And I stood four miles away from it.
I don't think I can imagine what it must have sounded like from Ground Zero...but I can imagine that the sounds that followed must have evoked deep-centered emotions. The cracking of marble, the breaking of concrete and reinforcing steel rods, and the shattering of glass would have been sudden and loud, but the sounds that followed would have taken an eternity and must have stayed with survivors and rescuers for the rest of their lives.
A shout from a woman trapped beneath a beam.
A cry from a man with glass in his eyes.
Sirens from emergency vehicles.
The instructions from initial rescue crews.
Warnings shouted by strangers.
Reports of another victim who didn't survive the blast.
Then again, some may be blessed and cursed with failing memories: the mental blockage of an event too horrific to recall. Certainly the conglomerate noises of the terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City will haunt some people for years to come. With the coming anniversary of another attack, perpetrated on September 11, 2001, in DC, PA, and NY, my prayers continue to rise for all who were involved. We cannot imagine their pain, but we must continue to understand their suffering.