Written by:
Demetria Daniels

P: 212-332-9991

718-885-6576 A chatty, informative column of New York events featuring places, people and personalities and celebrities. demetriadaniels@gmail.com

 
On October 6, run to the Jacob Javits Center for an extraordinary event - THE POWER WITHIN. Six major communicators will speak on different topics:
President William Clinton will speak on leadership; Lance Armstrong will speak on motivation, Michael Eisner will speak on management, Mark Burett will speak on success strategy, Peter Gruber and Jonathan Tish will finish the seminars - from 8:30-5:30.Look on the internet for the website - and be there.
It was great. Jonathan Tish, CEO of Lowes Hotels, and author of "THE POWER OF WE" showed a documentary of how he adapted doing all the jobs in one of his hotels-we saw him almost fliping an omelette and doing the beds. His philosophy - "find the joy in whatever you do".
Peter Gruber, CEO of Mandalay Entertainment said "you must declare your intention, with passion- and be humble." Michael Eisner who was with Disney for 20 years and is proud of his labelling for the shampoo at the Disney hotels said "failure is not a death sentence" and he spoke about creativity within and without the box.
Lance Armstong gave hope to all.

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON dealt with 4 questions: 1, What is the fundamental nature of the 21st century?- globalization, interdependence: 2, How would you like to change this world?- reponsibility, belonging to the community:
3, Climate Change - world problem: 4, Home Improvement - energy, deficit, jobs:
This was amazine
5, Internet solutions, joint efforts Bush/Clinton Katrina Funds.
posted by Demetria at 12:25 PM

 
It has been five years since I started this column. I had decided to write about New York right after 9/ll and because of 9/11, to show the essence and heartbeat of Gotham, where I was born and raised.
I have covered all the aspects of what makes New York so vibrant, its arts, literature, its culture, its social functions and nightlife because I am a part of the whole and I vibrate along with the energy and the non-stop creativity that exudes from the island. I feel the pulse and beat with it.
Last night I was at the New York Public Library for a program to honor the book of photographs of 9/11, AFTERMATH, by Joel Meyerowitz.
Paul Holdengraber, the organizer of the Library's series called "Live from the NYPL",
spoke about "making silences speak". Mayor Bloomberg's message was that it was "the worst day in our city".
The images and stories in the book took 9 months of shooting and being at "Ground Zero" and covers 8,000 images. Encouraged by the Museum of the City of NY, and published by Phaidon, it is an archive of the twin towers, so needed for our sorrow, our pain, a requiem for the city and its citizens.

The following is my original poem about 9/11.

A CHESTNUT TREE
by Demetria Daniels

I WENT TO PICK THE CHESTNUTS FROM THE TREE
ON THIS DAY OF MOURNING

THEY HAD FALLEN IN THEIR SPINEY SHELL
AND I FOUND THREE ON THE WET GROUND IN PROSPECT PARK

SOMEHOW THEY MADE ME FEEL BETTER
FOR I HAVE FELT SO BAD, SO SAD FOR MY COUNTRY

FOR I HAD STOOD ON THE ROOF AND WATCHED TWO TOWERS DISAPPEAR
THREE DAYS LATER, I AM WITH TEARS AND I FELT LIKE A FOOL, DUMBED AND NUMB
UNABLE TO SPEAK TO THIS FREAK
PICTURE IN THE SKY

ISLAM HAD CRUSHED NEW YORK
TO CRIPPLE DEMOCRACY, IN THEIR HYPOCRISY
AND I SAW ALLAH, RIDING A BLACK HORSE,
SWINGING A SWORD, AND CARRYING THE KORAN

I WATCHED THE BURNING, I WATCHED THE SMOKE
THINKING TO MYSELF, IS THIS A JOKE?

BUT NO JOKE IT WAS, A VIRTUAL REALITY
THE ACRID SMELL FLOATED IN THE AIR
TO BROOKLYN AND BEYOND, LIKE A PYRE,
I COULD SEE THE FIRE
LIGHTING THE BLUE CLOUDLESS SKY
AND THEN JUST SMOKE, STILL NO JOKE


AND I WONDERED, WAS THAT THE WORD
OF OUR GOD, OR SOME MONSTER BY THIS BARBARIC MOB

HAS OIL SO WON, SHALL WE TURN TO BUTTER,
OR THE OLIVES FROM THE TREES

SO AS I PICK UP CHESTNUTS, FALLEN IN THEIR SPINY SHELL
AS ALL THE DEMONS, ARE TURNED LOOSE FROM HELL
I CRY FOR ALL THOSE LIVES LOST AND ALL THOSE SOULS
NO MORE DREAMS, NO MORE GOALS

ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST,
WHERE IS OUR DEFENSE SYSTEM, GONE TO RUST? THIS IS A PLAN, OF WELL FIVE YEARS,
HURTING US, BRINGING US TO TEARS,
AND BEFORE THEY CRASHED, AND BEFORE THEY DIED,
THEY SCREAMED ALLAH, IN THEIR PRIDE.

BUT OUR PRESIDENT HAS SPOKEN,
BLINDED WITH TEARS,
THAT WE WILL OVERCOME, WITHIN YEARS.

EACH FLAME LIT, A VIGIL DONE,
WE'LL WAGE WAR, AND MAKE THEM RUN,
AND FROM THOSE ASHES, THE FLAG STILL FLIES,
WORLD TRADE WILL GO ON
AND THE PHOENIX WILL RISE

AND I WILL GO BACK TO THE PARK
TO FIND MORE CHESTNUTS, FALLEN FROM THE BARK
SEPTEMBER 14, 2001
posted by Demetria at 8:34 AM