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Shanksville PA Memorial

By Carolyn K. Long

How can be best cope with the anniversary of this tragedy?

Columbia, MD_September 11, 2009__ Each year on the anniversary of September 11, the nation pauses to remember the tragedy that befell our nation on that day in 2001, when four planes took the lives of thousands of citizens, and shattered the lives and sense of security of millions more. Each year the media covers tributes honoring those lost at Ground Zero where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood, at the temporary memorial in the farmer’s field at Shanksville, PA, and at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

 

 

There are songs and moving speeches by political leaders and heartbreaking accounts by survivors and loved ones. There are news reports on our progress on everything from rebuilding lives to rebuilding structures. And there are assurances and debates about our increased security.

 

 

But how does the individual hold such a huge event?  How does the mind grasp it? How does the heart hold such pain and devastation and still go on? There are those who think the American people will want to forget and “get over” this horrific event. They compare it to Oklahoma City. But the impact of 9/11 is more on the magnitude of Pearl Harbor, and will be part of the American consciousness forever. Just how it is held there will shape our future, as individuals and as a nation.

 

 

Historians record events, from inevitably varying perspectives. It is left to the poets to translate those events and help people to heal and go on. It is through the poet’s eyes that future generations experience and understand historical events, and with new perspective, can create a better world. So it is to the arts that one might turn to celebrate 9/11, whether seeking comfort or understanding.

 

 

The 9/11 Memorial poem and 8-minute video “Angels Over America” celebrates the courage and resilience that are hallmarks of the American Spirit, while providing perspective, healing, and hope. The work’s unique metaphor is dramatically grounded in reality and spiritually uplifting. It speaks to a nation torn by grief and anger, frustration and fear. And it speaks to an underlying humanity and restraint which are the backbone of this powerful nation.

 

 

The four segments of “Angels Over America” trace the evolution of awareness, emotion and understanding that lead to transcendence. This beautiful tribute brings a new perspective to a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, while preserving and renewing the indomitable American Spirit.

 

 

Award-winning New York arranger and composer Mark Freeh co-produced the video from Carolyn Long’s poem, “Angels Over America,” against the backdrop of powerful 9/11 images and his stirring arrangement of “America the Beautiful” and moving renditions of “Amazing Grace” and “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.”

 

The “Angels Over America,” poem and video can be viewed or downloaded from the website www.AngelsOverAmerica.org. A YouTube version is also linked to the site. A copy of the video on DVD and a laminated poster of the poem, “Angels Over America,” are available from the website or by email from Carolyn@AngelsOverAmerica.com.

 

Carolyn K. Long , author of “Angels Over America” and co-producer of the 9/11 memorial video of that name, is a professional speaker, consultant, writer and photographer, based in Columbia, MD.

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The events of 911 will be a part of the American consciousness forever.

How they are held there will shape our future.

by Carolyn K. Long


Columbia, MD_September 9, 2009__ September 11, 2001, is a raw pain for some; a fading memory for others; a living scar on our nation’s collective memory. Medical science can do little more to heal the pain of that day, but healing is still needed. It is the arts that trump science now. “The 9/11 Memorial poem and video, ‘Angels Over America’ by Carolyn K. Long, reminds us to celebrate our strengths and cherish life. There is healing power in those thoughts,” says speaker and Well-Being Coach Lynn Durham, RN.



The 8-minute video “Angels Over America,” incorporating video, images, music and poetry, is both a stirring tribute to 9/11 victims and heroes, and an artistic work whose unique metaphor offers healing perspectives on this pivotal moment in our nation’s history. (www.AngelsOverAmerica.org)


Because science is so well established as the primary knowledge, “we have lost the historical thread of the arts as healers for every man. In our attempts to become more and more civilized, we have stretched beyond the sacred limits of intellect and are only recently starting the journey back to center,” says Carolyn Kenny, Sr. Research Scholar, Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research, UC Santa Barbara.



Poetry is one of the best ways to reclaim that knowledge. “Poetry is simply speaking truth. One of the best kept secrets in this technically oriented culture is that simply speaking truth heals,” says author Rachel Naomi Remen, MD. “A lot of healing lies in the recovery of a personal sense of meaning, that capacity which enables us to endure difficulties, to find and draw on unsuspected strength. In times of crisis, meaning IS strength. But the deepest meaning is carried in the unconscious mind, whose language is the language of dreams, of symbols & archetypes. Poetry speaks this language, and helps us hear meaning in illness, in the events of our lives often for the first time. Finding such meaning feels like revelation. Like Grace.”



“Poetry is a natural medicine,” concurs John Fox, author of Poetic Medicine. “Poetic essences of sound, metaphor, image, feeling and rhythm act as remedies that can elegantly strengthen our whole system—physical, mental and spiritual,”



“If ever an event called for healing on every level, it was 9/11,” says writer and poet Carolyn Long. “The events of September 11, 2001, will be a part of the American consciousness forever. The lens through which we view them will shape our future, and determine how we heal as a people.”


Award-winning New York arranger and composer Mark Freeh co-produced the video from Carolyn Long’s poem, “Angels Over America,” against the backdrop of powerful 9/11 images and his stirring arrangement of “America the Beautiful” and moving renditions of “Amazing Grace” and “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.”



The “Angels Over America,” poem and video can be viewed or downloaded from the website www.AngelsOverAmerica.org. A YouTube version is also linked to the site. A copy of the video on DVD and a laminated poster of the poem, “Angels Over America,” are available from the website or by email from Carolyn@AngelsOverAmerica.com.


Carolyn K. Long , author of “Angels Over America” and co-producer of the 9/11 memorial video of that name, is a professional speaker, consultant, writer and photographer, based in Columbia, MD.

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The events of 911 will be a part of the American consciousness forever.

How they are held there will shape our future.

by Carolyn K. Long


Columbia, MD_September 1, 2009__ Regardless of faith or lack thereof, 9/11 had the world on its knees, praying, promising, and realigning priorities. With scenes of horror emblazoned on our minds, and raw pain rending our hearts, we vowed almost in unison to love one another, to keep our faith, to embrace a new perspective, to cherish life and make more time for those we love—and for a time, we did. But eight years later, have we?  Or has the impact of 9/11 faded?



“We must never forget this fateful day” resounded throughout the land. But have we just stored it safely in a quiet corner of our minds and resumed our old patterns? Or does the memory of September 11, 2001, still evoke the promises, prayers, priorities, and new perspective we held dear in the shadow of the worst event on our soil since the Civil War?



It is human nature to release the intensity of pain. It is healthy to heal. To heal, we must grow. To grow, we must open our minds and hearts. We must turn the mad kaleidoscope of life so the little beads create a new pattern, shedding light on a reality we had never seen before; giving us an altogether new perspective.



The memorial poem and video “Angels Over America” offers just such a new perspective. This moving tribute to 9/11 victims and heroes is designed to preserve and renew the indomitable American Spirit, while providing perspective, healing, and hope.



The work’s unique metaphor is powerfully grounded in the reality of the event and spiritually uplifting. The four segments of “Angels Over America” trace the evolution of shock and awareness, emotion and understanding that lead to transcendence.



The events of 9/11 will be a part of the American consciousness forever. The lens through which we continue to view those events will shape our future. “Angels Over America” is dedicated to an America that lost its innocence on September 11—but never its hope.



Award-winning New York arranger and producer Mark Freeh co-produced the video from Carolyn K. Long’s poem, “Angels Over America,” with never-before-seen clips and photos of the event against the backdrop of his stirring arrangement of “America the Beautiful,” and moving renditions of “Amazing Grace,” both performed by the New York Staff Band of the Salvation Army, and “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” played by Imperial Brass.



The “Angels Over America,” poem and video can be viewed or downloaded from the website www.AngelsOverAmerica.org.  A YouTube version is also linked to the site. The final version of the video on DVD with poem, a laminated poster or printed copy of “Angels Over America” can be ordered online from the website or by email from Carolyn@AngelsOverAmerica.com.


Carolyn K. Long , author of “Angels Over America” and co-producer of the 9/11 memorial video of that name, is a professional speaker, consultant, writer and photographer, based in Columbia, MD.


The events of 911 will be a part of the American consciousness forever.

How they are held there will shape our future.

by John DiJoseph, Ph.D.*


Columbia, MD_September 1, 2009__ Images of American citizens screaming and hurling insults at one another filled the TV screens. Some were even brandishing weapons in plain view, including one with an AK-47 assault rifle, as though they might be needed in defense against those who held the opposing point of view, or perhaps to intimidate them into accepting theirs. All because of health care reform! Free speech is one thing, but these scenes were a far cry from open discussion or debate.


The appalling conduct of everyday citizens is contrary to the theme of reconciliation advanced by President Abraham Lincoln in his First Inaugural Address on March 4, 1861. In the shadow of the Civil War, he foresaw that a country divided by hate and disunity and discord would ruin the American democracy. So he pleaded with his countrymen to let “the better angels of our nature” guide their actions. He encouraged civility and respect for the views of others, even when those views were contrary to deeply held beliefs. He presented the “better angels” as the American way; only they could defeat the angels of darkness – rage, violence, destruction and death.


In the shadow of September 11, 2001, poet Carolyn Long recalled Lincoln’s healing words in her commemorative poem and 8-minute video, “Angels Over America”


Help the angels of our better natures rise to freedom’s song

And lead the charge of justice on her path,
So our own avenging angels do not strike in blind revenge

And wreak unbridled ruin with their wrath.

© Carolyn K. Long, 2001


Perhaps the approaching anniversary of 9/11 can help Americans recall how “better angels” everywhere reached out to one another during that horrific event, and how transformational that spirit was to our nation.


Perhaps today, as our country faces discord and disunity on such a sweeping scale, we can once again call on the “better angels of our nature” to help us find the way to reconciliation so this nation can reclaim our image as the shining beacon for people everywhere.


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* John DiJoseph, Ph.D., is an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Loyola University in Maryland; author of Jacques Maritain and the Moral Foundation of Democracy, Rowman & Littlefield Pub., Inc., 1996, and of the forthcoming book, Noble Cause Corruption, the Banality of Evil and the Defense of American Democracy, 1950-2008, University Press of America.



Carolyn K. Long , author of “Angels Over America” and co-producer of the 9/11 memorial video of that name, is a professional speaker, consultant, writer and photographer, based in Columbia, MD.


The events of 911 will be a part of the American consciousness forever.

How they are held there will shape our future.

Columbia, MD_Tuesday, September 09, 2008 __Politicians from Left to Right, seeking more collaborative and compassionate discourse in the public arena, are recalling Lincoln’s appeal to the “better angels of our nature,” Lincoln’s impassioned attempt to draw unionists and secessionists together in his First Inaugural Address to a bitterly divided nation.

Introducing Senator Barack Obama (D. IL) at the Democratic National Convention, Senator Richard Durbin (D. IL) said, “Like another son of Illinois, he has spoken to a divided people about the ‘better angels of our nature.’ To a country weary of the politics of division and deadlock, he has brought a message of unity and change.” In his acceptance speech, Obama affirmed, “What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose—our sense of higher purpose. And that’s what we have to restore.”

On the other side of the aisle, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I. CT) said during his endorsement of Senator John McCain’s (R. AZ) bid for the presidency at the Republican National Convention, “I’m here to support John McCain because country matters more than party.” Lieberman’s passion to draw people together for a higher purpose was exemplified by his address at the conference, “Looking Beyond Kyoto,” where he said, “It’s a challenge that should excite the mind of everyone in this room and the people of all the nations you represent because it can engage the better angels of our nature with this chance to build a better, safer world” (Yale University, 2005).

The phrase “better angels of our nature” was reintroduced into the public consciousness with the 9/11 Memorial Poem and moving DVD by Carolyn K. Long. The poem, begun two days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, was written not only to commemorate and comfort the heroes and victims of September 11, but to help a devastated nation view terrorism through a longer lens—one that could encompass justice and compassion for the innocent victims while avoiding an overreaction by the U.S. government to the attacks—an overreaction Long feared would inexorably lead to “unbridled ruin,” and unnecessary loss of lives and liberties. One particularly poignant stanza from the epic poem invokes this prayer:

Help the angels of our better natures rise to freedom’s song

And lead the charge of justice on her path,
So our own avenging angels do not strike in blind revenge

And wreak unbridled ruin with their wrath.              © Carolyn K. Long, 2001



Long’s message is a reminder of Lincoln’s belief that true victory is achieved not through vengeance, but by upholding our noblest ideals, those inspired by the “better angels of our nature.”

“Angels Over America” exalts the American spirit, and reaffirms the most basic and cherished American values: That a free, independent, democratic nation can defend its liberties, its people, and its principles while upholding its ideals of justice, compassion and tolerance for people throughout the world.

Long’s poetic vision was prescient. In the seven years since 9/11, the War on Terror has left more than 4000 U.S. sons and daughters dead, tens of thousands more with debilitating injuries, hundreds of thousands of casualties of “collateral damage” in Iraq and Afghanistan, and our cherished liberties trampled under the rubric of necessity.



Now that politicians have invited Lincoln’s “better angels of our nature” back on the national stage, perhaps they will guide our national intercourse, and influence our decisions on the international stage.

As politicians recall Lincoln’s words, the stirring message of “Angels Over America” holds even greater relevance, imbuing Lincoln’s words with a depth and understanding that encompasses all that has ensued in the interim, and offering a vision and hope for the future.

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* John DiJoseph, Ph.D., political science, is an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Loyola College in Maryland, and author of the book, Jacques Maritain and the Moral Foundation of Democracy, Rowman & Littlefield Pub., Inc., 1996.

Jensen Beach, FL_ September 10, 2007__ Some 1100 blue-uniformed police and firemen marched into St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Washington, DC, for the celebration of the First Blue Mass on September 29, 1934. The Blue Mass was initiated by Thomas Dade, a Catholic Priest from the Baltimore, MD, Archdiocese, who founded the Catholic Police and Firemen’s Society while stationed at St. Patrick’s Church.


The Blue Mass, so-named because of the predominantly blue-colored uniforms of police officers, firefighters and emergency medical providers, has become increasingly popular across the country since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Mass honors those who have fallen in the line of duty and those currently serving, and gives the community an opportunity to show gratitude for those who serve so courageously, as well as their families, who risk so much that others can live more safely and without fear.


During services, these real-life guardian angels often evoke the words of the psalm: “The Lord has put angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways” (Ps 91:11).


St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Jensen Beach, FL, will begin its Blue Mass services with “Angels Over America,” a stirring memorial video which draws parallels between angels and the heroes of 9/11. The work was authored and co-produced by Carolyn K. Long, who will be attending the event. This Sixth Anniversary Memorial “Blue Mass” will be celebrated by Most Rev. Gerald M. Barbarito, Bishop of Palm Beach, Tuesday September 11, 2007, beginning at 10:30 a.m., at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, 2555 N.E. Savanna Road, Jensen Beach, Florida.


“We must never forget those who have fallen and those who continue to give so generously and selflessly in defense of our country abroad and at home, be they firefighters, police, military, or other first responders,” says Rev. James Molgano, Pastor of St. Martin de Porres. “It’s commendable, honorable, and we as a people must continue to reach out to them and their families to show our appreciation.”


Rev. Molgano has invited all Martin County firefighters, police officers and EMTs, as well as federal, state and local officials to join the community at the Solemn High Blue Mass, “as we continue to pray for peace, protection from evil, and for the men and women who give in service each day in defense of freedom.”

Angels Over America, an 8-minute memorial video incorporating images, music and poetry, is both a stirring tribute to 9/11 victims and heroes, and an artistic work whose unique metaphor offers healing perspectives on this pivotal moment in our nation’s history. “The events of September 11, 2001, will be a part of the American consciousness forever,” says author Carolyn K. Long. How we hold them there will shape our future.”

Award-winning New York arranger and composer Mark Freeh produced the video from Carolyn Long’s poem, Angels Over America, against the backdrop of powerful 9/11 images and his stirring arrangement of “America the Beautiful” and moving renditions of “Amazing Grace” and ”My Country ‘Tis of Thee.”

Media coverage is welcome. News cameras will be allowed inside the Church, but flash photography is not permitted. For more information, contact St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church at 772-334-4214.


The poem or video can be viewed or downloaded from the website at www.AngelsOverAmerica.org. The DVD and poster of the poem Angels Over America, are available to the media, or can be ordered online from the website or by email from Carolyn@AngelsOverAmerica.com.


Carolyn K. Long is a professional speaker, consultant, writer and photographer, based in Columbia, MD. She can be reached at Carolyn@AngelsOverAmerica.com

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The events of 911 will be a part of the American consciousness forever.

How they are held there will shape our future.


Jensen Beach, Florida__ August 30, 2007__ The Sixth Anniversary Memorial “Blue Mass” and ceremonies to commemorate those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, will be celebrated by Most Rev. Gerald M. Barbarito, Bishop of Palm Beach, Tuesday September 11, 2007, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, 2555 N.E. Savanna Road, Jensen Beach, Florida.


The “Blue Mass” – a venerable tradition since 1934 in dioceses across the country, refers to the uniforms of so many public safety personnel. In honor of all those who daily protect and serve our nation, color guards from the Martin County Sheriff’s Department, Martin County Fire Rescue, and the Marine Corp. 4th Anglico will present and post colors prior to the Solemn Mass, hosted by St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus Council #8048.


The stirring memorial video, “Angels Over America,” will be shown at 10:30 a.m., preceding the Mass. This uplifting tribute to 9/11 heroes and victims, written and produced by Carolyn Long, celebrates the courage and resilience that are the hallmarks of the American Spirit, while providing perspective, healing and hope.


“With other Americans and people around the world of good will, we remember and recognize those who have fallen in the line of duty and those who continue to give so generously and selflessly in defense of our country abroad and at home, be they fire fighters, police, military, or other first responders,” says Rev. James Molgano, Pastor of St. Martin de Porres.



“It’s commendable, honorable, and we as a people must continue to reach out to them and their families to show our appreciation.”


Rev. Molgano has invited all Martin County firefighters, police officers and EMTs, as well as federal, state and local officials to join the community at the Solemn High Blue Mass, “as we continue to pray for peace, protection from evil, and for the men and women who give in service each day in defense of freedom”


Media coverage is welcome. News cameras will be allowed inside the Church, but flash photography is not permitted. For more information, contact St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church at 772-334-4214.

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The “Angels Over America,” poem and video can be viewed or downloaded from the website www.AngelsOverAmerica.org. The video on DVD with poem, a laminated poster or printed copy of “Angels Over America” can be ordered online from the website or by email from Carolyn@AngelsOverAmerica.com.


Carolyn K. Long , author of “Angels Over America” and co-producer of the 9/11 memorial video of that name, is a professional speaker, consultant, writer and photographer, based in Columbia, MD.

by John DiJoseph, Ph.D.*


Columbia, MD_August 28, 2007__ Had George W. Bush asked himself that question following the horrific events of September 11, 2001, might he have acted differently? Lincoln left wise counsel for future presidents.

The crisis facing Lincoln as he entered office has parallels to that facing President George W. Bush following 9/11. The United States was facing a great war over which the country was strongly divided—a war that would result in death and destruction on a massive scale and tear asunder the very fabric of this nation. Two weeks before Lincoln strode to the podium on March 4, 1861, to address the nation, Jefferson Davis had been inaugurated President of the Confederate States of America. Such was the climate of discord in the nation that Lincoln had to travel to Washington by a secret route under guard of the U.S. Army, but refusing advice of security forces, he rode in an open carriage with President James Buchanan to the Capitol to make his enduring Inaugural address.

In this moment of crisis, Lincoln urged:

“My countrymen, one and all, think calmly and well upon this whole subject [of impending war]. Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time. If there be an object to hurry any of you in hot haste to a step which you would never take deliberately, that object will be frustrated by taking time; but no good object can be frustrated by it . . . . Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land are still competent to adjust in the best way all our present difficulty”

Lincoln closed by reminding Americans of their compassionate heritage:

“The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature”

The speech represents the depth of Lincoln’s moral perspective. What might be our situation today, on the anniversary of 9/11, if Lincoln had been president? Would he have once again called on the “better angels of our nature” to guide our actions? Would that have led us down a different path?

In “Angels Over America,” the 9/11 memorial poem and DVD commemorating heroes and victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Carolyn Long reaffirms Lincoln’s appeal to our “better angels” .  .  .


“Help the angels of our better natures rise to freedom’s song/And lead the charge of justice on her path,

So our own avenging angels do not strike in blind revenge/And wreak unbridled ruin with their wrath”

© Carolyn K. Long, 2001

“Angels Over America” reminds us that a horrific crisis can be an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to cherished values, and that as Americans, we have the power of choice.


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* John DiJoseph, Ph.D., is an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Loyola University in Maryland; author of Jacques Maritain and the Moral Foundation of Democracy, Rowman & Littlefield Pub., Inc., 1996.


The “Angels Over America,” poem and video can be viewed or downloaded from the website www.AngelsOverAmerica.org. The video  on DVD, a laminated poster or printed copy of “Angels Over America” are available online from the website or by email from Carolyn@AngelsOverAmerica.com.  Carolyn K. Long , author of “Angels Over America” and co-producer of the 9/11 memorial video of that name, is a professional speaker, consultant, writer and photographer, based in Columbia, MD.

New research proves that music can reduce depression and pain and help people reclaim their sense of power. It has been shown to increase endorphin levels, promote healing, reduce stress—and the need for pain medications.


“The healing power of music can alter our moods and body states,” says well-being coach Lynn Durham, RN. “Since ancient times, healers have used songs and chanting.”


But in a world where science has established itself as the primary knowledge, “we have lost the historical thread of the arts as healers for every man,” says Carolyn Kenny, Senior Research Scholar at the Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research at University of California, Santa Barbara. “In our attempts to become more and more civilized, we have stretched beyond the sacred limits of intellect and are only recently starting the journey back to center.”


The need for the healing arts is particularly important in times of crises, when meaning is strength, says John Fox, author of Poetic Medicine. “And the deepest meaning is the language of dreams, symbols and archetypes. Poetry speaks this language and helps us hear meaning in illness, in the events of our lives, often for the first time. Finding such meaning feels like revelation. Like grace.”


“If ever an event called for healing, strength, or grace, it was 9/11,” says writer and poet Carolyn Long. “The events of September 11, 2001, will be a part of the American consciousness forever. The lens through which we continue to view them will shape our future.”

“Angels Over America,” an 8-minute memorial video incorporating images, music and poetry, is both a stirring tribute to 9/11 victims and heroes, and an artistic work whose unique metaphor offers healing perspectives on this pivotal moment in our nation’s history.


Award-winning New York arranger and composer Mark Freeh produced the video from Ms. Long’s poem, “Angels Over America,” against the backdrop of powerful 9/11 images and his stirring arrangement of “America the Beautiful” and moving renditions of “Amazing Grace” and ”My Country ‘Tis of Thee.”


The “Angels Over America,” poem and video can be viewed or downloaded from the website www.AngelsOverAmerica.org. A YouTube version is also linked to this site. A DVD of the video and a laminated poster of the poem, “Angels Over America,” are available from the website or by email from Carolyn@AngelsOverAmerica.com.



Carolyn K. Long , author of “Angels Over America” and co-producer of the 9/11 memorial video of that name, is a professional speaker, consultant, writer and photographer, based in Columbia, MD.

The events of 911 will be a part of the American consciousness forever.

How they are held there will shape our future.


Two gallant towering Titans gleamed In morning’s early light

With a welcome to a working world In the Land that hope unites.


Their myriad eyes looked on like ours Transfixed with disbelief,

As flaming arrows struck their sides ‘Till even steel felt grief.


The raging fires recalled the time They first were forged to be

The stalwart standards of New York, Two pillars of Liberty.


What forger called the furnace hence? What next were they to be?

No time to think of the afterlife, Or the pain of this savagery.


They awoke to their call in this perilous fight! For, you see, they had oft heard the song

Of “the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,” And knew they must still be strong.


The twin sentinels held firm as long as they could To protect each fragile ward,

Though the fires that ripped through their very bowels,

Left them battered and shattered and charred.


And if hearts they had, they surely broke, As they watched their dear charges fly

From the shoulders of those who were tasked to protect;

The whole world heard their audible cry!


But as their eyes dimmed, they were let to behold What no others on earth could yet see –

The angels who caught every soul ere it fell, Which on wings of its own, then flew free.


At that they each gave a wrenching sigh; They had no more left to give.

Their shame evoked one humble prayer: Forgive!  Forgive!  Forgive!


Then one by one, those warriors brave, Sank as nobly to the earth

As tons of concrete, steel and glass Could, to still prove their worth.


And as molten steel passed each undaunted heart Of those heroes who’d all come to serve,

It captured a beat from each precious one It so valiantly hoped to preserve.


Does a tiny heart of steel still beat Beneath the rubble deep?

And will those Titans be recalled, Or will they forever sleep?

© 2001 by Carolyn K. Long


The above lines are from “Titans,” Part I of the 9/11 Memorial poem and video, “Angels Over America,” by Carolyn K. Long, author and executive producer of the video. The poem and video, co-produced by award-winning arranger and composer Mark Freeh, can be viewed or downloaded from  www.AngelsOverAmerica.org or secured by contacting Carolyn@AngelsOverAmerica.com.

Carolyn K. Long is a professional speaker, consultant, writer and photographer, based in Columbia, MD.

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