No Friendly Sky Anymore

Now we see rain clouds with thunder ahead
Our hearts still do bleed

Flashbacks bring to mind raindrops looking like zeros with tails, yes we
Remember the falling plates, knives and forks on bodies piles scattered wide for
It is there, in fiery mounds our distant family staggered, swayed and died
Evil acts rained down that autumn day, we West Indians watched on CNN
Nine-eleven changed forever our moods and fashion we do wear too
Dressed in early Halloween masquerading, these eastern demons everywhere
Lingering and mingling still, they show in covert places their sinister faces
You hide in holes your forte, like the foxking, beasts that’s what you are .

Shall we give up! Or be inspired by the heroes of the Copiapo mine?
Kin and friendly allies came out in battle under way, to capture and repair;
Yankees by George! We’ll hunt them, come morning, noon, night and day.

America to the north, America to the south firmly we stand;
Noble and true to the cause of justice for all;
You our foes will have no place to park, hide or hang your hats
Murmur to Uncle Sam we shall not, when justice-hands we shake for all when
Our forces might uproot your evil plants you plant, for we have the
Right, to fight said Bush with Blair-ing sound; we heed the bugle call;
Events of rightful fruits in arms, stars and sparkles, democracy beams US its light.

© Paterika Hengreaves

No Friendly Sky Anymore

(2011)

The people of the West Indies do mourn with thee

We have watched from the islands of the Caribbean

Glued to television sets in disbelief

The September events

And now with trace of tears still lingering

We do remember

America

We do cry with you because these evil acts

Are for all mankind too

Our hearts do bleed at the loss

Inflicted by terrorists and their boss

These thoughts that you do read

Are real and shall be our lasting nightmare

To be haunted by flashbacks

Of nine-eleven

America attacked

By a gang of more than seven

We with gaping mouths and bulging eyes

Watched planes attacked buildings and towers

Amid the horrible cries

People trapped inside the inferno

With no hope of seeing tomorrow

As their helpless friends and kin looked

To the sky in horror

Yankees and all of us have had enough

Of this terrorist band parading across their beautiful

And noble land

Dressed in garments and wearing a human face

They plotted covertly to zap

The American race

To those families with fallen people

Elsewhere

And at ground zero

America will not stand

For another judgment error

So spoke Bush Junior

And Blair-ringing in

They vowed to hit back terror

In all its shades

By George!

America will attack back

And fight terror in every nook and cranny

And there shall be no cause for you

To murmur to Uncle Sam

Justice, fair play integrated

With all our forces’ might

For in God we put our trust

Because the cause is just

And right.

Paterika Hengreaves

(September2001/Barbados)