Katrina (hurricane)

Katrina, Katrina, you kicked me when I was downcrushed in my house and I almost downsitting on a neighbor's roof toppraying the water would soon stopI called to a woman hanging on to a treebut when I got there she was no where to beagain I almost drown, my neighbor pulled me back on his roofswimming back, I was broad sided by the truththough I had lost everything, I didn't want to diemy neighbor held me and we both had a good cryhe told me he didn't know what happened to his kids or his wifeand that he had just seen a woman loose her lifethe rest of the day we set in silence, holding back the tearswe never knew each other though we have been neighbors for yearsthe sun turned our roof into a frying panlooking into my neighbors eyes, I knew I was looking at a dying manthe long hot day turned to nightnot a sign of help in sighthad to stay awake, no way to sleephad to watch your moves, roof way too steepsurrounded by water and dying of thirstthinking it couldn't get much worstKatrina, Katrina, you kicked me when I was downI went under once, twice, but my spirit will never drownI was already living hand to mouth, paycheck to paycheckI only thought my life was a wreckoh what! I would give to have my old life backbarely scraping by in my three room shackthe sun is coming up, there's a ray of hopeI have to reach deep for the strength to copeto keep from sliding off, my neighbor is straddled a ventand he sure looks like he is spentbefore I can check on him, someone shouts from a boatrescued from what was once, one man's castle, now surrounded by nature's moatI make my way to my neighbor, but the calvary was too lateexposure, lack of water and no insulin sealed his fatethe two fishermen said they drove all night to launch their boat at dawnhad to keep turning around because so many bridges were goneKatrina, Katrina, you kicked me when I was downlook what you have done to my townthe convention center is a sea of refugeesthe scene nearly brings me to my kneesa sea of despair and miseryas far as my eyes can seethey tell me busses are on there wayI was on a roof for a day and night and now here for my third dayhere I'm now on my third night and it's living hellno water, no food and that smelland you don't dare go to sleep, murders and rapein the morning, if I have the strength, I think I'll escapemy neighbor's roof wasn't this badthe only thing this place does for me is make me madthere's rumor that looters will be shot on sightif your lucky, a looter will give you a bitethe governor gave the cops the right to commandeer what they needbut you can be shot for taking food when you have hungry and sick kids to feedKatrina, Katrina, you kicked us when we were downwe went under once, twice, but you can't drown the spirit of this town dedicated to the spirit of New Orleans and all of her neighbors and victims of Katrina. This story is a compilation of many stories I read and heard. In itself it is not a true story. I live in North La. ....I know with my health conditions. I could not have survived the conditions people have and are still having to endure. .......feel free to use this poem anyway you see fit if you think it can help in any way. ..... Not for profit and please keep intact (complete) copyright  9-2-05   huey r horton    hippiepoet69