Written in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01. The "four birds" are the four planes that were crashed that day, two in New York, one in Washington, DC, and one in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Four Birds

a nation awakes and looks to clear skies
gathers its things and says its goodbyes
four birds prepare to journey high
four birds rise

then suddenly turned, their destinations denied
evading their watchers and hailing cries
four birds controlled by terror fly
four birds dive

four birds rise ... and die
the shadow of four birds across a nation lies
so many stories lost before horrified eyes
lives buried beneath shattered skies
four birds die

a wounded country screams and cries
to the world this terror defies
after two days of silent skies
a thousand birds rise... and land alive.