Jimmy Tingle September, 2001
There’s a hole in the tip of Manhattan A hole in the soul of America. A hole in the center of our psyche A hole in the foundation of our confidence There’s a hole in the faith of our country That fills churches in search of a God There’s a crack in the national mirror Empty chairs around the family table Dark houses of our missing neighbors Vacant desks of our absent workers On our streets, There’s a wail from the widows with candles Sobs from the orphaned with pictures The face breaks on the lawyer, the dead women’s husband Flags and flowers for the public servants There’s a hole in the soul of America Afraid with the televised pictures Numb with the morning papers Grieving for the land they loved Grieving for the land they lost Grieving for the innocent victims Grieving for the broken families Grieving for the friends still weeping Grieving for the ones who fight fire Grieving for the ones who fight crime Grieving for the City that never sleeps Grieving for the City on a Hill There’s a hole in the soul of Humanity And I pray for all of our leaders Good people and well intentioned Condemned to retaliation, Doomed to retribution Sentenced to seek revenge And I pray for those who go marching Toward an enemy they can’t even see Brave in the shadow of their fathers, Brave in the duty of history Brave in the Madness, Brave in the Sadness, Brave in the Blindness And I pray to the Prophets of History Privy to the word of God Moses on the Mountain with those 10 commandments We all tend to ignore them because their so damn inconvenient Jesus on the Cross for the Love of his neighbors, Jesus on the Cross for the Love of his enemies And we love all of our Neighbors, when it’s in the National Interest And we love our enemies when in the National Interest Mohammed in the Koran with words that escape Fanatic followers abusing religion with hate But the Koran is clear: “If you destroy one life it’s as if you destroyed the whole world If you save one life, it’s as if you have saved the whole world” And God Cries from the tablets on Top of Mt. Sinai “Save the World” And God cries His last breath from the Cross on Good Friday “Save the World” And God Cries from the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem “Save the world” And God cries and God cries, and God cries There is a hole in the soul of His Children Love can fill the hole And God is Love And we ask, where is God? Strangers with shovels on the Tip of Manhattan Fill the hole Firefighters from Boston and Chicago drive to New York to help find their brothers and sisters Fill the hole Hollywood stars raise millions for victims Benefits and fund-raisers and letters and cards Boston Red Sox fans in Fenway Park sing “we love NY” Fill the hole And the Mayor Fills the hole And the governor Fills the hole And the president Fills the hole And the media Fills the hole The interfaith prayer services on the steps of city hall Fill the hole Neighbors in the park with candles Try to comfort the missing girl’s roommates She was on the 106th floor that Tuesday morning Candlelight vigils for peace Fill the hole, Young people in uniform for war Fill the hole Flags at half mast and flags in our windows The Star-Spangled Banner and the prayer of St. Francis The Star of David, the teachings of Islam and the Letters of Paul Fill the hole And the hole in our soul is our “Cross to bear” And through love and service, mercy and compassion, We Fill the Hole