the Dalaverse

musesfool did this already, but I'm going to put them up too.

There's a blood red circle
on the cold dark ground
and the rain is falling down
The church doors blown open
I can hear the organ's song
But the congregation's gone

My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Now the sweet veils of mercy
drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner
like scattered leaves
The bordered up windows
The hustlers and thieves
While my brother's down on his knees

My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Come on rise up!
Come on rise up!

Now there's tears on the pillow
darling where we slept
and you took my heart when you left
without your sweet kiss
my soul is lost, my friend
Now tell me how do I begin again?

My city's in ruins
My city's in ruins

Now with these hands
I pray Lord
with these hands
for the strength Lord
with these hands
for the faith Lord
with these hands
I pray Lord
with these hands
for the strength Lord
with these hands
for the faith Lord
with these hands

Come on rise up!
Come on rise up!
Rise up

--Bruce Springsteen


I actually have clearer memories of the sniper scare, but I think that was because I went into shock pretty quickly. I remember that we were in Dr. Jackson's fourth period AP English class when the talk started, about the Pentagon only because of where we were. And I thought, and probably said, "The Pentagon? That's impossible, who could attack the Pentagon?" And Kaitlin B. was crying because her boyfriend Chad's dad worked there. At lunch we sat in the bottom of H Hall, where I shared my headphones with Meg and we listened to the news. That was when we heard about the towers. Fifth period, chemistry, was more or less a wash, because nobody was expected to be paying attention. We left early and I caught my mother rushing out the door to work, forbidding me to go online because Aunt Nancy hadn't called yet. I sat in front of the TV in the basement until Dad got home. As it turned out, Aunt Nancy was fine, although she didn't get back to New Jersey for hours. She called Michael at college to tell him she was all right, and yelled at him for answering his phone during class. They cancelled school the next day, though not for Washington County, so I was home by myself. I don't remember what I did, probably watched the news.

What I remember most clearly is sitting in first period that morning. I don't remember what we were discussing, but Mrs. Penn said to us, "Typical Washingtonians, you think you're the center of the universe." I will never, ever forget that.