Haunting Images

"In the sky there are always answers and explanations

for everything:  every pain, every suffering, joy and confusion."

Ishmael Beah

While visiting family friends in Southern Illinois, I grew tired of the grownup conversation and wandered outside.   I found an incline  like a little drive way up to barn doors, so I sat there leaning against the doors.  It situated me a little higher and I could see a long way.

In my quiet moments, I heard a small plane.  I searched the blue spacious sky following the sound.  Just as my eyes focused on it, there was a large boom and the small air craft disintegrated.  There was very little debris surviving the fiery ball, and all particles vanished in the air. My mind could not wrap itself around what I had just witnessed.

For whatever reason, I didn't share this with my parents until on the long drive home.  They of course did not believe me and refused to discuss this strange sighting.  The frightening image now pales in comparison to the violent images of the destruction by airplanes on 9-11.  All of these images will continue to haunt me for all of my days and I doubt I will ever truly understand.