Strange Rain

I think one of the things that I will never forget about that day were the people jumping from the towers. It is forever seared into my memory and I didn't even witness it in person. All I ever saw was footage on the news and photos. I can't even begin to imagine being faced with that; stuck on the upper floors (80th, 90th, 100), surrounded by fire hot enough to melt steel, and the only way out is out through the window into thin air, knowing that you can't be saved.
I remember one photo in particular. Its a shot, obviously from a helicopter, of perhaps the 80 something floor. You can see the facade of the building, with smoke billowing out from it and there in the center, clinging to the frame of one of the windows, is a woman. It was too far away to see her facial features, but I could see that she was blonde and had a purple blouse on. I've often wondered about her. I find myself asking, Who was she? Did she jump? If she did, what must of that been like? Did she, by some miracle, survive? (I know that she probably didn't).
I find myself wondering, if I had been in their situation would I have made the choice to jump? Could I have? Was it courage or desperation? Perhaps, a little of both. Goodbye Blue Sky.

Cloud brushes © to
Poem © to Kathleen McGowan (me)