The publication is reproduced in full below:
A PIECE OF GLASS, IN MEMORY OF THOMAS BUTLER OF SQUAD ONE
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HON. ANDREW R. GARBARINO
of new york
in the house of representatives
Friday, September 10, 2021
Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I rise today with a poetic tribute in honor of Thomas Butler and his father, William. I presented to his family on the day of his funeral after his father had given me a piece of glass from the World Trade Center where Thomas died. I include in the Record this poem, penned by Albert Caswell.
A Piece of Glass
(by Albert Carey Caswell)
A Father and a Hero who raised a fine sonA man who dedicated his entire life to saving others this oneAs too his fine son's life journey had just begunHis little boy,his pride and joyas one day too he'd follow his father's most courageous footsteps his sonAnd try as he may,this most splendid of all men who so many had saved,could not but save his own most precious of all onesA piece of glass now in my handsAs once before stood so very grandWithin your two great Twin Towers,gracing this fair city throughout all the hoursas high above a majestic skyline you ran
With your twin bright beacons of hope,and your islands of ingenuity and determination to all hearts spoke With your Gotham Tributes to all of Womankind and Man which invokedAnd from that first day begunAs a construction worker peering out through you up towards the rising sunUntil, that final opening dayWhen, your most magnificent fruition was portrayed,in this your most historic of all runs
And with each new succeeding day
While, gazing through you and pressing hands all upon you as would theyAnd how many countless hours,throughout all those snow storms, blizzards, thunder storms and rain showersWhen, upon a bright beautiful spring day,planning their escapes, counting the minutes . . . to the seconds . . . the hoursRunning down below to their most beloved ones so,as there they would come rushing out of your most majestic of all TowersAnd how many weddings were so amassed?With, young hearts here so enamored as the time had passedAs it was all here along love's pathAnd how about all those most beautiful babies born,from all those true fine loves warmed here so to lastAh yes, as it was in this the most magnificent of all buildings,which held so many hearts at bay with the spells that they'd castOn 9/11, while looking out you on that fine fall dayUp towards those jet blue skies as the white clouds drifted on by and far awayAs so unsuspectingly their own death's they could not for see,unaware of what dreaded dark death and dark evil before them now layPerhaps, with but thoughts of loved ones beating in their hearts on that day,at what was to be their last and most tragically heroic of all daysAnd `Oh . . . . but did you so see all of those planes coming crashing in and so wince?While, watching in such shock and in horror at all of its most vulgar carnage
At the lost of all those fine innocentsAs down below you witnessed all those brave hearts,magnificent souls gallantly rushing in without regard of consequenceOur most fearless firefighters, and most precious police,and brave citizen saviors who stayed armed with but only their beliefsAnd 'oh how it must have shattered you to seeAll of those splendid people, women and menTogether holding hands, jumping off in such misery and griefAs I ask you now, did Tommy in those last final momentsWhile, looking through you think of his most beloved family out too his heart reached.As he came rushing up the stairs on his way to Heaven,passing death's cold stare to our Lord speaksAs he stood there, as one of the most courageous of all onesSo Magnificently Bill Butler's fine sonAnd from this day of all days what are we all here to so takeWith all such grief and so much horrendous heartacheThat still within our beating hearts,within its rhythm something far much more greater now to takeAnd from all of their most tragic deaths of which we are now leftAre all those bright lights as Angels names up in Heaven now blessComes this great consolation in hearts knowing,that all those who heroically died to Heaven surely rose up no lessBurying our babies, our daughters and sonsfor there can be no greatest pain for a parent begunWhile, there in the darkness all alone,our Lord sees and hear's your most desperate of all moansUp in Heaven our Lord in his love cries,as his tears wash down upon us when there comes a gentle rain from his eyesTo ease our pain for all our lost daughters and sonsSomehow find the strength until your reunited againA piece of glass as given to meBy a wonderful Father,all in the midst of this his families most dark tragedyForever and a day,as with me this his most precious of all gift's will stayTo be ever revered in my familyAs it's with chills I now stand . . . with quivering hands,remembering the sacred name of a hero named Thomas Butler eternallyAnd from this day on a great lesson as born,to teach my children of Thomas's sacrifice so warmAnd for the generations to come,I shall plant those seeds of his faith to all of my children and theirs amongOf all those like Thomas who died and sacrificed like Christ to Kingdom ComeAbout all their selfless seeds of faith, courage and sacrificeWith their greatest gifts but for the greater good to give up ones life
To nourish others' souls about Thomas's lifeRemembering 9/11 and all those fine heroes,and all their sacred gifts who which did not to think twiceA piece of glass, was once but just mere sandAs it is we who here who are made up of flesh and blood and handsWho here with hearts and souls and courageous acts and in our tears now standGoodness . . . Evil . . . Darkness . . . LightIn the moment of truth will we burn bright?Will we reside in the darkness or choose rise up in the light?And for all those who do,are but our Lord's chosen people in his heart burns brightAs we peer back through timelooking back upon this the very soul of Woman and MankindThat on this day we fully understandThat buildings can rise,and in time may not stand
But, in our Lord's heartThere are far greater thing's which command
Which, leaves him in aweOf the most sacred of all gifts to understandAll those who give up one's life for another will rest in
God's handsAs here I stand, with a sacred piece of glass in my handsForever and a day,these lessons of sacrifice and Thomas I'll take on my way
And a sacred piece of glass given to me by a wonderful man
In Memory of Thomas Butler and all the Heroes of 9/11, on Sunday May 26, 2002. I took the families of the Memorial Day Concert on a tour of the Capitol, Thomas Butler's Father Bill Butler presented A Piece of Glass from the World Trade Center to me in the crypt of the United States Capitol building after I had recited 2 poems about the Heroes of 9/11. I went to his son's funeral in Long Island and printed this poem to his family.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 156
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