September 11
In memory of Angel Luis Juarbe, a New York City firefighter who died at the World Trade Center on 9/1/01:
Our little hour, how swift it flies
When poppies flare and lilies smile;
How soon the fleeting minute dies,
Leaving us but a little while
To dream our dream, to sing our song,
To pick the fruit, to pluck the flower,
The Gods—They do not give us long,
One little hour.
Our little hour, how short it is
When Love with dew-eyed loveliness
Raises her lips for ours to kiss
And dies within our first caress.
Youth flickers out like wind-blown flame,
Sweets of to-day to-morrow sour,
For Time and Death, relentless, claim
Our little hour.
Our little hour, how short a time
To wage our wars, to fan our hates,
To take our fill of armoured crime,
To troop our banners, storm the gates.
Blood on the sword, our eyes blood-red,
Blind in our puny reign of power,
Do we forget how soon is sped
Our little hour?
Our little hour, how soon it dies:
How short a time to tell our beads,
To chant our feeble Litanies,
To think sweet thoughts, to do good deeds.
The altar lights grow pale and dim,
The bells hang silent in the tower
So passes with the dying hymn
Our little hour.
---Leslie Coulson
In memory of Angel Luis Juarbe, a New York City firefighter who died at the World Trade Center on 9/1/01:
Our little hour, how swift it flies
When poppies flare and lilies smile;
How soon the fleeting minute dies,
Leaving us but a little while
To dream our dream, to sing our song,
To pick the fruit, to pluck the flower,
The Gods—They do not give us long,
One little hour.
Our little hour, how short it is
When Love with dew-eyed loveliness
Raises her lips for ours to kiss
And dies within our first caress.
Youth flickers out like wind-blown flame,
Sweets of to-day to-morrow sour,
For Time and Death, relentless, claim
Our little hour.
Our little hour, how short a time
To wage our wars, to fan our hates,
To take our fill of armoured crime,
To troop our banners, storm the gates.
Blood on the sword, our eyes blood-red,
Blind in our puny reign of power,
Do we forget how soon is sped
Our little hour?
Our little hour, how soon it dies:
How short a time to tell our beads,
To chant our feeble Litanies,
To think sweet thoughts, to do good deeds.
The altar lights grow pale and dim,
The bells hang silent in the tower
So passes with the dying hymn
Our little hour.
---Leslie Coulson
posted by The June Cleaver Diaries at 5:22 PM
4 Comments:
Oh Mrs. Cleaver. This is perhaps the most beautiful tribute I've read yet. I've never seen this poem before and it speaks to me on so many levels. I was listening to XM radio today and there were some songs and commentary and tapes of people grieving and searching for their loved ones in the WTC rubble. One woman spoke as if to comfort the husband who was missing and possibly trapped in the collapsed building as she said, "We know you're working hard to get to us. Any time is good. Just come home."
This is that kind of poem. Searingly honest. I thank you for sharing it.
Wow June, that poem was beautiful. What a lovely tribute.
That was awesome. Great tribute, June.
So lovely and moving and raw. Thanks.
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