67. City Built Below The Sea

by Chris Dixon - Kennedale, Texas

They built a city below the sea
They watched it drown in misery
They never planned for such tragedy
The leaders as lost as those in the sea

Such violence, and chaos, and rage and crime
And no one is getting them out in time

Godspeed to the soldiers and buses and boats
God grant all these desperate some peace and some hope

Pray for the the victims, so many to heal
Pray only generosity and kindness they feel

Such suffering and horror, far too much to bear
All alone in darkness, and no one seems to care

Each day the death toll grows
How many missing, no one knows

Too many to evacuate, so no one wants to speculate
Everyone sees too little, too late
Without food or water how long can they wait

Trapped in what once was their safety net
Nothing to drink but everything's wet
Why did the city leaders forget
Their own old and poor without a regret

Surrounded by darkness...hopeless and lost
Poor city planning, and they paid the cost

Losing their homes and their lives and their loves
Praying for angels to lift them above

As we all look for someone to blame
Someone should pay, its all such a shame

They said too much the levee would cost
We'd have rather paid with money than with the lives that were lost

And so, they did not fix the levee
Knowing the threat, they still were not ready

No sirens to be heard as the levees fell
No warning of the impending hell

No way out and no way in
Yet they say they will rebuild again

Rebuild again, below the sea
Finally fix the old levee
That idea just seems crazy

All those souls beneath the rubble
And those left behind in trouble

Through the sespool they must wade
Because of mistakes the leaders made

Yet not one leader has apologized
For reckless abandon of so many lives

The worst disaster to hit the States
And no one really knows their fates

As part of our country and history lie sinking
We must open our eyes and do our own thinking

Using our votes for accountability
Taking individual responsibility
To prevent another preventable catastrophe


hellicane category: despair