Download PDF of this full issue: v43n2.pdf (20 MB)

September 11, 2013, Twelve Years After (poem)

By Thomas Brinson

Twelve, a most significant number
Twelve Jacobian elliptic functions and twelve cubic distance-transitive graphs
Twelve items in a dozen and a dozen dozens in a gross
Twelve cranial nerves in the human body
Twelve hours in the a.m. and twelve in the p.m.
Twelve days of Christmas and twelve months in a year
Twelve signs in both the Western and Chinese zodiacs
Twelve Olympians in the Greek Pantheon and twelve sons of chief Norse god, Odin
Twelve tribes of Israel and the age when a Jewish girl becomes a woman
Twelve disciples of Jesus and twelve Imams, legitimate successors of Mohammed
Twelve names for sun god Surya and twelve petals in the Heart Chakra
Twelve steps and traditions guiding recovery programs

Twelve years since the buildings of the World Trade Center were blown down
Twelve years since I drove into La Guardia airport as a Red Cross volunteer
Twelve years since the long plume of death-black smoke trailed over Brooklyn
Twelve years since I watched the blood-red sky sparking over Manhattan
Twelve years since I cringed as sirens shrieked both ways on Grand Central Parkway
Twelve years of lies piled high on high piles of lies
Twelve years bankrupting people and cities but not Wall Street nor corporations
Twelve years of mainstream propaganda supporting the troops in pageantry
Twelve years of mounting veteran suicides and insufficient care
Twelve years of negating constitutional precedents and prerogatives
Twelve years rolling back rights and privacy of citizens on the home front
Twelve long years of endless war--only two more Axis of Evil countries to take down

HOORAH -- USA, USA, USA . . .