nine one one
i got an emergency
can you hear me?
a hundred thousand times on that day
when we got played
and tall buildings came crashing down
to that terrible, but terrific silence
of sound
and there was no one around
to answer our calls
because darkness was rising
like ashes that fall
so we all scattered to hide behind
imaginary walls
of fear
i got an emergency
fear is starting to cease me
and the real irony:
the people who were early for work that day
got worked that day
without the pay
and the people who were late
were right on time
to see planes and bodies exploding
like nursery rhymes
“rock-a-bye baby on a tree top”
and just like when the bough breaks
if you jump from a burning building
you will drop
and pop
goes the weasel
and chicken little was running around screaming
“the sky is falling”
and we were all bawling like little red riding hood
lost in the woods
so the big bad wolf hung us all from a noose
i got an emergency
there’s a new enemy
and new enemies were born
on the day that
and Ha Shem and Buddha and Jesus
all drank from one chalice
but Allah was crucified
by Ignorance’s malice
and you were better off just hiding your face
if kufis or olive tones betrayed your religion or race
because a cowboy was president
and revenge was our case
i got an emergency
who is my enemy?
what languages do they speak
and in what countries do they live
the limp of their walk
their eyes, their smell, the way they talk
to you, to me
then to each other
should i kill! kill! kill!
even if it’s my brother?
or mother, or father
my sister, my child
will the pointer aim at them
when they move the dial?
i’m just asking –
the mucus is making it hard to see
which ‘them’ i should call my enemy
and wait, the dial, it’s turning again
but this time (surprise, surprise)
it’s pointing right at my friends
i got an emergency
they’re surrounding me
am i the enemy?
i am not the enemy
