Wondering

My heart compelled me to write a poem back in 2005 about the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and the daily horrors for those who lived through it and those who didn't

I wonder where the love has gone,
and is there any left?
I wonder where the laughter went,
it haunts my every breath.

 

I wonder where the children are,
there toys are strewn about.
I wonder where the confidence is,
for my heart is filled with doubt.

 

I can't begin to express to you,
the deepening pain inside my heart,
for we've grown so selfish, we're so undeserving,
of the love that God imparts.

 

I wonder where we'll be one day,
when the gold comes to an end,
when the water recedes, but mankind still bleeds,
will the “Saints Go Marching In”?

 

I wonder about the elderly,
left alone to die,
and why those supposed to care for them
deny all blame and now cry out, “Why? ”

 

I wonder all these things,
and I wonder about myself.
I wonder what I can do to help,
or am I no different than anyone else?

 

I wonder where the flowers are,
there’s too much water for them to bloom,
the birds aren't singing, the silence is ringing
and it’s the sound of impending doom.

 

I wonder what we'll do,
now that our mortality we're forced to face,
will we grow and change and stop acting deranged,
or will we spiral into chaotic disgrace?

 

I wonder if you’re wondering too,
“Will we be blessed with more joyous scenes? ”
Or will every picture bring back to memory,
the tragedy of New Orleans?

 

I Wonder

 

By: Nathaniel Booker
'Katrina revisited'

© Nathaniel Booker