Wednesday, August 23, 2006

In Rememberance of all of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina which struck Louisiana and the Gulf Coast Region, I wrote this poem, which was in part inspired by Spike Lee's Documentary, When The Levees Broke...

LEST WE FORGET

Spike gave the world another birds eye view, a reminder
Of the devastation and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina
He offered a fitting tribute to the lives lost, many unnecessarily
As our government put on blinders and pretended not to see
As men, women and children, old and young alike
Begged, screamed and cried and pleaded for help
Some from atop rooftops, atop bridges, while some floated in infested waters
Waters that continued rising, rising, rising up to the sky
Hurricane Katrina may be partly to blame for some of the destruction and lives lost
But a huge burden rests on the shoulders of the government of this free land in the US of A
Spike's documentary serves as a poignant reminder
That not much has changed for those who survived this horrific event
And while there are many who say they're tired of hearing about Hurricane Katrina and its victims
That it was almost a year ago and those people need to move on, get over it
Let this serve as a reminder that
There are still entire communities that resemble war-ravaged countries
There are still countless don't anyplace to live and are waiting on FEMA trailers to call home
There are still countless who are waiting on schools to enroll their children in
There are still countless who are waiting for their ruined homes to be torn down and the debris taken away
There are still bodies being recovered under this debris
There are still over one hundred people who have not been found
There are hundreds of bodies that have yet to be identified in makeshift morgues
So in union with the countless individuals who are still going through it
I beg you to stand in support of these people
Help give them a voice in hopes of giving them some closure
Help give them courage to go on in spite of having lost everything they've ever owned
And prayerfully your voice, your help will make their voices, their cries louder
So that our government WILL be held accountable
To help the people of New Orleans and the Gulf region
Get back a sense of normalcy, a sense of belonging
Because while nothing will be the same for the victims ever again
With your voice and your help, we can continue to give them hope
For if there is no hope, there surely can be no future.
God help them, God help us all.

Love & Peace,
VeeJay

1 comment:

sydney molare said...

Vanessa,
Though many try, we must NEVER forget the tragedy of Katrina, the unveiling of the farce of our government and those still in need. I know I cannot. we have been forever, ever changed.