Ground Zero - November 2001

Already Done

It was silent in Manahattan when the mountains tumbled down
With waves of dust that scoured the streets til words themselves were drowned.

A book of moving polaroids, jumpers jump and eyeballs bleed
A trail of tears to Jersey, the skyline on her knees.
It’s already done.

There’s a hole in Pennsylvania where the White House mighta been
Cause bad men learned to fly grenades but good ones pulled the pin
And the Allegheny sings her prayers, a heroe’s mass, a single grave
Confetti ‘cross the forest marks the ticker-tape parade.
It’s already done.

Well I guess I never really understood the rules of war
And who exactly it’s ok or not to go and burn
Terror flies it’s flag up high -- this side white and that side black
But terror’s just the timing -- who kicked first, and who kicked back
It’s already done.

If there was hope down in the rubble well I’d hoped that it was this
That in our vulnerability we’d open up our fists
And lay hands upon the ruined and lay wrench upon the come unfixed
And though we cannot heal them we shall see no more get sick
It’s already done.

The Star Spangled Banners Thanksgiving Day 2001

Already done when I heard “less than human” from the lips of our president
Already done when I heard some guy shot some guy right through his turbaned head
Already done when I heard eyes for eyes might somehow help us find our dead
Already done when I heard our boys say the same words their boys said.

If you’re gonna fly your flag my friend be mindful how it’s made
And see it’s got six billion stars and stripes of every shade
And hang it in the doorframe until the door itself’s repaired
Til all the grieving’s come it’s course and there’s no one left that’s scared.

By Danny Schmidt