Circa 2005.
::
I woke early, forgetting the date.
Quickly reminded by the trappings of the grotesque celebration-
Constant yammering solemnity-
Talking heads with trite words-
"Heroism", "Sacrifice"
And "tough questions" they never bothered with before-
"ARE WE SAFE CAN WE SLEEP AT NIGHT ARE THEY IN OUR CUPBOARDS AND CLOSETS ARMED WITH NUKULAR ANTHRAX AIDS DRESSED IN BEARDS & TURBANS?"
Reminding us to remember,
Reminding us to fear.
Soul-numbing repetition of tragedy and names and epitaphs and suicides-
Desperate death NEW now in digitally-enhanced HD widescreen HI-FI you can see his face split open on sidewalk as he falls from the 53rd floor
The President reminds me we are not yet safe from their freedom-hating tyranny terror censorship fascism
Followed by state propaganda films
On network television
(followed by an encore presentation)
Cruising through the aisles,
Flight 93 in the impulse-buy showcase
PROCEEDS TO SUPPORT THE NEW MEMORIAL!
(Pennsylvania is desperate for tourist dollars)
Adjacent to gaudy glossy celebrity images
That we so nobly rejected five years ago
I held my own celebration.
Ate pork hot dogs (clearly this is why they hate us)
Smoked Turkish tobacco (does this make me a sympathizer?)
Fraternized with an accused terrorist (no joke)
(and I myself on endless watchlists)
And lamented the whole sad spectacle.
Harkening back to that moment
When we were all one people,
When we remembered what really matters,
When we loved each other, embraced each other,
Did away with triviality,
And swore, "never again"
It took 2,000+ people dead
Just to stir up our dust,
Only to realize,
There is nothing underneath.
Most settled to fill in the emptiness,
But some of us never came down,
And we watch this sad carnival of dread
Waiting for the others to keep their promise.
::
Feel free to add anything I missed in the comments.