Nothing is the same anymore.......or is it?

Everything we know changed as we watched
mesmerized by overwhelming evil
The world as we knew it suddenly stopped
and we all saw the presence of the devil

Only a few weeks removed, all that we once believed
came to an end with madmen bent on pursuing an unjust cause
There are no words that can comfort the bereaved
No retribution could ever possibly right their terrible loss

To try and make sense of such a senseless act is impossible
There is a void we all feel that will never be completely erased
But, it's more than that, terror is like a nightmare implausible
Leaving us all with an uneasiness that refuses to be replaced

What do we do now?....Where do we go from here?
The security of America the Invincible we knew is now gone
For too long we all believed it couldn't possibly happen near
But each of us wrestles now in our own way with what has been undone

Never has our nation been so viciously attacked, so many lives lost at once
Some look to smash our enemy, yet he has only one face, and one life
To bring him to justice seems somehow lacking in punch
when you know the horror firsthand from watching it live

Where were you when it happened?......How many times did you watch?
How long did it take for you to believe that this was really happening?
How many hours of torture did you endure before you had to stop?
How many times.....how many days did the tears come without beckoning?

Nothing is the same anymore.......

or is it?

A thought keeps recurring to me, and it bears repeating
Never have I been so angry with my fellow man....or so proud
The sight of those planes....and the valor of the rescuers
The towers collapsing...."God Bless America" sung often and aloud

The madness of the few have galvanized the sane into action
We are living through a time of extremes
We keep trying to strike a balance between the means of a religious faction
by offsetting it with patriotism that in my lifetime has not been seen

I find myself needing to get away from the intensity of it's import
To lose myself in the minutiae, to end for a moment my mind and heart's strife
To accept the guilt of laughter, or the cheering of sport
Just to gain some sense of normality, to gain control over my own life

Maybe the forces of good vs. evil have always been present
though not as intensely in my lifetime as such a group exercise as we now face
But, I have never felt like I belong in this country as I do at this moment
Or been so afraid for all of us as the human race

Nothing is the same anymore........

or is it?

The pride in the flag, the fear of losing our freedoms to fear
Are those of us of youth finally finding out what the old folks know?
We heard their stories, but we had no frame of reference, so we couldn't hear
I served the military in peacetime......even then I didn't feel it so

All at once I feel terribly threatened, yet a sense of security in grief shared
For I know now the agony of watching innocence ripped away
I'm 42 and a father, and I've seen much in my day for which I cared
I'm scared for my kids' future, and how this country will make its' way

I find myself reflecting on our country's past, and I find comfort in its' longevity
We have a long and glorious history, and steady leaders to see us through
Yet, as we face this new war, I brace myself for the inevitable
cost in lives of defining the cost of freedom for all of us anew

This war was started with the murder of innocent lives, we did not ask for this
The grief we all feel has turned to anger and resolution
We stand united as never before in my life, and it's a feeling that is
at once scary, and strong, and directed to one conclusion

That this country is yours, and mine, and ours......it has always been that way
It is available to all who seek freedom to live their lives in peace
I hope that we will not waiver in our fight to preserve our way of life, and I pray
for the families of the police, the firefighters, and the civilian deceased

Most of all, I pray for our children, for, if difficult for us, imagine what they feel
May we set an example for them they can be proud of, may history treat us well
God, watch over us as we struggle to maintain your will as cogs in your wheel
and, allow us the might and the right to see your enemies felled.

Nothing is the same anymore........or is it?

James R. Lyons