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.

[BellaMac]

Great poem!!!

[THE BLACK SEAL]

very powerful. very nicely done chloe..

[Emily B]

Last week, here in Kentucky, I stopped at the guard shack at work and an old fella came out. His name was Red and he had worked on pipelines down on the Gulf Shores for over forty years. He lost everything. Waited for help and then gave up and came home to the place he was born. At 66, there aren't many jobs out there for Red. But come summer he's going to mow yards. In fifteen minutes I knew everything there was to know about Red. Including his experience with Katrina.

Sometimes our best work comes out of our frustration.

[Bubo]

Stunning tribute.........the tragic thoughts of all, blended with such sorrow that it could have been avoided.
The emotion you have conveyed cannot fail to move everyone.

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

To think that nature is like that, and we take so much for granted. I feel so many forget the
tragic loss these people have faced.

[Ladysue]

A great tribute and you wrote it with great perspective. I liked how you voiced everyone's thoughts even the dog. This was very sad and heartfelt piece that it stirred up a myriad of emotions in me. Very well expressed!!

[Carole]

Chloe, this is one of your best pieces amongst your thought provoking writes, IMHO. Very nicely done. Can feel your emotion throughout the piece. Very well done and thought out, lady.

[Midnight Shadow]

Brilliant and extremely poignant! Such an honoring piece for these victims of the incompetence of our Administration. Words do so much to heal and make people think, and your words are equally effective on both fronts! Stirring work!

[Blackbirdsong]

I remember when you posted this before and I'm glad to see it back. That word "refugee" stuck in my throat when I heard the various news organizations use it to describe the victims of Katrina. Someone needs to explain to me and a whole lot of people how exactly someone can be a refugee in their own country? But their country had abandoned them and is continuing to do so. The Superdome or whatever dome is back in order now, while families are still split apart or living in trailers that weren't meant for anyone to live in this long and getting sicker and sicker and sicker. A great write here Chloe...one of your all-time best.

[Jenny Davis]

I remember reading this when it was first posted and thinking "Now here is an empathetic, caring poet." I still think that and then some...I think the way Bush and his crew handled this was disgusting, if it were any of their families, things would have been rectified immediately...write on, hun...people need to read your words :)

[Ashes of Apathy]

Angst; I have told that story myself a time or two. There is alot of empathy in this piece. It seethes with conviction and spite. Nice work.
-jr