88. Love Letter To Nagin

by Joanna Parsons - San Jose, California

Mayor, come outside
Eyes wide, collapse to your knees in sobs
Of the background you once called your city
Dreaming of prophecy – pages in Scripture
Speak of desolation
“Everything is desolate and displaced – widows
Mourn and children weep!”
Desolation, not of Jerusalem or Judah
But of New Orleans

Mayor, sank to the ground in racking cries
Heard from the radio –
“My city’s gone!”
Woken in the wraith of fury
Of a bi-polar wicked woman named Katrina

Mayor, pray to the Almighty
Anger in the form of blame –
Toward a bush who can only do so much
Rages of the displaced and starved
Judgement. Tribulation. Justice. Trial

Mayor cries, black and proud
This is now an infamous memory of an African-
American generation – a story to be told
And passed down to generations:

“My child,” they’ll say to little ones not yet born
“I remember those days, when dogs whined and
Our town sank like the Titanic
A judgment from God? I say, a judgment of the sin
In the French quarters...or maybe we experienced the
Power of evil
Or wraith in the form of a hurricane!”

Mayor weeps, 'cause all things desolate, and the ground
Wallows under sludge and debris, and all hope is dashed –
For now

Cry to the Almighty and wonder
Why this? Why now? How could this be?!
He sobs
As New Orleans lies underwater
Disasters everywhere are getting larger
An incomprehensible sign of things to come
Fear and the burden of those hurting weigh like brick
On your heart, and tears fall like rain
For those scorned by her fury

And then He says to you
“Let your heart not be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”
Mayor
In My Father’s house are many rooms, if it weren’t so, I would tell you
Mayor, be humble, seek God, repent and he’ll lift you
I will go and prepare a place for you
Hope will rise

Images of trueness of bureaucracy
Which alienated them for their dark skin
Beautiful black faces full of fear and trepidation
In a hellhole called the Superdome
But rescued by the colorful people of the rainbow

Mayor, rise to your knees
Like prophecy in the bible, it will rise again
And be bathed in God’s righteousness like a warm sun

Mayor, rebuilding will begin!
“My city is emerging!”
Lessons learned in the form of hundreds saved by Him
Salvation came through tragedy
Love given through wrath
Warning given in love –
Shake them now, to keep them from something
Eternally more horrid than a city submerged
In bleak water

Mayor cries before the sign of his cherished city
And nations rushed to your side
And there you see restoration, spiritual salvation, Christ’s body
In action – love in action
And rejuvenation on the brink of horizon

See, mayor, see
Beyond those deceitful levees and your trust in man
See into the eyes of the Risen One who can save you
See the rejuvenation
Of your cherished city
On the brink of horizon


Hellicane category: 4-POLITICAL