The Day The Levee Broke

Collection

Hellicane: Poets Respond to Hurricane Katrina

August 2005\r\nHurricane Katrina\r\nWanted no man alive\r\n\r\nThe Good Ol Boys\r\nSaid Head to the Dome\r\nFor those who can\'t get out on your own...\r\nAnd they left us here all alone\r\n\r\nAnd we are prayin\'\r\n\r\nWe are the United States\r\nWe will brave the wind, the storm\r\nAnn the man-made mistakes\r\n\r\nThe storm stole all our material things\r\nBut we\'re grateful\r\nFor the hope that life brings\r\nYes, we are grateful for the hope that life brings\r\n\r\nAnd now we\'re waitin\'\r\n\r\nAugust 2005\r\nLevee gave way\r\nWanted no man alive\r\n\r\nWater rising all around us\r\nWho has got a cell phone?\r\nMan, they left us here all alone\r\nThey left us here on our own.\r\n\r\nBut, we\'re still prayin\'\r\n\r\nWe are the United states\r\nWe braved the storm, the levee\r\nAnd the man-made mistakes\r\n\r\nCan\'t let child see dome - horrible things\r\nBut I\'m grateful for the hope\r\nThat life brings\r\nYes, I\'m hopeful for the hope that life brings\r\n\r\nAnd now we\'re waitin\'\r\n\r\nThe Dome is dark and all are scared so\r\nMama\'s gettin\' weak cuz her sugar is low\r\nWhispers don\'t let child see me go\r\nBut child knows when mama goes\r\nA child always knows when Mama goes\r\n\r\nAnd now we\'re grieving\r\n\r\nSorrow that washes despair\r\nTears sheddin\' natural wash - mama here\r\nAll the reasons to US are unknown\r\nFather, take her to your heavenly home\r\nFather take her to you heavenly home\r\n\r\nAnd now we\'re reeling\r\n\r\nNext day no water supply\r\nChild looks up to me with searchin\' eyes\r\n\"Daddy I\'m thirsty\" in a weak voice\r\nTo a papa - I don\'t have no choice\r\nThe Good Ol Boys can\'t her her voice\r\n\r\nAnd now I\'m looting\r\n\r\nI survived the tragedy\r\nNow I got to do right by my family\r\nHow exactly grateful do you want me to be?\r\nLife\'s force caused my destiny\r\nAnd I\'m gonna do right by baby\r\n\r\nAnd now I\'m fightin\'\r\n\r\nChild lost mama, her strength and her home\r\nPlans out there made but we\'re all alone\r\nMama\'s not here no more in the Dome\r\nThis shelter is her resting stone\r\nBabies Blanket is her resting stone\r\nBaby stroking the resting stone\r\n\r\nAnd now we\'re prayin\'\r\n\r\nSeptember 2005\r\nWe\'re doin\' our best just to survive\r\nPlease cry baby so I know your alive\r\nThis is changing me deep down inside\r\nWe\'re all changing way deep down inside\r\n\r\nAnd now I\'m angry\r\n\r\nTakin\' babies and wives from the man\r\nNever thought this could happen in Our Free Land\r\nCan\'t get my head around it to understand\r\nChaos everywhere here for the man\r\nJust gotta do the best that I can\r\n\r\nThey say I\'m looting\r\n\r\nCameraman and the news on TV\r\nFilm me taking supplies for baby\r\nHow exactly grateful do you want me to be?\r\nWhile your watchin\' me on your TV\r\nThey call me looter and Refugee\r\nDarlin, looter and a Refugee\r\n\r\nBut I\'m still prayin\'\r\n\r\nBad water surrounds little ones\r\nI know New Orleans has mightier sons\r\nWe\'re takin\' water, food and some meds\r\nSurviving in this homestead\r\nMy shoulder now is baby\'s bed\r\nStrong shoulders now for baby\'s bed\r\n\r\nAnd I\'m still hopeful\r\n\r\nGo ahead and call me Refugee\r\nA looter, a black man that you see on TV\r\nBut I\'m no Good Ole Boy judging from a safe place\r\nI\'m a papa lookin\' in baby\'s face\r\nA widowed papa lookin\' in baby\'s face\r\n\r\nAnd now I\'m prayin\'\r\n\r\nWe are the United States\r\nBraved wind, water, and the man-made mistakes\r\nKatrina came and slapped the Dome\'s nose\r\nWe survived, then filthy water rose\r\nAt least we\'re together I suppose\r\nI need strength God only Knows\r\n\r\nAnd now I\'m hopeful\r\n\r\nBaby clinging to me for life\r\nGot to hang on cuz I promised my wife\r\nI\'m a good Papa and a God-lovin\' man\r\nAnd I\'m a damn good American\r\nYes, I\'m a damn good American\r\n\r\nSo we sit here in this filth for awhile\r\nDon\'t judge US - cuz we\'re all God\'s child\r\nI lived through this tragedy\r\nWith what\'s left of my family\r\n\r\nI\'m grateful for the life of baby\r\n\r\nAnd now I\'m thankful\r\nThose who saw the reality\r\nOf people caught up in this tragedy\r\nForced the country with stategy\r\nForced the help to come for my baby\r\nI\'m as grateful as a man can be\r\n\r\nAnd now I\'m grateful\r\n\r\nNeighbor forced them to get up and DO!\r\nShowed the Good Ol Boy what I already knew\r\nSaid if TV can get in so can you\r\nNot just a good TV crew\r\nIf one can get in so can you\r\nWhat one man can do\r\nAnother can do\r\n\r\nWe are the United states\r\nNeighbors prayin\' and angry bout man-made mistakes\r\nGot to save the child for God sakes\r\nTo save my family this is what it takes\r\nThank you lord and the United States\r\n\r\nI thank you neighbor\r\n\r\nPray for me and the child\r\nI\'ll be grateful for your love for awhile\r\nRemember I\'m the writer\r\nAnd the reader will sound\r\nAnd in this we\'re forever bound\r\nYes, in this we are forever bound\r\n\r\nAnd we\'re still prayin\'...

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Citation

“The Day The Levee Broke,” Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, accessed September 18, 2024, https://hurricanearchive.org/items/show/26337.