Ode to New Orleans ... for the people!

Seven years ago-Katrina .. what more need I say? For The People who suffered and still suffer from the devastation of Katrina!

The world through the eyes of a child
I don't remember being a child 
I wonder about these children
The ones who are no longer sleeping in their beds
now they are sleeping on mats or cots in a strange place
many strangers surrounding them 
what do they feel?

The world through the eyes of a Mother
Her home gone her kitchen she loved so much
where she cooked her family their favorite meals shrimp gumbo
red beans and rice and iced tea always fresh in the refrigerator
the refrigerator that is now floating amongst bodies ravaged by the poison waters

Her child, where is her child?
She saw her child rescued by a man in camos
now she can't find her
She knows her child well
she knows her child is sick with fright
the tired eyes of the woman fill with tears
as she lies on a cot in a strange place among strangers

The world through the eyes of a dog
a big reddish-brown dog with huge brown eyes
that look
bewildered
nervous
skittish
she sits on the roof of the house 
wondering where the master is who fed her
brushed her and made her feel so good 
where is her master?
Her eyes are sad she is afraid her master has left her
she thinks she must have been a bad doggie
her tail droops between her legs and she cries , she cries
yes, dogs cry

The world through the eyes of an old man who is poor 
homeless yet again as his street corner is gone he no longer can sleep on his bench
he looks for help and sees no one

The world through the eyes of a city
Her people dead and dying 
she has let them down
she tried to keep them safe she cries and feels her soil rotting in the muddy water of decay and death

The world through the eye's of a nation
Horror fills their minds

Disbelief
Rage
Anger
Hurt
Hearts broken
Curses
Blame
Courage
Faith
Generosity
Love
Strength
Sympathy
Thankfulness for their dry homes
Full stomachs
Hydration

The nation weeps with the child
mother, dog, the homeless, the city
The people's eyes shed tears
The people's eyes hold dear all they love
The people have seen how in a blink of an eye all can be gone

Sadness
That  one word
Does not convey the horror of this day
Hearts open
helping hands
we will survive
eyes will dry
as will the city

Show your love today
Be kind to each other
Don't ever forget
Nothing is forever

And they called them refugees.. they are victims.
Thrown all across the country, families torn apart, dead lying for days on streets and freeways.. too much horror to imagine. Yet it happened and we all saw .. and all who have a heart cried for these people and our beloved New Orleans... a City I have always felt a kinship with.

Author's Note

Katrina was mild compared to Japan so since i can't write about Japan now this is to acknowledge them also -Millions in Japan without food or water-entire families washed away ... I can only imagine.

Wrote this when Katrina drowned New Orleans .. that was one of the worst fiasco's of Bush's administration.. one of MANY.. i wrote this quickly as i was upset felt like pouring out my thoughts and frustration.. sorry for any typos .. got tired of looking for the former reviews.. just a piece i feel strongly about.. it is somewhat a story too i reckon. I wrote it for the People.. the people not the 'refugees' as they were called .. THE PEOPLE .

Reviews

[E. M. Murren]

Beautiful tribute. It is even sadder when you realize that it could have been avoided had they fixed the levy in 1998 when the bill came before congress... but the Replican majority didn't think it worth the investment. I have a lot of anger about this. To me they killed all those people through neglecting their responsibilities... for what? A few tax cuts... woopie.

Sorry... gone political when you wrote a beautiful work of art. Really lovely work.

[Jennifer]

Very moving!

[Muse]

Thank you...for bringing us back down to reality. We need to count our blessings. Having a dry bed to go to, a full belly, most of us.....are so very spoiled. This is a stark reminder, that we are but one disaster away from being desperate, cold, lost, and hungry.

[An owl on the moon]

You took me back those many years... and how the news reawakened those feelings.. painful thoughts of loss with the new storm that left such devastation in its wake... As the gentle rains fell on us here in Arkansas, the remains of the hurricane, my heart ached for those suffering just south of us.. Thank you for this ode to such precious people...

[emmajoy]

I'm reading this at a time when the weather's horrendous in the same part of the world, where once again a levy has collapsed and people are suffering terrible hardships in parts of New Orleans. (There could be more news, but as a Brit, I dont have full details)

Your words tear at the heart, PEOPLE need people like you. Sad, sad, there aren't more. Superb and from the depth.of.your.heart writing.

I can not imagine a better immersion in a child's wish as lovely words of a mother like you. What a surrender to what is really important. I find this very special, it must be said. There are some children even without a mother, and your warmth is overwhelming, and calming. I like the marvelous details, you use when you almost rush aligned a painting, if you say:


" The world through the eyes of a dog
a big reddish-brown dog with huge brown eyes
that look bewildered nervous skittish"
Lovely vocabulair! overall, a warm heart, with
those wonderful sharp edges, of truth, which I am so fond of your writing.

Thank you so much,

E.L.

[*** Hey Jude***]

This touching tribute that speaks volumes of truth! Felt from the heart; and touching in a way that is palpable! Shine on ~ :-) xo

[Helen Woodward]

Oh Chloe, this carries such sadness, I feel so much for those in the South, they have had a horror time of it. All we can do is pray that the extreme weather everywhere comes to an end. I hope you and Donavan are okay hon and that the people in dire straits will be helped by your government. It seems to me that the victims of 'Katrina' did not get much in the way of assistance and that is shameful! ((((Hugs)))))
This is beautifully written through the eyes of a pure soul Chloe.

[Greg the Bard]

Your love is greater than any words will ever say

[ice]

The struggle remains, just that, still people struggle, with red tape, and politicians that handshake behind closed doors, agreeing to keep nola people in chains...keep them substandard..the while, finding others to blame..the while holding back money from those living in mouldy houses...the while in disageement with the made agreement, sending 120 million dollars to Haiti for relief, instead of the 1.28 billion promised..all the same nola and Haiti..
Got of track, sorry

Your poem is right on track...emotional, but tempered by poetic descipline...factual, and bleeding...bleeding the blood of a plead.

The end lines are perfect, the entire text of the poem revolve around them..

Peace
f

[Desert Dreamer]

This is full of powerful emotions, made me cry...our government is not there for us when we need it, it is not right. Governments are supposed to be for the people, right? Where was our government when the people needed them? A very moving piece, so full of truth.