here’s the poem that almost made me famous

by jamelah

Posted to Action Poetry on 2001-12-09 11:02:00

Parent message is 72666
(bah to the wall street journal, i say.)

open my eyes smiling
my bones speak of unforeseen memory
22 years old today
i will not forget
i think this is good

but ninethirty am teevee alarm calls
i stand shaking in my livingroom
dreams of drinks and laughs with friends
crushed beneath the weight of
smoking twin towers

this is the day i was born
this is the day i fought for life, two months early,
against the wishes of mother, doctors, commonsense,
this is the day i was born
this is the day

and so many other seeking a different birthday
fighting for rebirth from rubble

how dare i light birthday candles
tragedy asks me
but life moves on
i’m one year older
nothing to do but
take a big breath
and exhale my best wishes