Our
Dust Lady of 9/11,

you
look out at us

&
we look in

until
we look away, perhaps,

but say,
we shall remember, shall not forget.

&
we live our lives, I imagine,

&
move on through discarded news/throw-away sorrow

&
buried in daily despair

we
cross Shakespeare’s tomorrow and tomorrow

&
creep & crawl through the chaos & cacophony of our days.

Such things I ponder.
Can’t really speak for us, I confess.
Our human ways are diverse,
though I believe we are one, linked by cosmic love-threads.

Our voices say,
we shall remember, shall nor forget.

Yet all I really know
is this-

in
the deep snow of my wounded love, I cover you – Dust Lady –

with
my prayers bless & cover you then fall into the chasm of my private pain

only
to return to you from time to time

Last night,
I watched the crimson sun dissolve & the swirling darkness spiral into the deep silence

of
my divinity & at dawn, I witnessed the glorious star rise again resurrected in a swirl

of
gold & in the haunting hour of rebirth,

I
found you again – rediscovered you in an old pile of wounded worn dusty papers.

There you were – /captured inside/the iconic photo/

our
Dust Lady of 9/11

anointed
with a flood of unholy dust

covered
& caked in destiny & death

born
Marcy Borders

trapped
in a toxic downpour
&
transmogrified into a haunting horrific symbol

Marcy Borders
fleeing Hell rushing slowly through death-saturated streets

as
the south tower imploded plummeted

Marcy Borders
trapped in a vast terror-cage of dust

but now,
you are forever ordained by ferocious fate – forever our Dust Lady, perennial icon of 9/11,

now
deceased at 42
cause of death – stomach cancer

&
a 9/11 homicide victim?
a 9/11 homicide victim?
a 9/11 homicide victim?

Rest in peace, Dust Lady,

this is my memorial prayer

my holy poem

my sacred hymn for you.

Lie serenely inside these words.

Be Heaven-bound & free.