118. Katrina...A Moment in Time

by Mary West - Hurricane Survivor, New Orleans, Louisiana

Who tried to steal this city of mine
Hurricane Katrina.....A moment in time

Why did this happen to a city so unique
We can point to and blame the Government
For being so very weak

Our levees were dismissed
Since the days of Governor Long
For the Government should've secured them
And made them big & strong

So is it any wonder
That Katrina came to be
And swallowed up the city
For the whole world to see

It destroyed our people and the culture we all love
As they scrambled & screamed for help from above
And that help came so slow, as lives & homes were lost
For as the storm grew, the city paid the cost

Where once there was Jazz and Gumbo
And dancing in the streets
The city became silent
As we wept in disbelief

The faces of the helpless
Will forever remain real clear
As the city tries to recover
And struggles from year to year

The Jazz will return to Bourbon
And the Steamboats will roll along
But Hurricane Katrina
In our hearts will live on

For when history is recorded
And New Orleans is defined
We'll always remember Katrina
More than a moment in time!

Hellicane category: SURVIVORS' Tales

117. Birth Of A City

by Rose DesRochers

Beginning of a new tomorrow
Is everyone’s dream
Rebirth of a city
Torn apart at the seams
Hope shines in the dawning of New Orleans