9-11 TRIBUTE THRU CONNECTION WITH NYC MARATHON .

IN 2000 I  RAN THE NYC MARATHON AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CITY, SO ON RETURNING HOME I IMMEDIATELY

BOOKED TO GO AGAIN IN 2001.   WITH THE EVENTS OF 9-11-2001 I DIDN’T THINK THE RACE WOULD TAKE PLACE ,

(NOV 4^TH) SO I WAS OVERJOYED THAT RUDY GIULIANI INSISTED THE RACE GO AHEAD. ON ARRIVAL AT

KENNEDY AIRPORT I WAS CALLED TO THE BRITISH AIRWAYS DESK TO BE INFORMED THAT MY MOTHER HAD

DIED AFTER A LONG STRUGGLE WITH CANCER, WHILST I WAS IN THE AIR.

IN THE PREVIOUS WEEKS I KEPT TELLING MY MOM THAT IM NOT GOING TO NEW YORK DUE TO HER POORLY

CONDITION. SHE TOLD ME  “ ITS IMPORTANT THE RACE GOES AHEAD, GO RUN THE MARATHON AND MAKE ME

PROUD BY SUPPORTING FREEDOM AND LIBERTY ”. MY PLANE LEFT  LONDON FOR NEW YORK AT 10.00AM (GMT)

SHE DIED 20 MINUTES LATER, A FACT THAT STILL BRINGS A TEAR.  SO THERE I AM IN NEW YORK   EMOTIONALLY

DEVASTATED TWICE. I SAT ALONE ON THE BACK OF THE BUS TRAVELING FROM KENNEDY TO MANHATTAN .

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY JUST LIKE 9-11. I LOOKED OUT OF THE WINDOW  STAREING NOWHERE IN

PARTICULAR, IN AN EMOTIONALLY SURREAL  STATE . THEN CAME THIS WONDERFUL SIGHT IN THE FOREGROUND

THE VAST CEMETERIES OF CALVARY AND MOUNT ZION   AT MASPETH AND ON THE HORIZON THE MANHATTAN

SKYLINE, SEEN THRU A KALEIDOSCOPE OF TEARS AND SMILES BECAUSE I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

(DEDICATED TO THE PERSON WHO WAVED THE BATH TOWEL FROM THE TOP FLOOR OF THE NORTH TOWER ON

SEPTEMBER 11^TH 2001 .)

NOT BEING AMERICAN I CAN GIVE AN OBJECTIVE VIEW, GIVE ME YOUR TIRED AND WEARY FROM THE ELLIS

ISLAND QUEUE . DRIVING IN FROM KENNEDY, THOSE EARLY IMMIGRANTS CROWD THE INTERSTATE.

AT CALVARY AND MOUNT ZION , THEY HAVE CREATED REALITY FROM DREAMS, AND YOUR AT ITS GATE.

GIVE THEM LIBERTY , THE TYPE THAT TYRANNY CONFOUNDS.  WHERE PEOPLE ARE FREE WONDERFUL ENERGY

ABOUNDS.   THEIR LEGACY TO US ARE THE BUILDINGS THAT STAND.  ON THE ISLAND OF THE HILLS  SO PROUD

SO GRAND.   THE THING THAT GRAPHICALLY ILLUSTRATES THIS SO WELL, SO FINE.    IS THAT MAN MADE

GRAPHIC EQUALIZER, THE MANHATTAN SKYLINE.    TWO HIGH PEAKS ARE MISSING WHERE SYMBOLS ARE

NORMAL LY FOUND.  WILL THE HARMONY BE BROKEN THE LOSS SO PROFOUND .   IN ITS SPIRITUAL HOME

MR LENNONS IMAGINATION STANDS PROUD AND TALL.   FOR NEW YORK A  RACIAL LIQUIDIZER , TEACHES

TOLERANCE FOR AL L.  MANY YEARS FROM NOW, WHAT WILL 9-11 MEAN , A DATE OF COURSE A NUMBER

PERHAPS.   STILL CONNECTING TO THOSE GUYS WEARING NYC DEPARTMENT BASEBALL CAPS.

THE REST OF THE WORLD SINGS A CHORUS FROM THAT OLD SINATRA SONG. ITS UP TO YOU NEW YORK

NEW YORK , WE KNOW IT WONT BE LONG.    YOUR TEARS WILL DRY FOR THOSE HEARTS SO BRAVE AND TRUE.

THAT’S WHY THE REST OF THE FREE WORLD LOVES THE RED WHITE AND BLUE.

EVERY YEAR I COME BACK AND RUN THE NYC MARATHON (THIS YEAR NOV 7^TH , RACE NUMBER 3794) WITH

 A MESSAGE ON MY CHEST IN SUPPORT OF YOUR WONDERFUL CITY.  THIS TIME ITS “ NEW YORK ….

RUNNING FOR THE UNFORGOTTEN AND THEIR FAMILIES”. FINALLY BACK IN ENGLAND THE YANKEES ARE

NOT JUST A BASEBALL TEAM, NOT JUST NEW YORK CITY … BUT THE DEFINITIVE WORD TO DESCRIBE THE

AMERICAN NATION.  ON MARATHON DAY ONE MAN WILL PAY HOMAGE TO YOUR UNFORGOTTEN PAST

WITH UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR YOUR DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS IN THE WORLD SERIES OF EVENTS,

BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE BASEBALL TO SAY ………. GO YANKEES!!!!.

 PETER MOUNTFORD, WORCESTER , UNITED KINGDOM .

GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .

(given free by the

 author  to the people of new york , no copyrite)

May this candle serve as a constant reminder of the enormous sacrifice you and all the men of Ladder 4 & Engine 54 made for all of us on September 11, 2001.

Danny you are forever in our hearts.  We Love You and Miss you.  May God keep you close to HIS heart.
Cousin Mary