If you HAVEN'T visited the 9-11 Memorial & Museum yet, and are planning a trip to New York City, Put it on your short list!
Remembering 9/11 ..
What better way to remember than with a little poetry and something shinny and new. Every year I like to reflect, in my own little way, on the events of September 11th, 2001. The last few years, being involved with Steemit and now Hive, I wrote a few words regarding the terrible day in US history. I thought I would do a little of the same this year.
This year I wanted to not only post a new poem about 9/11 .. but also include a bran new poem I wrote about Lady Liberty. What makes this post a bit more unique, is that I recently purchased a 1 oz SilverTowne Lady Liberty Silver Round. I think it is the perfect time to incorporate this piece of silver into a post. After all, this post is really about remembering our Liberties, Freedoms, and the Hope that comes with it.. Especially during times of tragedy.
The Poem ..
Last year I posted a new poem .. You won't have to look too far (or follow the link I will provide) because I will include the majority of that post, just below this one. Please check it out, because it has some cool photos included with it.
This year's poem is appropriately titled 'Liberty' ..
Please keep in mind that I am an amateur poet.. I still have much to learn. Be gentle on me.
'Liberty'
By B D Miller
9/11/2021
Oh Liberty, Oh Liberty
Why do you stay still?
We need your strength
We need the light of your torch
But you remain ever silent
Determined and fearless
Your pale green face looked on
But you could not see the chaos
The sound of screams could be heard
But not by your cold thick ears
The smell of smoke filled the air
But your nose didn’t sense it
Grey smoke tasted bitter and dry
And your mouth remained shut
Emotion was felt far and wide
Yet yours remained unchanged
I now realize that you are hope
And that hope is stronger than fear
You are our eyes and ears
Our nose and our mouth
And when our emotions rise and fall
We look to you for guidance
Oh Liberty, Oh Liberty
Twenty years gone past
And we never really knew
That you stayed true to your post
Forever preserving our freedoms
And Lighting our path to Liberty
Last Years Poem ..
Originally posted on September 18th, 2020 - Follow this link to view in original post
'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 Silver ..
Photos of Liberty in the background are by me, BDMiller, taken during a trip to NYC
1 oz SilverTowne Lady Liberty Silver Round
As she stands, looking over the New York Harbor .. What a sight to see. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend you visit her to see this raw beauty in real life. Whether it is by boat or by foot, I promise you will be moved by Lady Liberty (if you allow yourself to). It is quite the impressive statue. I can only imagine what it was like for immigrants first arriving to America. What a surreal feeling to see her face and then arm holding a torch that was lighting the path to freedom, liberty and above all, hope.
This is the essence of this round .. in my opinion. On the obverse, is the face of Lady Liberty, simple and true. One the reverse is her torch and the word "LIBERTY". Really quite meaningful right about now. Day in and day out, I try not to loose sight of that.
Not a bad looking round. I like the simple and to the point design. Similar to other rounds I have purchased from JM Bullion, this one is no different. It came in a not so perfect condition. It has it's small dents and scratches, but overall it is in a condition I expect and am content with, for being a stacking round.
The edge is reeeded and sharp .. Lovely and it has a nice feel to it.
The 9/11 Memorial & Park ..
We haven't been back in a while, mostly due to Covid and other restrictions. It has been several years, and I imagine the trees at the memorial have grown quite tall. I remember them being planted not that long ago, during one of our first trips to lower Manhattan, after the bulk of the memorial construction was complete. We would like to get back there again. New York is an awesome place, as @anonymity5 and many others, could tell you.
So that being said, I do not have any new photos to show. However, I will include the photo's from last years post, and their description below. I think it was a nicely written piece and deserves to be shared once again this year. If you decide to read on, enjoy! If not, thank you for reading this far and I bid you farewell till next time, because I do have more to share. Both silver and stories.. and of course Molly and Orchids!!
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!
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.
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