Keeping Watch at Night Silently guards keep watch in the night as weary pilgrims haunted by memories haltingly circumnavigate hallowed ground drawn as inevitably as moths to a flame to stand at the edge of the abyss and wonder Silence is the language spoken here punctuated by tears and the occasional hushed word and we are one People come linger awhile then move on yet there are those who refuse to leave: tall edifices swathed in mourning veils hollowed by grief remain at the graveside of their beloved companions beautiful yet terrible in their unrelenting vigil On such a night as this shepherds while keeping watch over their flocks were visited by angels Judith Floyd 9/30/02 following my first pilgrimage to Ground Zero late night 28 September 2002