7 for New Orleans

[Doreen Peri]

1.

I am covered in
dehydrated sweat.
I am confusion, balancing
escaped rays with a
yearn for water.

For months,
I have offered the earth
warmth, affection,
patient lengths of arms,
beams, rays, crop nourishment

And the comfort of daylight
for as long as I could bear it,
until the moon drank
me in!

I am at my breaking point,
exhausted.

I am Summer, speaking,
ready for a cool fall.
I await a woven afghan,
orange, red, yellow patterns
woven from fallen leaves.
I need rest.

I have been worshipped as
a maiden but I have now grown old
soon to be dismissed and
exchanged for an autumnal
equinox. I sweat floodwater
but have not a drop to drink.

Give me relief from my own heat.
I am Summer, speaking. I repeat.
Give me relief from my own heat!

2.

This morning, the women and children
ache and wait, ache and wait. There is
no relief. There is nowhere to lay their heads
and the men wail, the men cry, the men try
to rescue the children and women and the
grandmother sweats undrinkable gallons,
collapses, her head to be covered with a stolen
blanket, orange, red, yellow, orange, yellow,
red alert!

The mayor is angry. He speaks into the mic.
His announcement is broadcast. God
took his finger out of the dyke.
"There are no resources,"
He says, "It's too goddamn late! It's too goddamn
late! I will not talk to the press again until the
people have water. I have nothing to say.
Many are dying in a way which
men should not die. Where are the choppers?
Where are the supplies? Why? Why?"

Noah had an ark. There is no escape
from floodwaters. Disease floats on the surface
of avoidance and dread. Some have been airlifted
from roof and balcony. Summer is on a platform.
She speaks to the reporters. "This is not my fault.
I offered warmth. I did not cause the storm. Please
forgive me. I have no water to give. I gave my energy
for crop nourishment. I did not cause the flood."

And the spin comes in like a tornado wind,
the spin by FEMA, the spin by a president's wife,
the spin which claims all will be restored, all is
being done which can be done, the spin which
speaks of the glory of rescue, the success of saving
grace but there are those who cannot erase their plight.
They are left unattended, through hot days, hellfire nights.
Flies drink from the swamp.

Life hangs on to a summer thread.
Many are dead floating face down in
feces. This is America. Are these throw-away
people? A man holds dear to a steeple,
his hands can only grip for ten more minutes.
Hurry! Hurry!


3.

How they can stand there and get filmed
in the middle of the wreckage and decrepit waste,
the demise of an entire city witnessed by thousands
who scream help help help me help help help us
and swear on a bible that they've done the best
they could have done given the resources, and
the timing to prepare, while half of their resources
are overseas attempting to rescue hundreds and
thousands which they are maiming because they
cannot tell the difference between an insurgent and
a citizen, is beyond me.

4.

I'm no fucking expert.
Nobody's paying me shit.
But I can tell hell from heaven, I admit.
They carry microphones, cameras and guns.
Paradise was never so much fun.

5.

Steal my love and bottle it.
Dry it out, coddle it,
turn it into powder.
Get drunk on me 'til dawn.
Scream it from rooftops, louder.

Shoot me up, baby,
put my essence
in a perfume jar.
Save me on a shelf
for later use, after all,
we've come this far.

I'm only a wayfaring mistress.
Not many know my name.
Steal my love and bottle it,
but whatever you do, no blame.

Use me again as a reason to sin,
I'll purposely give you my breath.
Carpe diem, sweets.
Then comes death.

6.

I have attempted escape from
the city of passionate waste which cannot offer
sustenance or victuals. I crawl onto a rooftop,
my knees scarred from the begging. I effect
ritual behavior. Be my savior? Be my savior?

Tiles burn the bottoms of my feet.
I paint 'rescue me' with a blood-soaked
towel which I have saved from our last
bath together.

I am your refugee.
Save me. Love me.
Love me. Save me.

When will you drop the umbilical
to pull me up into your belly where
your heartbeat will carry me from
waste and wanton strife?

Never mind.
I am not worthy.
I have been abandoned
like a concubine.
My life
means
little.

[stilltrucking]

It is beyond belief
My eyes are dry
I can not cry
My blood runs cold
I can not feel anger
I am numbed by grief

poetry for emergency
I don't feel as dead as I did
before I read seven
now I can feel human again
I want to rip my close
pound my fists on the wall
I want to find the words
to express outrage
to let myself go
crazy on this

[Doreen Peri]

Go ahead! Let yourself go crazy on this! I liked your reply....

I wrote these as part of the last word jam at the darc forums... thanks for reading, 'truckin'!

[joel]

Stormed spirit over waters, underpinned
by breath—the groans, the sighs of life; the very
swifts and soars of animated flight:
what integrated monotheist thought
prepares for faithful pain? —theodicy
divorced from rapture Alleluia, far
as Kansas’ soft Missouri River stands
its shore from coarse Katrina’s prey-fold hands.
Yet dotted on the Kansan hilltops are
grown monuments of creativity:
the wooden arks of God’s support rise caught
in wind (that same destructive grace), in fight
to overcome damned struggle death—aware
what soars above Amelia Earhart wind.

[joel]

Stormed spirit over waters, underpinned
by breath—the groans, the sighs of life; the very
swifts and soars of animated flight:
what integrated monotheist thought
prepares for faithful pain? —theodicy
divorced from rapture Alleluia, far
as Kansas’ soft Missouri River stands
its shore from coarse Katrina’s prey-fold hands.
Yet dotted on the Kansan hilltops are
grown monuments of creativity:
the wooden arks of God’s support rise caught
in wind (that same destructive grace), in fight
to overcome damned struggle death—aware
what soars above Amelia Earhart wind.

[iblieve]

I thought these were familiar, and more beautiful the second time around. your muse shines in the Jams. "C"

Glad to see the creative writing forum intact. "C"