do harm
And be angels, she said, and live with God?
In heaven, like the stars?
I gave a nod.

You wouldn't let go of me, she quietly said
I kissed her and hugged her, and lay in her bed
And held her, and rocked her as she fell asleep
And I prayed to the Lord
For those souls to keep.