Tears Shrouded in Shards of Debris - a 9/11 Commemorative Poem, by Antonio Cassone

Tears Shrouded in Shards of Debris

Though not a victim, not a fatality, not even a relative
Feelings of the most incomprehensible loss overcome
It is as though our collective breath took pause
For a moment, it seemed like we were outdone

Since then, emotional distress takes me over
The edge of nevermore, consuming any kind of thought
Imagining what so many went through in just a moment
Fear cloaked in tears get me right about my throat, caught

My heart races in a panic, as if trying to escape
From what …and why run from whatever destiny
Outer demons had in mind for those who died
The children, the women, the heroes…

Never forget that fateful September day
Like minute pieces of glass
Cutting me as my jagged flesh tears away
So many lives destroyed within a flash

Damaged, I hear the cries in the darkness
The shards of debris come at me in fierce fashion
Splicing and thrusting forward in my nightmare
A nightmare that was a reality

Crashing thunderous downward
Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
Wondering, waiting

Awakened from this recurring incubus
Going on in our daily lives
Through the wars, during the constant fears
Provoked, driven, cursing evermore into subconscious

Took many summer days to strive forward
Long autumn afternoons remembering what once was
Cold, dark winter nights; shivering in the storm
And after the storm, springs hope anew

Breathing in a sense of survival
A willingness to carry on
A belief in all that is right and true
A promise that again today can lead to tomorrow

We have to continue to come together, to commemorate,
Celebrate the lives of our lost brothers and sisters
And come through and look into each others’ eyes…
Each others’ faces …and see you …and me

© 2009 Antonio Cassone - All Rights Reserved

Aaliyah's Music & Style Are Still As Fresh Today As Ever

Eight years now... where does the time go?

Aaliyah was on the cusp of greatness - and just like that...gone.

My friend, Chris, used to be her tutor when she attended the Detroit High School for the Performing Arts back in my hometown. And she was your typical home girl from the Motor City. People will say what they will about where I come from, but they just don't understand. So many talented people come from there. It truly is a special place with special people who seem to capture an essence about them for talents in the arts, business and industry - to name a few.

She was simple, young, beautiful - and now, I will say, iconic in a way.

I never thought I would say that about Aaliyah, but after seeing the emergence of so many young R&B singers that have followed her these past eight years; one could say her impact has been large, but subtle. Her fashion sense at such a young age, her use of special effects and live animals in her videos and stage act, her makeup, the way she carried herself and her talent all went away that fateful night in August.

I remember when I first heard the news. I called Chris immediately and could tell he already knew. He was devastated. This wasn't a teacher, he was her tutor. That sort of set up is very in your face and very hands on. She was your typical teenager coming up in her high school years. She was already so established in both life and love, her career was already in full gear, yet she had the same aspirations and a willingness to let go and dream - just like any other school girl her age.

Then...poof...the essence of time during our brief lives is but a speck of dust, a mere spot on history's horizon...

Aaliyah left her mark on that horizon. Especially with her last studio album, the self-titled release that came out shortly before her untimely death. Of course, like a lot of music fans in general, I scooped up my copy the first day it came out and listened to it immediately. After her death... tears were shed, as I listened to this brilliant, brilliant artist who was only just 'becoming' and so talented. She had just about any kind of music style/genre packed into that one disc. I can't even begin to imagine what more she would have done, or how much she would have evolved as an artist.

What I do know...and what I reflect on is that she was - and still is - loved by so many. Her music, her fashion, her style and grace...touched many people and made her a role model for many a young girl; no matter their race, religion, where they come from, rich or poor... Aaliyah was old enough to know better, but still had that essence of youth that will always remain.

She will always be beautiful.

She will always be a trendsetter.

She will always have pushed the envelope.

She is an icon now; I can see that.

May she rest in peace, and if you haven't already - get a copy of Aaliyah from 2001 and be simply, very simply: entertained!

-

More info on the album referred to here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaliyah_(album))