NEWBORN FEAR

Perfect September blue sky
       morning light on the blanket you
            lay on your back swatting rattle above
                 the financial streets
Headline News
       billowing smoke from the Trade Center
            same blue sky
beautiful newborn let’s try this new toy
       wonder why a plane flew
            through Manhattan
                 air traffic control gone
                      berserk for you
Grandma still wants us to come
       from the left silver bullet slams
            right into Tower Two
                 video game unreality
sit on my knee let me hold you
       in Florida Bush gravely
            terrorists
                 under attack
time for nap I must shower be-
       fore we go
            Pentagon bomb
                 call up honey, what’s happening?
wiggle your tiny soft hand through the sleeve
       plane is down outside
            Pittsburgh
                 just east on the pike
heard the screams up in Cleveland one
       plane on the ground kept surrounded
            hi Mom, we’re not coming downtown
                 to evacuate, malls to close
window of blue sky unzipped
       F-16 but no air show today
            are they close?
                 honey, please, just come home!
flash of memory
       a night
            lighted bridges reflected on
                 water from Top of the World crumbling
                      down the apocalypse
now little man drink your bottle before
       they assign you a number