Although I was very young and far from the turmoil on September 11th, it is a day I can still see so clearly. After reading about it in a textbook my Freshman year of high school, I realized that such an impactful day has officially become a piece of history—even though for me, it feels so recent. I was compelled to write about my own experiences of that day as a child as well as the importance of keeping the truth of that day at the surface. 

My poem, “In Dark Colors” retraces my memories of the day—beginning in the classroom and ending at home. The poem expresses that the events of 9/11 were so significant and tragic that even a child living far from the actual attack was still affected by it. “In Dark Colors” also touches on the historical significance of the event, emphasizing that the reality of 9/11 cannot be understood by those who did not experience the day. 

My goal for this poem is to express my own memory of the day. I also hope that this poem allows those who did not experience 9/11 to understand the true fear and confusion that it brought—something that cannot be fully expressed in a textbook.