Comment from Mary Furlong

Excellent

The children of freedom, the children of song - these words sing to me. In fact, the whole poem touches me deeply. What a lot of feeling it has. And what a lot of history. I almost lost my way to this review panel because of all the wonderful background information you provided. Thanks for sharing this.

 Comment Written 11-Jun-2020

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reply by the author on 19-Jun-2020

I tried to make this reply a few days ago, but the site wasn't acting normally, so I couldn't get my reply to post -- plus I had delays, due to family illness and various other issues I've been dealing with, so I'm sorry for such a long delay.
Thank you, Mary, for your excellent and wonderful review of part 4 of my poem. I also appreciate that you acknowledged my Notes, which probably took as much time and effort, if not more, than the poem, itself.
Nevertheless, it warms my heart that this particular poem finds a place in your heart, as it is one of my own favorites, having been written with passion, albeit during a time when horror was the overwhelming feeling. The essence of being a poet is when words well up inside you that must be written, and while that isn't always the case, it was very much so with "Day Four," which makes it especially meaningful to me. God bless you, my friend. - Mary Kay xoxo

Comment from Mary Furlong

Excellent

The children of freedom, the children of song - these words sing to me. In fact, the whole poem touches me deeply. What a lot of feeling it has. And what a lot of history. I almost lost my way to this review panel because of all the wonderful background information you provided. Thanks for sharing this.

 Comment Written 11-Jun-2020

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reply by the author on 19-Jun-2020

I think you entered your review twice, so my response to this would be the same. Thank you for such a great and meaningful review.

Comment from The_Boy_Whodunnit

Excellent

There is a lot of detail and history in this, as your notes explain, but alongside all of that you've captured a very personal And human response. I'm sure your grief is shared by many millions, but I think it's the personal grief that many will be able to connect with and draw comfort, in the sense that they won't feel alone and that you have expressed how they are feeling too. a great piece of history for us to learn from and a wonderful poem capturing that moment.

 Comment Written 27-May-2020

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reply by the author on 28-May-2020

Thank you very much for your excellent and very thoughtful review. Although I didn't personally know anyone who perished in the attacks, I knew people who lost friends and others who narrowly escaped. I lived within about a five-mile radius of the disaster, and evidence of the attacks could be seen and heard, with the burnt fumes lingering in the air for months. It literally took months (perhaps six months) for the recovery workers to extinguish the burning ash heap, and nine months altogether, for them to clear the debris -- then years later, workers were still finding bones on top of nearby buildings (such were the explosive forces).
It was personal because it was my city, and so many lives had been taken here. In some ways, we were numb from shock. My mind kept returning to the terrible fate of those trapped in the burning buildings.
You're right -- it's the personal grief that many people can connect with, the most. May God bless you and keep you safe.
- Mary Kay

Comment from January L'Angelle

Excellent

This is so expressive and emotional. I enjoyed the Bible references and the references to what happened during the attack. Those authors notes gave a great backbone to the poem. The rhymes were excellent as was the meter. The content was heart wrenching and brought out deep emotional scars. God bless. This is very well penned. -January L.

 Comment Written 27-May-2020

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reply by the author on 28-May-2020

Thank you so much, January, for your beautiful, meaningful and excellent review of my poem. I appreciate everything you wrote, especially that you enjoyed the Bible references and found my Notes helpful.
It was a very distressing time for our nation, and traumatic for many -- for those who were old enough to understand, we can never forget it, nor should we, especially the sacrifices that were made for others. Your review is most encouraging. God bless you, too!
Love, Mary Kay xoxo

Comment from Alcreator Litt Dear

Excellent

This is the fourth and last Phase, fourth day of grieving, a fine epic missionary work in memory of the Twin Towers attack, stating a few words more about the losses; well said, well done; enjoyed the read; thank you for sharing this; keep writing. Best of Luck for its Publication! ALCREATOR

 Comment Written 27-May-2020

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reply by the author on 28-May-2020

Thank you very much, Alcreator, for another excellent, thoughtful and encouraging review of my epic poem. I appreciate your comments and good wishes. God bless you, and I wish you the best in your writing, also.
- Mary Kay

Comment from Ogden

Excellent

That's quite a tribute to the victims of the
9-11 attack! I didn't take the time to read all of your voluminous notes, but in scanning them, I noticed some misinformation. According to the surviving terrorist, the others had been told it was not a suicide mission (possibly except for the pilots, who it was learned, had no experience in handling the complicated planes they hijacked). So, they were duped by their leaders, and did not intend to sacrifice their lives for a cause.
I thought you would want to know this, Mary Kay.

Ogden (Don)

 Comment Written 27-May-2020

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reply by the author on 28-May-2020

Thank you very much, Don, for your excellent review and for the additional information. I must admit that I am somewhat skeptical, though keeping an open mind. The surviving terrorist, Mohammed al-Qahtani, was detained for many years (and is probably still at Gitmo), and was questioned using "enhanced interrogation techniques," a/k/a torture, which means he probably would have said anything that cast his own role in a more favorable light. He tried to kill himself on three separate occasions, knowing he would probably get the death penalty (which he did not).
There is no doubt in my mind that at the very least, the four hijacker-pilots knew where they were going; otherwise, how did they end up crashing into three high-value targets and set the plane's heading for a fourth? The passengers on Flight 93 didn't see any credible evidence of a bomb on board, which the hijackers threatened. They had already killed and/or injured people (including crew and pilots) on at least some of the planes, proving homicidal intentions.
If they weren't on a suicide mission and didn't know how to land the planes, how did they think their mission would end? The other flight students who attended school with some of the hijackers in Florida later reported that they thought it was strange that they had no interest in learning how to land a plane.
Al-Qahtani was deported in early August, so he was probably not privy to the discussions among the other 19 hijackers for the remaining 5 weeks until 9/11. I don't think we can draw conclusions solely based on his testimony, for all of the above reasons.
I tried to find a source for the claim you are making, that most of the hijackers were duped by their leaders into the suicide mission, but was unable to find it. If you can provide it, I will take a look.
Here is some other information from Wikipedia. If you have good reason to believe it's misinformation, you are free to let them know:
{Jarrah stabilized the plane at 10:00:03.[29] Five seconds later, he asked, "Is that it? Shall we finish it off?" Another hijacker responded, "No. Not yet. When they all come, we finish it off."[49]
....
Jarrah dialed in the VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) frequency for the VOR navigational aid at Reagan National Airport at 09:55:11 to direct the plane toward Washington, D.C.[36]

[29]"'We Have Some Planes'". 9/11 Commission Report. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
[36] Retrieved August 24, 2008. 9/11 Commission Report. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
[49]"United Airlines Flight No.93 Cockpit Voice Recorder Transcript"(PDF). CNN. April 12, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2009.}
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_93

That was some evidence, cited above, that the hijackers, at least on Flight 93, were aware of what they were doing.
I appreciate that you value the truth and want to encourage facts to be communicated accurately. So do I. So thank you again for the review and the dialogue. God bless you. - Mary Kay

reply by Ogden on 28-May-2020

You're welcome, Mary Kay, and thank you for your remarkably researched reply. I have no reason to doubt any of the information, but some speculations are fair game. For example, it's likely that Qahtani could have been coerced to say whatever his interrogators wanted him to, but it appears he had no motivation to concoct a fabrication about the terrorists believing they were supposed to survive the attack, especially in view of his attempts at suicide while in captivity. The plan could have been for only the Pentagon to be devastated, and the world to see that the other targets were vulnerable, but spared. What actually occurred might have been a plan B or C, depending on possible variables. I wish I could recall the source of my belief in the terrorists' naivety, and could recall other intriguing information. I'm sorry, but I can't.

Don

reply by the author on 28-May-2020

Thank you, Don, for your fair-minded reply. You do have a generous interpretation of the terrorists' intentions, but of course, I haven't heard the information you have mentioned, and I'm sure you would provide it if you could.
Qahtani did have a very good motive to say that it wasn't a suicide mission, as suicide also meant murdering all those people, and he wanted to avoid the death penalty. He wanted to avoid it so much, that he was willing to die by his own hand, instead. So that's another way to look at it.
The other hijackers, of course, aren't around anymore to tell their stories (which they did to themselves, regardless of their original motivations), but thanks for taking a look at my references.
Stay well and safe. - Mary Kay

reply by Ogden on 28-May-2020

You're very kind, Mary. You take care, too!
Don

reply by the author on 28-May-2020

Thank you very much, my friend.
- Mary Kay

Comment from royowen

Excellent

The tragedy of this can't be emphasised enough, it's the innocent who died for seemingly nothing, and by the hand of self appointed avengers, there are so many unjust and brutal actions done in someone's name, so many causes are fought in God's name. And it's never His fault. I've been in the old basement, but the new one of the freedom. Beautifully written dear friend, lest we forget. Blessings, Roy

 Comment Written 26-May-2020

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reply by the author on 27-May-2020

Thank you very much, Roy, for your excellent and thoughtful review. I appreciate the thoughts you shared, especially the tragedy of people committing cruel, wicked acts of hatred in the name of God. Many people don't know Him as Our God of love, because if they did, they wouldn't have done those things. May He bless you richly! - Mary Kay

reply by royowen on 27-May-2020

That?s true

Comment from Brenda Elizabeth Rose

Exceptional

Brilliant poem on September 11. You expressed the feelings of many on that terrible day. Your comments helped explain your poem further. The videos you shared made your piece more poignant and sad. I was very moved by your piece. I am Canadian and our country took the planes that couldn't land in America. We are very proud of this. Sad but still a perfect poem. Thank you for sharing. Blessings. ~Brenda

 Comment Written 26-May-2020

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reply by the author on 27-May-2020

Thank you, Brenda, for your beautiful, exceptional and very thoughtful six-star review. I appreciate everything you wrote, and that you commented on my Notes and the videos.
I remember very well, how Canada helped us, by allowing our planes to land in your country. You should always be proud of that, and I will always feel grateful. I almost became one of those stranded in the air, because I was supposed to fly to Oregon the next day for my sister's wedding. I had asked for the day off, 9/11, but my manager turned me down -- a blessing in disguise!
Your review truly warms my heart. God bless you, too!
Love, Mary Kay xoxo

Comment from harmony13

Excellent

The author's words are heartfelt, strong, spiritual and creative. Thank you for the author's notes and all the videos. I remember I lived in New York
at the time. It was devastating. The words of this poem brought back
so many memories. Thank you for this beautiful tribute.

 Comment Written 26-May-2020

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reply by the author on 27-May-2020

Wow, another (former) New Yorker! I lived in Astoria, Queens at the time (I now live in Jackson Heights with my husband).
The whole atmosphere was transformed by the disaster. My neighborhood was at the foot of the RFK (Triboro) Bridge, and became a staging area for emergency vehicles. I feel very badly for those who lived much closer to the attacks, and for those who lived or worked in the immediate vicinity -- I don't know what part of NY you were in, but it sounds like you were close to it. Many people had a very traumatic experience, besides the obvious victims in the towers and first responders.
Thank you very much, Harmony, for your excellent and meaningful review, and for mentioning my Notes and the videos. I appreciate your comments and all that you shared. May God bless you and keep you safe. - Mary Kay xoxo

Comment from Precious Owuamalam

Excellent

Beautiful! This is lovely. Wonderfully penned down. May humble supplications reach our God, the Father and may He answer all of them.

Some few points: Yes they tried to destroy the heart of our nation. A comma should come after "Yes."

O guide us should be "Oh" guide us.

My very best wishes.

 Comment Written 26-May-2020

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reply by the author on 27-May-2020

Thank you so much, Precious, for your excellent, careful and loving review of my poem. May God indeed answer our humble supplications and keep us safe, even today.
Thank you for your suggestions -- my words and punctuation are stylistic choices here. I could have added the comma after "Yes," but didn't want the pause. The "O" is an archaic usage, as in "O Come All Ye Faithful." But I understand your corrections since I am also concerned about grammar a lot. I thank you, with all my heart. God bless you, my friend. Love, Mary Kay