Talya

I wrote this poem back when I was a college student in NYC shortly after the 9/11 attacks. I had just moved to Manhattan a couple days before that horrible, devastating day. After it happened, I was scared to fall asleep at night for a long time. When I did sleep, I had nightmares about the Juilliard dorm building ( I was on the 26th floor at the time) falling down and crumbling to pieces. The only way I knew how to deal with all the emotions inside was by writing a poem and then later setting it to music. Some words of the chorus were taken from Lamenations: (Lam 1.1-2)

Bitterly She Weeps:

I remember standing there
captured in a stare
how could this be, how did this happen
on that morning blue and clear

As I watched the passersby
we all shared this human cry
children weeping for their fathers
wishing they had wings to fly

Lonely sits the city
bitterly she weeps at night
her cheeks wet with tears

Needing strength to carry on
writing poetry, prose and song
holding on to what is sacred
letting go of what is gone

And the images will stay
like imprints left on clay
but we'll always keep on yearning
to live a better day

Lonely sits the city
bitterly she weeps at night
her cheeks wet with tears