It's the first September 11 commemoration that New York City has held at its completed, 16-acre memorial site.
Amid the disorder left on the city by its most recent terror threat -- and the ensuing police response of closed roads, check points, and bag searches -- hundreds of thousands turned to peace and reflection in the ceremonies at the site of the World Trade Center attacks.
Over the years, poems and songs have helped the U.S. grieve, heal and move past the most difficult of times. At Sunday's ceremony, and in past memorial services for September 11, these pieces of deeply meaningful prose took center stage.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his wife Judith Nathan pay their respects at the WTC reflection pool, …
Rudy Giuliani, who was in the final months of mayoralty in New York City when the twin towers were struck, read an excerpt from the King James version of the Bible -- Ecclesiastes 3:1 -- also popularized in a song adapted by Pete Seeger in 1962, called "Turn, Turn Turn,":
To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
and a time to every purpose under the heaven
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
"Turn Again to Life" by poet Mary Lee Hall (1843-1927) was read by Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey:
If I should die and leave you here a while,
be not like others sore undone,
who keep long vigil by the silent dust.
For my sake turn again to life and smile,
nerving thy heart and trembling hand
to do something to comfort other hearts than thine.
be not like others sore undone,
who keep long vigil by the silent dust.
For my sake turn again to life and smile,
nerving thy heart and trembling hand
to do something to comfort other hearts than thine.
Complete these dear unfinished tasks of mine
and I perchance may therein comfort you.
and I perchance may therein comfort you.
The poem is often used at funeral services, and was written by a suffragist and one of the first female attorneys in the U.S.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upshot/turn-thee-again-life-read-september-11-ceremony-142150295.html
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