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Poet deVine

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-26

Posts 22612
Hurricane Alley

0 posted 2001-09-14 10:40 PM

The Power of Words

It stands
Starkly amid the rubble of the Pentagon

Overlooking the chasm cut
By death's plunge

You may silence
The voice of some
You may smother the lives of many
But you will never
Stop the words
Of love
Of compassion
Of peace
Of justice
Of victory

We are the dictionary of our country
Read between our lines
You will not
Demoralize us
Nor
Defeat us

We stand together
Like words on a page
Proclaiming
Freedom for all

There it stood…watching over the wreckage of the plane that plunged into the side of the Pentagon. It stood alone, on a pedestal…. A large dictionary….holding testament to the power of words. I saw the TV camera zoom in on the dictionary but have yet to find a picture. If anyone finds one, I would greatly appreciate a picture.

Mysteria

Member Laureate

since 2001-03-07

Posts 18328
British Columbia, Canada

1 posted 2001-09-14 11:43 PM

I remember seeing that picture and tried to find it for you, at cnn.com, but there are so many pictures there. But you are so right about this, we are all the words that will be heard in the end. Great poem.

~*Be Kind To Your Fellow Man, Lend Him A Helping Hand, Put A Little Love In Your Heart*~

Pip
Member

since 2001-09-14

Posts 59

2 posted 2001-09-15 02:13 AM

Sharon,
I like the metaphor, and the similies, too. I'll keep my eye out for dictionary pedastal pictures, though, I think I already told you I stopped watching the news.

PS: I told you I wouldn't have a posting epidemic. *grins* See, all fixed. *maniacal laughter*

Nan

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-20

Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA

3 posted 2001-09-15 06:53 AM

May our words live on forever...
Wonderfully written, PdV..

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

4 posted 2001-09-15 07:10 AM

When you add the picture of the dictionary, make sure you find one of the Bible as well...

I think they go hand in hand...

Munda
Member Elite

since 1999-10-08

Posts 3544
The Hague, The Netherlands

5 posted 2001-09-15 03:56 PM

Well said dear lady... every word of it.

Poet deVine

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-26

Posts 22612
Hurricane Alley

6 posted 2001-09-15 04:55 PM

Thank you all for you comments.

Sunshine, to clarify perhaps, this was inspired by the fact that the report said the book shown on the pedestal was a dictionary. And to me, a collector of dictionaries, it was a symbol that our freedom of speech - our freedom to use those words preserved so precariously on the edge of the chasm - is something to celebrate.

Midnitesun

Member Empyrean

since 2001-05-18

Posts 28647
Gaia

7 posted 2001-09-15 08:05 PM

Powerful words
seem to come
naturally to many
poets at this site.

A very heavy price
has just been paid
to guarantee
our freedom
of speech, as well as
our freedom to honor God
(or any other power, and the right to not honor God, if that be the case)
and this is a message
all terrorists
need to hear.

Let words of freedom ring
throughout the world.
Let us all be brave, let us all be bold,
and shout to all to dearly hold
these freedoms high for all to see,
we will never surrender to terror,
we will be united, we will prevail.

Janet Marie
Member Laureate

since 2000-01-22

Posts 18554

8 posted 2001-09-15 10:41 PM

this is a very very cool poem...
tho the incident provoking the inspire is tradgic, the premise of this and the anology
of freedom of speech and the dictionary in the burning pentagon is very creative, clever and cool...
your presentation and format added to this ones impression.
well done Poetess D

jm

Well I looked to the sky for my anthem
The words and the music came through
But words and music can never touch
The beauty that I've seen in you

Marge Tindal

Member Empyrean

since 1999-11-06

Posts 42384
Florida's Foreverly Shores

9 posted 2001-09-15 10:52 PM

Oh,PoetdeVine~
How I can fully understand the meaning of this penning~
I wish I had seen that article and the photo.
Should you, or anyone else, locate it ... I sure hope it will be shared here.

Thank you for this.
~*Marge*~

~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~
[email protected]

Sven

Member Laureate

since 1999-11-23

Posts 14937
East Lansing, MI USA

10 posted 2001-09-16 02:38 PM

great job deVine. . . and trust me. . . I'm already on the hunt for that photo. . . you'll be the first one that gets it. . .

the power of words indeed. . . all words have power. . . let's use them to heal, to inspire, and to comfort. . .

-------------------------------------------------------

To the world, you may only be one person. But to one person, you may be the world.

Poet deVine

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-26

Posts 22612
Hurricane Alley

11 posted 2001-09-17 10:19 AM

Thank you all!!

Sven I would love to find that pic...I'm searching on every news site I can to find it. I found a story on MSNBC that talks about it but it didn't have a photo with it.

And you all know I have almost 100 dictionaries..the oldest one is copyright 1813...

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