Empty Skies

Empty Skies

We did not see the eagle come,
Stooping to shatter the bright morning
Into a crumpled heap;
Heedless, we woke to
Sudden death come home;
Sharp talons tearing apart
Illusion of safety.

Where once sky birds flew
In smug security,
Fear fills an empty sky.
We scan the horizon,
Uneasy.

author's note: We live under the approach path to Detroit Metro airport, with the continual migration of airliners overhead. It was an eerie quiet, those first days after 9-11. I'll always equate 9-11 with empty skies.