122. Hurricane Zone

by Denimari - Florence, New Jersey

See me
I am naked
to the world today
As all
has been stripped away
Within hours
my life is gone
I need the strength
to carry on

Hear me
As I cry out loud
One in hundreds
of this homeless crowd
Within days
my life torn to shreds
Nowhere for us
to lay our tired heads

Feel me
As this could be you
Mother Nature takes charge
of what we do
The human element
of our lives is spent
We are lost inside
of this tragic event

Touch me
As I live in pain
So much lost
it seems insane
Doors closed
to my constant plea
Bow your heads
and pray for me

Show me
That your love is near
Or I should die
inside my fear
Within minutes
I stood alone
Among so many
in this hurricane zone

Hellicane category: SURVIVORS' Tales

121. Sometimes I Cry

by Ethel Keith - Arlington, Texas

Sometimes I cry when I think of home
Wondering why everything's all gone

Sometimes I cry because some people died
Trying to escape from the rising tide

Sometimes I cry when babies had no food
The way they treated us was very cruel

Sometimes I cry from the nightmares I have
The sorrow and pain is hard to bear

Sometimes I cry when I see the death toll
So many bodies, mostly old

Sometimes I cry when nothing's wrong
Then I think about families without a home

Sometimes I cry because my sisters are gone
But with GOD'S help - He has made them strong

Sometimes I cry because it's great to be alive
Thank you GOD that I survived

Hellicane category: SURVIVORS' Tales

120. My City Was Gone

by Sharon E. Chester - Slidell, Louisiana

The storm came
with a name
and a premonition
but we didn't listen, right away
cat 4, cat 5
Kat--rina

And we ran so hard and fast
that our gas tanks, if not our lungs
were gasping

And at every stop I looked around
and recited my list of belongings -
a mantra that offered no comfort:
1 pair of jeans, 4 shirts, 2 socks,
girlfriend, car,
and one very old cat we refused
to leave behind

And when we stopped for 3 days
and flipped on the news
I sat there with my soul coming undone
as I watched my city fall apart,
and I watched my people die

Now you look at me and see
a white girl bearing no resemblence
to who you see on tv
waiting, trying and dying
for the government to end its vacation
to bring help and salvation
but we are the same, these people
and me

In my state there is a kinship.
If you're on the road and meet someone
from home
you hug like old friends
like family
because you share this dark secret
in your blood.
It flows like water, smells like salt
and clangs like The Rebirth Brass Band
upon recognition.

There is no reason
that I'm not waiting on a rooftop.
There is no reason
I'm not wading through the water
I called home.
And really, there's no reason at all,
though I keep searching for it.

And songs keep spiraling
through my brain
taunting me with repetition
and baiting me with their hooks...
The Pretenders echo, with the lyrics changed:

I went back to New Orleans
and my city was gone.

Hellicane category: SURVIVORS' Tales

119. Resiliency After The Storms

by Beth Lauren Gewirtzman - Florida

Realizing your home and belongings
Were destroyed before your eyes
Enduring unwarranted hardships
While establishing community ties

Supporting one another
Strangers continue to lend a helping hand
Inspired by the internal strength
Rebuilding your precious land

Living for the moment
And appreciating the strong family connection
Individuals take comfort in numbers
Feeling warmth and protection

Each day time heals the wounded
And hope satiates our souls
Needing support, dedication, and desire
To reach our new goals

Challenges continue to arise
But will not conquer the passion to survive
Youth and elders acknowledge the greatest gift
...of being alive