'Alone In Silence' ..
I originally posted this poem on Steemit with an artistic photo I took back in 2012. I posted it on April 13, 2018:
With the passing of my best bud Pepper on September 12th, and the weeks of illness leading up to it, the September 11th (9/11) anniversary came and went. I like to do just a little something every year, in some fashion, to remember the sad time in our county's history.
On September 11th, 2001, I personally knew two individuals who lost their lives that day. When the World Trade Center towers were attacked, they perished along side so many others. It had been some time since I had had any form of contact with them, but the loss was still real and still felt. My heart goes out to their families who still very much miss them, and deal with the events of that day like it were yesterday.
The Poem ..
I wrote this poem with inspiration from my visit to the 9/11 memorial and from the memories of that tragic day still stained in my mind. I have never had an formal help writing poetry nor do I attempt it very often, but like anything else, art and writing improves with knowledge and experience. So, that being said, I hope you enjoy my very amateur poem (once more).
'Alone In Silence'
I stand here alone in silence with eyes wet
Leaves fall all over the ground where I used to walk
There is nothing left here that seems normal or kind
Everything seems so alone to me anymore
Once more I come here hoping for reconciliation
Your bodies rest nowhere I know of or can find now
Beyond an eternity with your dreams scattered out
Pain still rests here and in my mind I settle down
Days spent wondering why time sat still
The trickles of water lead me into darkness again
The sun shines off the water and into my eyes
Vivid reflections bring tears to my dry cheeks
Snow falls and leaves blow some time later
This blanket will quiet me as I walk through once more
I will feel almost everything and nothing at all
Time steals my memories as God heals my soul
~B D Miller
The Photography ..
Most if not all of these photos were taken during the summer of 2012. We had planned a vacation to the city with some good friends. Over the four day holiday, we enjoyed great dinners in different parts of the city, drinks at the top of the Marriott, walks through Central Park, a boat ride near The Statue Of Liberty, and a visit to The 9/11 Memorial and grounds.
Most of the memorial was still under construction at this point, so most of the visit was above ground, in the gardens and along the perimeter of the water features. These water memorials, are surrounded by stone plates that contain the names of the people that lost their lives that day. Their are two water memorials, representing the two towers (North and South) and the names around them are in alphabetical order. Each water memorial contains the names of those who died in that particular tower.
I snapped off a few photos of the area, an you will notice the construction that is underway at the time. It has since been completed and I would definitely recommend a trip here if you in the city. Leave yourself plenty of time and make and reservation.
First up is an artistic monochromatic shot of one of the water memorials. This is one of my favorites because of the powerful message is delivers. Everything from the reflection to the hard lines of the walls, portray a beautiful and humble silence. It really was brilliantly designed in order to appeal to the eye, without taking away from it's purpose; A place morning and reflection.
Below is the construction I was referring to. It is now complete and the Memorial is fully opened. There is a multi-level museum below each of the water memorials and the park. I don't want to get into too much detail on the museum/memorial, but it is worth checking out if you are planning a trip after the Covid situation lightens up.
Taking a look toward the other tower. The trees make a neat little separation from the city behind. The reflection off the building windows is just as cool to me as the reflection off of the water. The water gently falls down the edge of the walls, creating a relaxing, therapeutic sound as it crashes into the pools below.
Mark Ryan McGinly ...
Mark's grandmother grew up next door to where I lived during my childhood years. Mark and his family would often come to visit during the summers. I would know when they were in town and looked forward to playing outdoors with him since we were roughly the same age. He loved playing basketball in the back yard of his grandmothers house and had a much better aim than myself. I have plenty of fond memories, lots of which came back to me when I was standing in front of his name, with my hand on the smooth, black stone.
Donald LaRoy Adams ...
Donald was a few years older than me, but has a brother that I went to school with and hung out with during my middle school years. I don't see him that often these days. After high school, we grew apart like most would expect. I stay in contact through Facebook and see that he and his beautiful family are doing very well. He takes part in a bike ride each year that ends at the memorial. When I see the photos of the ride and remember the love he had for his brother, I am saddened that he left this life in such a tragic way. I remembered Donald as I knew him and could still see his face as I remember it when we were in high school.. With his football gear on and smiling.
There are some beautiful, and shaded areas, that surround the memorial. A nice place to eat a lunch, sip a coffee, or whatever. It was warm the day we went, so we used the area for relaxing and cooling off in the shade. Plenty of people had the same idea, as you can see.
Below are a few additional photos of the construction of the new tower.. 'Freedom Tower' and all her 94 floors. The water that you are looking at in the foreground is the Hudson River. There is a small marina there in the picture called North Cove Yacht Harbor.
Looking up the side of the 'Freedom Tower'. I think construction on this building finished up about a year later. Not 100% sure on that though.
We also rode the boat up to, but not under, the Brooklyn Bridge (as seen below). There was also a little refurbishing going on with the bridge. It was a spectacular day for a boat ride!
In this next photo, we are still cruising the East River, just south of the Brooklyn Bridge. In the foreground of the city lies Whitehall Terminal, where you can pick up any number of water ferry's or taxis, along with the Staten Island Ferry.
It would have been neat to take a sail boat ride in this area, but it wasn't in the plans for this trip. Toward the left of the picture is the area where the East River meets the Hudson River and will eventually flow out to the Atlantic Ocean.
What boat ride is complete without a cruise by the Statue Of Liberty??!! That's just what our tour guide did so that we could snap some memories of the tall girl. Looks like her fire is still burning strong! There were a few visitors there, but like so many other things, the interior and observation decks were closed for refurbishment.
Location: Liberty Island - Manhattan, New York City,New York, U.S.
Coordinates: 40°41′21″N 74°2′40″WCoordinates: 40°41′21″N 74°2′40″W
Height: Height of copper statue (to torch): 151 feet 1 inch (46 meters)
From ground level to torch: 305 feet 1 inch (93 meters)
Dedicated: October 28, 1886
Restored: 1938, 1984–1986, 2011–2012
Sculptor: Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
Governing body: U.S. National Park Service
Above information obtained from the following source
I am hoping that maybe in one of the up and coming summers, my wife and I can take another trip to NYC and get to see the statue up close and personal. It is on the bucket list and should be achievable since we only live a short distance (by train) to the city. It's something to look forward to :-)
Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!
“One of the saddest things in life, is the things one remembers.”
― Agatha Christie
All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.
About Me ~ The Artist
My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.
Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.
For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.
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It has been a hard week. Yesterday one of our friends barely survived his small home burning down, he and hi dog got out, but lost everything. He still has his mother and his sisters, so he is fine. A wake up call as our season rapidly changes to winter.
The monochrome look of the "Picture" looks great, but I also like the full color one. The water reflecting on past, and Pepper reflecting on the now and tomorrow, I still love that picture.
Oh My Gosh.. That's terrible. I can't imagine the anxiety of having to start over and loosing everything. Let me know if there is something I can do.
Yes.. winter is on the way. Was 71F here in southern NJ today, but calling for highs only in the 60's this weekend. Still better than freezing temps. Will feel like fall.
You know that I put that photo of Pepper in there for you!?!? hehe.. I knew you were expecting it at some point.
He has a good support base, in fact he was there to take care of his mother and to help her out. So far they seem to have it all under control. We have offered our support and one of the first things we did was to ask and make sure his dog had enough food because we did not know where he stored it. His companion has enough, and we learned today he got to sneak in and jump up and sleep with his moms pup.
😌 Oh good. That's a relief in the midst of all that horror.
Thank you @innerblocks peeps! 😊
Brad i have tears just reading , thank you
I am sorry.. I don't want you to cry. Thank you for reading 😌
The poem is good! I think it is always useful to remember about this kind of happenings and pay tribute to those who are no longer here