This Day, in Brussels,
began like any other.
People arose from a long sleep,
refreshed and ready
for a new beginning,
for a new day was dawning.
This Day, in Brussels,
as people breakfasted and readied their children
as they traveled to work and to drop their kids off at school
and made their way to the airport for a departure
or the arrival of loved ones
they began this new day
with new hopes and wishes and goals.
This Day, in Brussels,
the airport
and the metro
and Eurostar
and commuter trains in and out of the city
have come to a
Stop.
A stand still.
The EU capital
Shut down.
Locked down.
STATE of E-M-E-R-G-E-N-C-Y.
This Day, in Brussels
at 8 AM
two bombs exploded in airport lounges.
at 9:30 AM
in the metro station.
Coordinated.
thirteen people murdered.
more than thirty gravely injured
in blasts to rock this city.
the heart of the EU.
URGENCY.
This Day, in Brussels
questions are asked
but left unanswered.
Terror by Al Qaeda? Daesch?
Response to the arrest of
Salah Abdeslam?
Where did the money come?
Who backed this?
Who harbored this, this merde?
This Day, in Brussels
heartbreak and loss
disbelief and fear
resignation- -it was
just a matter of time,
just like Paris, after Bataclan
after Charlie Hebdo
just like Madrid
after Istanbul
after 9/11
and countless other attacks around the world.
This Day, in Brussels
and around the world
people mourn
layer after layer after layer of
loss
and wonder
how this will all end…
@maribethbatcho2016 All Rights Reserved
Unleashed 
The repetitive phrase in this post is so powerful.
LikeLike
Another tough day for my EU family. Another powerful world event. Thank you for the read and taking the time to comment.
LikeLike
I haven’t turned the news on yet, but I read about it online. It’s another horrific tragedy. My mind immediately thought this was in response to Abdeslam’s arrest, but who knows? And you know what, it doesn’t matter why. It’s pure evil. Such senseless violence. Lives abruptly ended or changed forever… for what purpose?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly. My husband woke me up before 5 to tell me. Senseless brutality, and to what end?
Thanks for reading my piece this morning. For taking the time to respond. (CNN reported that Salah Abdeslam was supposed to trigger his suicide vest but chickened out, and is now cooperating with authorities.)
LikeLike
Yours is the first post I read today with horror and sadness. We,too, have roots in the EU so it becomes even more piercing. This is getting to be quite the horrific world we live in.
LikeLike
Yes, Barbara, it is. The societal regression is measurable, palpable, undeniable. I don’t know where we are headed, or what the solutions are, but I know we need to be talking. Today Brussels. Tomorrow any town USA? Anywhere at any time. Where does it end?
LikeLike
This was the first story I heard on the news this morning. So horrific. The repeating line in your post was powerful. And when you listed all the other places where terrorist attacks have occurred, it made me think how too often this piece could be written by just inserting another city or country name – “This day in ______”
Not a good way to start the day, but thank you for your important reminder of the senselessness of these types of acts.
LikeLike
Imagine how they feel in Brussels.
LikeLike
I wish it wasn’t so. The world isn’t always a bowl of cherries, and always looking at the world with rose colored glasses doesn’t solve these big world problems we are facing.
Barbara, as always, I appreciate your words and the fact that you take the time to read my writing.
LikeLike
Your repetition creates a haunting feeling, because it was just another day, until evil entered. It does make one stop and pause about the ordinariness of our own days/lives and the what if this happened in our space. I, too, wonder how will this all end? Very poignant poem on this sad day.
LikeLike
Hmmm, that’s an interesting thought. Haunting wasn’t intentional, but I see what you mean. I was trying to pay my respects and lend support to the Belges on this day.
LikeLike
Powerful. I have no more words about these horrific attacks. Thank you for using your words!
LikeLike
Kind words from you. Definitely difficult to put to words. Funny, last night I told my husband that I was out of writing topics for the challenge. That changed the moment he woke me up to tell me…
I appreciate that you have read my words again today, and especially that you take the time to respond, even when you don’t you have words.
LikeLike
Thanks for this poem, Maribeth. You capture so well people going about their business only to be interrupted with senseless acts of violence.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very kind, Michelle. This merde made finding a writing topic easy to find. In fact, it found me…
LikeLike
Another horribly sad day. Let there be peace on earth…
LikeLiked by 1 person
You so eloquently put into words how I have been feeling since hearing of the attacks. I keep asking, each time another tragedy happens, Is this the last one? Is it finally over? Why, oh why, do people do this?
LikeLike
I ask those same questions. Paris was especially hard for us; it became personal. Yesterday’s attack was equally as difficult and haunting. Read Barb Suter’s piece for today. She addresses it in a different way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was in Brussels when Paris happened. I have been torn up about both of them. I’ll check it out.
LikeLiked by 1 person