DIES IRAE September 11th
Adapted from Dies Irae
By: Joseph A. Volker, Ph.D.
September 11, 2005
Dies Irae, dies illa
Oh day of wrath, oh day of mourning
See fulfilled the prophets
warning,
Heaven and earth in ashes burning
Death
is struck and nature quaking
Nothing of the towers remain.
Doomed to flames of woe unbounded.
Dies
Irae, dies illa,
Day of infamy extolling, bombs of suicide exploding
Shadow staining, flesh enflaming
Oh that day of tears and sorrow.
What shall I frail man be pleading,
Worthless are my prayers and
sighing.
Oh what fear men’s hearts
encountered
When from skies the planes descended.
Suicidal,
lethal, deeds of hate,
Enfolding all in flames unended.
Fraught filled witness, Satan’s madness
Transfixed in time, life’s
breath suspended.
Hopeful
saints with hands upraised
Seek in vain the glimpse of saviors,
Priests, magicians, lords, technicians.
Horrid bound the falling towers
Through the anguished cries of woe,
Cries
of death each floor bestows.
Faint
and weary, refuge, solace
Rescued from the fires raging
Trek the bridges, streets and alleys.
Home entreating, safe secure
Nothing less than care filled love
Waiting at each family’s door.
Grim the reaper still he’s knocking,
Nations’ lust for power and war.
Future tense with resolution
Casts the spell of vengeance’ kneading.
Cain and Abel, madness reigning.
Iron hull of hate’s dark seething.
Who will save us from such madness?
Save us from secure solutions,
Preemptive war, a leader’s folly
Collat’ral damage, shock and awe.
Strife and conflict notwithstanding,
Such a peace, bleeds all the more.
David and the Sybil joining
Not in armaments alluring
Not in gleaning wealth and power,
Death dark rains, a mother’s sorrow,
Bleeding, burning vengeful fire.
Peace! not war, a just securing.
Stave the arsenal of madness
Conjure sanity and wisdom
War forsake, a nation’s pleading,
Racked in pain, unendless grieving.
Peace! not war, in trust restore.
Treaties, honor all the more.
Grant
us Lord, your consolation,
Save us, Lord from conflagration
Spare us terror, end the war
Oh, good Jesus, peace restore
Lay down your arms, embrace your child,
Forgive, repent but don’t
forget.
