Aftermath Poem by Karen Honnor

Dangerous times we live in now, the world's gone mad.
Every day the news tells of another tragedy, more needless waste.
Bombarded with these images, can we still tell how bad?
They become background fragments of our lives of haste.
Be there, buy that, do this, get it done now,
Twisting, turning around, where are we going?
Amongst this daily chaotic stream came that sudden pow!
September 11th.....numbness, disbelief, no way of knowing
How to respond, watching events unfold on the T.V.
One of those dates that people will say 'Where were you? '
I remember sitting there, watching, not comprehending what I could see,
A growing disbelief, then thinking if I were there, what would I do?
Now months later, those images linger and life's not quite the same.
It seems that each week a politician makes a speech, starts talks, makes a stand,
Picks another cause, campaign, conflict to resolve, country to reclaim
Whilst those behind the violence remain hidden, slither away like snakes in the sand.
Where to now? What can we offer our children as they grow?
In time, will humanity's common sense prevail?
This war against terrorism - the faceless foe.
Can there ever be a winner to this tale?
Day to day life's routines and tasks go on -
Family events, work gets done, children play,
We must strive to keep that, for should that ever be gone
Where would we be? There would be nothing left to say.