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2002-05-17

The Birds of Christ



Out of the kingfisher, halcyon skies
came the four hijacked jets
bearing in their fuselages
death by fire
down on their pentacostal pyres.

O seabirds, seabirds,
distressed seabirds,
with echoes of heaven
in your raucous caws,
O fork-tailed terns
diving in the ghost plumes of smoke
where the Twjn Towers stood
as sign and symbol
of the language of nations,
O terns, terns,
gone now in the terrorists' horror,
gone the stanchions of commerce,
o terns, terns
and your cousin grebes
diving in the midmorning air
after the pancaking collapse
of the Twin Towers,
you, my seabirds, dive and DIVE DOWN
where over five thousand died,
O terns and grebes,
sweep up and twist
above the plumes of smoke
to signify the rising of America.

O birds of life and death,
sweep up and twist
where I last saw
the Twin Towers of the World's commerce
from the Belt Parkway
next to Gravesend Bay
birds who fly above
fireman, policemen,
citizens and foreigners,
devoured I the maws and teeth
of destruction.
But you, my terns and grebes,
on extended wings you sweep up in the air
like the miracle of miracles -
The Christ of our Resurrection
flying now over the starred form
of the Pentagon
which we already deem to rebuild
in eleven years.

And so the flag and fury of America
shall find its home
raised in the hearts
of its eagle people.

C copyright 2001
By John J. Soldo