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Saturday the 14th of April, 2007

Sweaty-toothed Madman via Todd Anderson (Dead Poets Society)

I close my eyes and this image floats beside me
The sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brain
His hands reach out and choke me
And all the time he’s mumbling
Mumbling truth, like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold.
You push it, stretch it, it will never be enough
Kick at it, beat it, it will never cover any of us.
From the moment we enter crying, to the moment we leave dying,
It will just cover your face as you wail and cry and scream.

Thursday the 12th of October, 2006

Into The Dark… Rememberance.

Tribute to Matthew Shepard (Flash File)

My son Matthew did not look like a winner. After all, he was small for his age—weighing, at the most, 110 pounds, and standing only 5’2” tall. He was rather uncoordinated and wore braces from the age of 13 until the day he died. However, in his all too brief life, he proved that he was a winner. My son—a gentle, caring soul—proved that he was as tough as, if not tougher than, anyone I have ever heard of or known. On October 6, 1998, my son tried to show the world that he could win again. On October 12, 1998, my first-born son—and my hero—lost. On October 12, my first-born son—and my hero— died 50 days before his 22nd birthday. He died quietly, surrounded by family and friends, with his mother and brother holding his hand. All that I have left
now are the memories....

Matt officially died at 12:53 a.m. on Monday, October 12, 1998, in a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. He actually died on the outskirts of Laramie tied to a fence that Wednesday before, when you beat him. You, Mr. McKinney, with your friend Mr. Henderson, killed my son....

By the end of the beating, his body was just trying to survive. You left him out there by himself, but he wasn’t alone. There were his lifelong friends with him—friends that he had grown up with. You’re probably wondering who these friends were. First, he had the beautiful night sky with the same stars and moon that we used to look at through a telescope. Then, he had the daylight and the sun to shine on him one more time—one more cool, wonderful autumn day in Wyoming. His last day alive in Wyoming. His last day alive in the state that he always proudly called home. And through it all he was breathing in for the last time the smell of Wyoming sagebrush and the scent of pine trees from the snowy range. He heard the wind—the ever-present Wyoming wind—for the last time. He had one more friend with him. One he grew to know through his time in Sunday school and as an acolyte at St. Mark’s in Casper as well as through his visits to St. Matthew’s in Laramie. He had God....

I feel better knowing he wasn’t alone....

Mr. McKinney, one final comment before I sit, and this is the reason that I stand before you now. At no time since Matt was found at the fence and taken to the hospital have Judy and I made any statements about our beliefs concerning the death penalty. We felt that that would be an undue influence on any prospective juror. Judy has been quoted by some right-wing groups as being against the death penalty. It has been stated that Matt was against the death penalty. Both of these statements are wrong. We have held family discussions and talked about the death penalty. Matt believed that there were incidents and crimes that justified the death penalty. For example, he and I discussed the horrible death of James Byrd, Jr. in Jasper, Texas. It was his opinion that the death penalty should be sought and that no expense should be spared to bring those responsible for this murder to justice. Little did we know that the same response would come about involving Matt. I, too, believe in the death penalty. I would like nothing better than to see you die, Mr. McKinney. However, this is the time to begin the healing process. To show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy. To use this as the first step in my own closure about losing Matt. Mr. McKinney, I am not doing this because of your family. I am definitely not doing this because of the crass and unwarranted pressures put on by the religious community. If anything, that hardens my resolve to see you die. Mr. McKinney, I’m going to grant you life, as hard as that is for me to do, because of Matthew. Every time you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, or the Fourth of July, remember that Matt isn’t. Every time that you wake up in that prison cell, remember that you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. Every time that you see your cell mate, remember that you had a choice, and now you are living that choice. You robbed me of something very precious, and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. McKinney, I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives. May you have a long life, and may you thank Matthew every day for it.

Full Excerpt after the Break.

Scarecrow via Melissa Etheridge

Showers of your crimson blood
Seep into a nation calling up a flood
Of narrow minds who legislate
Thinly veiled intolerance
Bigotry and hate

But they tortured and burned you
They beat you and they tied you
They left you cold and breathing
For love they crucified you

I can’t forget hard as I try
This silhouette against the sky

Scarecrow crying
Waiting to die wondering why
Scarecrow trying
Angels will hold carry your soul away

This was our brother
This was our son
This shepherd young and mild
This unassuming one
We all gasp this can’t happen here
We’re all much too civilized
Where can these monsters hide

But they are knocking on our front door
They’re rocking in our cradles
They’re preaching in our churches
And eating at our tables

I search my soul
My heart and in my mind
To try and find forgiveness
This is someone child
With pain unreconciled
Filled up with father’s hate
Mother’s neglect
I can forgive But I will not forget

Scarecrow crying
Waiting to die wondering why
Scarecrow trying
Rising above all in the name of love

The rest of the story...

Wednesday the 11th of October, 2006

lets get celebrating

life frustrating
hating
contemplating
not updating
days blazing
thoughts gnawing
dwindling
counting
pains ailing
razors scraping
ropes knotting
pills mixing
piercing
scratching
screaming
ending

i was hating
not updating
life so frustrating
did some waiting
contemplating
here now sitting
lets get celebrating

Monday the 11th of September, 2006

The 2996 Project - Remembering 9/11

The rest of the story...

Sunday the 10th of September, 2006

Remembering Kenneth Tietjen

About the Kenneth F. Tietjen Memorial Foundation

The Foundation was created in November 2001 as a non-profit organization to honor the memory of Port Authority Police Officer Kenny Tietjen, who sacrificed his life at the World Trade Center on Septemebr 11th.The main goal of the Foundation is to provide bicycles and/or other aid to underpriveledged children throughout New Jersey.

The idea for the Foundation came about because each year during the Christmas season, the Tietjen’s would “adopt” a needy family and provide all the food, clothes, and toys to help make the family’s Christmas a happy one. It was always Kenny’s job to provide the bikes for the children - it was something he looked forward to doing.

With the holidays approaching less than three months after Kenny was killed, his family and friends wanted to find a positive way to keep his memory alive and lessen the huge hole that they would feel by spending Christmas without Kenny.

Through generous donations from friends, family, fellow Port Authority police officers, and wonderful strangers, the Foundation was able to purchase and deliver 11 bicycles to needy children that very first year.  With continued support, the Foundation donated 37 bicycles, 3 computers, and many other toys to families throughout New Jersey during 2002.  With your continued support, Kenny’s Foundation is looking foward to expanding its “Acts of Hope” in the years to come.

For additional information or to make a contribution, please contact .

Thank you for helping us to keep Kenny’s wonderful spirit alive!

---

He Claimed the Respirator

As a boy, the two things that scared Ken Tietjen most were fire trucks and police cars. So he took some ribbing from his family when, as an adult, he chose a job that required him to ride in both.

Mr. Tietjen, a Port Authority police officer, was at the 33rd Street PATH station when he heard about the terrorist attack, said Laurie Quinn, his sister. Mr. Tietjen commandeered a taxi, banished the driver to the back seat, and drove to ground zero. He rushed into the north tower and helped people down, but when he emerged to get a new respirator, only one remained, his partner recalled. Smiling, Mr. Tietjen said, “Seniority rules,” took the respirator and ran into the south tower. Moments later, the building fell.

Typical, said Ms. Quinn, noting his commendation for bravery this year, received for tackling a man who had stabbed the sergeant he worked with. As a firefighter several years back, he returned to a burning building to rescue an unconscious colleague.

One of those Mr. Tietjen rescued on Sept. 11 attended his memorial Mass. But he did not stay because he became overwhelmed.

Ms. Quinn said: “My brother had a choice whether to go back and he chose to go back in. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.”

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 1, 2001.

---

Kenneth Tietjen, 31, rushed to the scene

Kenneth Tietjen, a police officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, always wanted to be a firefighter.

In junior high school, as a member of the Middletown Fire Explorers, he rode his mo-ped to local fires. When he turned 18, his dream became a reality when he became a volunteer for the Belford Engine Company. His mother remembers how proud he was after fighting his first fire.

“He came home and said, ‘We had a great fire today. It was a propane tank,’ “ said Janice Tietjen of Belford. “He was right at the front of the hose and I said, ‘Why were you there?’ He said, ‘That’s where the excitement is.’ “

Mr. Tietjen, 31, of Matawan, died while rescuing people trapped in the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 attack. He led workers, some of them badly burned, from Tower One before grabbing the last air pack in sight and entering Tower Two.

“He waved to his partner and went in,” his mother said.

Mr. Tietjen, who was engaged to be married later this month, died when Tower Two collapsed.

Mr. Tietjen, who had been a Port Authority police officer for nine years, was working his job on the PATH trains when he heard of the attack. He immediately rushed into Manhattan to help, first commandeering a cab, then hopping an emergency vehicle.

“Wherever he could be, that’s where he was,” his mother said.

At the time of his death, Tietjen was training to be a member of the Port Authority Emergency Services Unit. All he needed was to complete a scuba diving course to fulfill his dream, his mother said.

Mr. Tietjen received several awards for his work with the Port Authority, including a special commendation in 1996 for subduing a man who rammed a patrol car in the Holland Tunnel and then stabbed a police officer.

Off the job, Tietjen, who moved to Matawan two years ago, liked action, too.

He was an avid hockey player and enjoyed riding dirtbikes with his fiancée’s 13-year-old son. He was a reliable handyman, always ready to help others with a home improvement project, his mother said.

“He loved Home Depot,” she said. “He loved everything—life, sports, people, his job. Every day was another project for him. He was a lovable person with many, many friends. And I know it sounds corny, but he was a really good kid . . . He was born on the Fourth of July. He was a hero.”

Tietjen was a parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church in Keyport and a member of Fraternal Order of Police No. 110 and the New Jersey State PBA Lodge 116.

In addition to his mother, Mr. Tietjen is survived by his father, Kenneth Tietjen; his fiancée, Karen Dalla Valle of Matawan; and two sisters, Cindy Tietjen of Belford and Laurie Quinn of Hazlet.

A memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Joseph’s Church. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the John E. Day Funeral Home, 85 Riverside Ave., Red Bank.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kenneth F. Tietjen Foundation, which provides bicycles to poor children at Christmas. The address is 27 Gregory St., Hazlet, N.J., 07730.

Profile by Carrie Stetler published in THE STAR-LEDGER.

The rest of the story...

Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to this land
Where heroes protect every woman and man
The flag that represents freedom and choice
The flag that gives us all a free voice
And on September 11th, when our nation was attacked
We all came together and we fought back
In the midst of terror, many heroes died
They fought to save others and in the end sacrificed their lives
They didn’t think twice as they ran toward the fallen cries
All they could think about was to save those victims’ lives
Though they have fallen we can still hear freedom ringing in their voice
From the battlefields to the white house we all had to learn to survive
The tragedies on September 11th left a whole nation to mourn and cry
Now we live on to protect our flag’s integrity
From the people who just don’t seem to see what our nation sees
Though they attack us, never will we fall
I give a salute to the firefighters and soldiers lost on that day
Together we mourn for the victims who had to lose their lives that way
But in their deaths, our nation finally saw
That no matter how much they try, together we cannot fall
So, I pledge allegiance to this land
Where heroes protect every woman and man

© Meghan L. Thomas

Saturday the 9th of September, 2006

I Saw An Eagle Cry

Today I saw an eagle,
With a teardrop in his eye.
It literally took my breath away,
To see an eagle cry.
I asked him,What’s the matter?,
And he told me what he saw.
A cowardly attack was made,
On the towers that once stood tall.
He said everything he stood for,
Had taken a shocking blow.
So he had to take a moment,
To let his own emotions show.
Then he proudly told me,
That our Nation would survive.
That our Liberty and Freedom,
He’d be sure to keep alive.
He said for us not to be afraid,
To stand together, not apart.
For a terrorist has succeeded,
If he puts fear within our hearts.

© Cassandra L. Gilbert

Friday the 8th of September, 2006

The World Stood Still

Early one morning on a September day
While we were all busy at work or play

Two towers stood tall as the day before
Not knowing that tomorrow they’d stand no more

When the first plane crashed into tower one
No one knew what had just begun

As people were trying to get out alive
Then plane number two took its dive

Then out of the blue one building fell
You could see people run and hear them yell

As we all sat and watched in fear
We dropped to our knees and sheaded tears

Many workers, children firefighters and more
Were all in the path of the mad men that soared

And as the dust from the building began to fade
We all felt sadness but still we prayed

Then the news that another plane had just went down
Out in Pennsylvania, but it hit the ground

For the passengers that rode that plane that day
Stood up for their country in their own way

What else what else could our country take
But another plane went down and the Pentagon did shake

More people were injured and more lives were lost
And the people that did this would pay the cost

Many lives were lost on that September day
As our world stood, still and each of us prayed

Many people just like you and me
Gave their life to set another one free

And on this day when our world stood still
We all joined as one, in God’s Will

For the towers that stood in New York so tall
On September 11th affected us all

© Tracy L. Greer

Thursday the 7th of September, 2006

Alive and Well

They came from different backgrounds,
they came from different towns.
But they all came together when those shining towers came down.
They were people of wealth,
and people almost so poor,
that they could barely feed their families,
but they all watched their children go off to war.
They are people you see everyday, and people so often not,
but they were people, who said hello,
and no....., I haven’t forgot.
They are neighbors, families, friends, and strangers one and all,
they stood side by side, and hand in hand, and answered the urgent call.
My hat goes off to you, all who stood brave and true,
who sacrificed and lost so much, for the red, white, and blue.
These people I know, actually very well,
For they are Americans, and we are alive and well.....

© Mark A. Hull

Wednesday the 6th of September, 2006

September 11

You could hear the screams
as the planes hit the towers
on that dreadful day.

Loved ones were lost
firefighters paid the cost tragic.
risking their lives for you and me

The fire was unbearable
one thought went through their heads
should they burn or should they jump
the tragic choice was theirs to make.

Seeing what happened was terrible
knowing there was nothing we could do
to take back the actions that happened that morning.

We could grieve or be angry
but nothing can change
what happened that day.

© Amy L. Thatcher

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