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October 12 (Bali Bombings)
CJ Levinson
I wonder what you saw
When you looked at the world?
Did you see how far we’d come?
I wish I’d known how to open your eyes
So that you could really see
You asked me why I don’t believe in God
And I still don’t know if I can explain
All I know is the saddest thing I’ve ever seen
Took all my faith away
On October 12
October 12
I looked for you amongst the ashes
Of that terrible, broken place
But the smoke caught in my eyes and lungs
And pain was all I could see
I stayed up for days, trying to find an answer
But you were gone forever
And the last time I saw you
Is the last thing I’ll remember
Lying broken beneath bags of ice
Gone forever
On October 12
October 12
We were so young
Thinking we could live forever
We could never really see
But I’ll wait for you
And I’ll remember you
Forever
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Your work is stunning. I would think those affected by the bombings would be honored by your poignant tribute. Your line ‘But I’ll wait for you” (after all that came before) nearly did me in. I am moved, as always, by your skill and your compassion.
CJ: Thanks Muse; I really appreciate your kind words. I hope the families would be honoured by it; I wanted to capture the impact of that awful day and I hope it’s respectful.
I actually started this when I was thinking about the 9/11 anniversary, but I realised while I was writing it that it more reflected what I felt about Bali; it just felt more personal, and 9/11 needed a different feeling to capture it… so I rewrote it. Maybe one day I’ll try and set it to music or images… the 5 years have just gone so quickly; I think it’s so important we remember, in our own way, and time.
Hey just wanna say that this poem ment the world to me… I live half my life in bali… and when the terriost attacks ocured i lost a significant amount of friends and family….
So greatful that theres people out there still haveing it on there minds…. being a surviour the anniversarys just bring back all the emotions, smells sounds… very graphic in my mind…
But The way you include your own emotional persepctive within this poem is amazing….
CJ: Ayla, thank you so much for your comment. I’m so sorry for your loss and I can’t imagine what it must be like with the anniversary each year… I think it’s so important that we remember, that we honour the people who were lost, because they were people, friends, so much more than a name. I know I will never forget how I felt that day, how I still feel.
I’m so glad the poem touched you; I wanted it to be respectful, and to tell its own story… it means so much to me that you took the time to read it and let me know what it meant to you. Thank you, and my best wishes for you and everyone affected by the attacks.