in the hours and days after the worst terrorist attack in u.s. history, an international group of poets who routinely contribute to the spontaneous poetry forum at www.litkicks.com, myself included, weighed in with a series of poems & exclamations that illustrate the feelings of shock, helplessness, anger & outreach felt by so many at the time. i have mixed together a selection of these poems with some additional text & a few edits. --markk

prelude 1. 10:45 a.m. sept. 11/wtc 2. i live so far 3. Cut Up 4. soot means something 5. in the ash-covered new york streets 6. world trade center 7. looking around 8. new times 9. A moment later 10. She 11. there's nothing 12. nothing is always

13. i am helpless 14. later i'll know 15. been round 16. this that 17. The lines so long 18. We built machines 19. Things will never 20. i said 21. there is silence 22. To realize 23. If I could have 24. I cannot work 25. this land

26. a breath 27. The flutter of air 28. and so i 29. She's flying 30. History arrives 31. spectator sport 32. With closed poet eyes 33. all the songs 34. and so it has been said 35. only this moment 36. The blackest of times 37. a quiet blessing 38. wavin in debris/refrain