Hello everyone from near and far! I want to take the time to thank you all for being a part of the Muse and making it a wonderful place to create and share! This week is a double theme. It is in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and American Chess Day is Sept 1st. I had some chess moves in images saved for one week. So here we are! I also know that this weekend is the 21 year anniversary of Sept 11th. My heart goes out to the families and friends that lost someone that day. I will never forget that day and where I was. If anyone wants to share about where they were that day when they heard the news, I would love to hear your story.
Also, I wanted to take the time to remind everyone, myself included, that some of our amazing writers do not post until later in the week. The Muse is officially up through Friday for linking and some of us are not able to join in until after the weekend. Don’t forget to make a trip back to see if there are other participants to read. That being said, let’s get started.
💖Carrie
[Inmates playing chess from prison cells, Attica
Correctional Facility, Attica, New York], March 1972
Photography by Cornell Capa
Good morning friends! 🌻✍️☕🤩
ReplyDeleteOn 9/11 I was driving to the Orlando Airport from my home .. traveling to Buffalo Missouri by way of Springfield Missouri to take my Mother to her dementia specialist appointment. I made that trip every four months until the time came to move her to Florida. I was close to the airport, parked and entered. Everyone sat glued to TVs in the bars scattered throughout the airport .. not leaving for what seemed like days .. actually many hours as I watched the horror unfold.
ReplyDeleteIt was such a shock to the heart and system. Everyone was heartbroken and horrified. So you were actually heading to and at the airport? Wow, it did seem like time was standing still. You already had so much on your plate with taking care of your beloved Mom. Thank you so much for sharing your remembrance of that day with us my friend.
DeleteAnd yet again Carrie, wonderful engaging visual prompts. But one especially captivated me! Hope you like — and thank you so much for being here every week. You are my favorite prompt site. I enjoy others, but yours is the “one” I wait for every late Fridsy night! 👍🏼🙂✌🏼❤️
ReplyDeleteIt is a joy to me to be here each week, and finding the images is always fun! Thank you for your appreciation Rob. I am looking forward to seeing which image inspired your poem. Heading that way soon.
DeleteHard to believe it has been 21 years. Wow. I remember the horror of that day, I could not stop watching. And knowing there would be a war.
ReplyDeleteYes 21 years is hard to believe, and indeed the thought of war was right there around the corner. Anxiety was definitely everywhere.
DeleteWe saw her in Scotland, coming out in her Land Rover from the Balmoral Castle, we were going in and so we pulled to the side while she was passing us. Also we were on a London street corner watching as she made her way to open Parliament Mrs. Jim and I liked her a lot, as many times as we have been to the U.K., she seemed to us as our Queen also. We are flying our flag for her until the White House raises theres.
ReplyDeleteMay she RIP.
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We also saw her, coming out in her Land Rover from the Balmoral Castle, we were going in and so we pulled to the side while she was passing us. Mrs. Jim and I liked her a lot, as many times as we have been to the U.K., she seemed to us as our Queen also. May she RIP.
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Oops, I'm Jim. I didn't realize I had pasted my blurb one unedited the first time. I'm using my Samsung S8 smart phone if that's an excuse.
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That is so cool Jim. Thank you for sharing this.
Delete9/11, 2001 i was working at The Ministry of Finance Tower, of The Twin Towers, downtown Port of Spain, here in Trinidad. I worked there in the Library on the 6th floor.
ReplyDeleteI was chilled to my bones when one of the librarians told us that there was TV coverage of the World Trade Center being bombed. Chilled and numbed, at the same time not understanding but sensing the horror of it all.
We remember in sadness and continue to live in the hope of peace.
much💛love
Wow I can see where that would have hit home for you in more than one way. It was a day none of us will forget. Thank you for sharing dear Gillena.
DeleteI'm not a chess player, but I enjoyed this set of images. Happy belated American Chess Day!
ReplyDeleteOn a more somber note, I don't share the details of my 9/11 story (background here: https://jewishyoungprofessional.wordpress.com/2021/09/10/the-proximity-or-lack-thereof-to-tragedy/), but I appreciate reading about others' experiences in the comments. Thank you for creating a space for this.
Thank you my friend and thank you for being here.
DeleteVery thoughtful images!
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DeleteHi, thanks for the challenge. I can't believe it's been 21 years since 9/11 either.
ReplyDeleteThanks also for providing the little caption for the first photo. May I ask, I'm assuming we're required to write to one of the photos, or all of them, or what? I don't really know? Or is there no required theme? Or do you usually provide some general theme with the post that we can follow? I ask because I am blind so cannot really write to images unless there's some caption like in the first case, but then again I see my friend carol anne who is also blind participates in this linky regularly too. I do know about image description software but that isn't too accurate usually. So is it okay if we just go with the theme or caption (if any) or would that ruin your challenge?
I know nothing about chess, but I found a connection. It is the time of year when I bend toward Halloween and dark poetry. Dawn loved Halloween I think that is why my Halloween writing has come early because she is constantly in my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI have always loved all your poetry my friend, including your dark poetry.
DeleteEveryone here in Australia woke up to the story of Queen Elizabeth's death in our morning ... our mourning. Even Republicans like me admired her devotion to duty, her work ethic, her evident compassion, her dignity and – paradoxically – her reassuring ordinariness. I am old enough to remember when she became Queen, and the change-over from King George VI: from 'God Save the King' to 'God Save the Queen' and a different head on our coins. Now it is going back the other way – though we did adopt our own national anthem in 1974. I think Charles will do all right.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile I am linking here on Sunra's advice because of the prison picture. I have been writing a memoir about running poetry workshops in prison a long time ago, and sharing the recollections as blog posts. They are all available now to read in order, if anyone is interested, in my Blog Archive May-Aug '22 inclusive.
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DeleteOops, trying again without typos –
DeleteOh, and Sept 11 – that we also woke up to here. A neighbour phoned me when I was only just out of bed and said, 'America's been invaded. Turn on the TV!' I woke my husband, and a house guest we had staying, and the three of us were glued to the screen in disbelief for hours as the dreadful images were repeated. Images which could never afterwards be erased from memory. A very scary and distressing time for the whole world.
I am so glad you are here Rosemary and thank you to Sunra! I was fascinated by your account of the Queen and I know Sept 11th truly affected the whole world. Thank you so much for sharing your remembrance Rosemary. I look forward to reading your poetry.
DeleteGreat choice of images to choose from, Carrie. The first one spoke to me.
ReplyDeleteAbout 9/11, I was working. One of the clerks had a small TV attached to a movable arm (like they used to have at hospitals and may still have?) I remember watching on that, and don't remember if the clerk yelled or I just happened to be walking by, as the first tower exploded. I remember the horrible pit in my stomach when the announcer said there was a plane headed toward the second tower. I've still got that vicarious trauma locked tightly away in a compartment inside and may never be ready to open that compartment up.
Yes, I remember those TVs. That feeling was so intense and felt by everyone that was aware of what was happening. Thank you so much Lisa for sharing your experience.
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