Home
Young Writers Project
be heard
  • READ
    • Recent Table
    • Daily Read
    • Recommended
    • Recent Comments
      • Table-Users
    • YWP Newsletter
  • CHALLENGES
    • Weekly Challenges 18/19
    • Writing Contest: Invasive
    • Live Challenges
  • WORKSHOPS
    • Writing on the Roof
    • Events
    • Voices for Change
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • Anthology
    • Newspapers
    • VPR.net
    • VTDigger.org
    • The Voice-2.19
  • ABOUT
    • YWP is ...
    • Contact Us
    • Permission Form
    • The YWP FAQ page
    • Site Help
    • Community Leaders
  • Donate
  • LOG IN/JOIN
Previous Post
Next Post
Sep 11
essay 1 comment
Dramatic456

I Will Never Forget (Because I Can't)

I saw the planes for the first time.

I don't know how I've never seen it before. I've heard about it, everyone has, but for some reason, whenever we went over that in class, we saw only pictures of smoke rising over the once clear New York skyline. Only heard numbers, quickly recited before moving on to the normal topic of discussion.

But today, I saw the planes.

I've always thought of them as graceful, soaring above and through the clouds and taking people to far off, distant lands. There was nothing graceful about these planes. Or maybe there was, and that's even worse.

I don't know when I started crying. Maybe it was when I first saw the planes hit. Maybe it was when I saw pictures of people jumping to get out of the flames. Maybe it was when I saw the pictures of people on the ground, powerless to do anything but watch. Just like me, powerless to do anything but stare in horror at the newsreels from before my time covering the event that has defined my time.

When they say never forget, it's not a reminder. It's a promise.

Because I can never forget what I just saw.
 
  • Dramatic456's blog
  • Sprout
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted: 09.11.18
About the Author: Dramatic456
MSG / CONTACT
RECENT LOVES
  • Dying Is Too Easy
  • A Royal Address
  • before i grew up too much, this was me
  • check mate
  • Anger.
RECENT COMMENTS
  • I LOVE THIS!!! First of all,
  • Excellently written!
  • I watched it live using the
  • Nicely done! I can really
  • What a beautifully optimistic

Other Posts by Author

  • Beauty and the Beasts
    “Help! I screamed, running as fast as I could into the forest. Read more
    in fiction 0 Comments
  • I Believe In Us
    The first time I heard of the wave of school shootings streaking across our nation, I was shaken to Read more
    in poem, rant/rave 0 Comments
  • Dance of Creation
    In my mindI hold out my hand to yoursEyes inviting, curious, longing Read more
    in poem 2 Comments

Discussion

Comments

  1. aesythe
    Sep 11, 2018

    You are spot-on - even without clear memories of these events, we all seem to share a collective memory of them regardless of age. I was in third grade when 9/11 happened, and many things are foggy... but there are images in my head that will never leave. Even if they did, so much of American life is still impacted by those acts committed that day. The wars, the economy, the great social and political upheavals in the Middle East still occurring at this very moment... it's all related, and not something we can easily push away and forget. There was one line in this ("Just like me, powerless to do anything but stare in horror at the newsreels from before my time covering the event that defined my time.") that fully encapsulated that idea of interconnectedness and our understanding of the past. Well said.

    • Log in or register to post comments
  • about
  • how to partner
  • for teachers
  • support us
​YWP  |  47 Maple St.  |  Burlington, VT  05401  | [email protected]  |  (802) 324-9538 
The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself. -- Albert Camus
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • Google+ icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Vimeo icon
  • YouTube icon
  • E-Mail icon