Poem On Hurricane Katrina/ Hurricane Katrina Poems
Would the person from k12.ms.us in Jackson, Mississippi, searching for hurricane Katrina poems (or, the person from k-12 from Pensacola, Florida searching for a poem on hurricane Katrina) please come back. I would love to assist, in any way I can, in bringing good poetry to the children of Mississippi, and, if possible, poets, especially to the hurricane-struck children of the land. Please scroll down to my poem to New Orleans, in a 300-year old form, the villanelle, called "A Blue Wake For New Orleans" (click on title to go to poem) and is dedicated to guitarist/composer, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, who escaped the flood which destroyed his house and all his possessions, including his instruments, and fled to Austin only to die of a heart-attack or stroke Saturday, September 10. I was worrying about his health & whereabouts when I found the link to the villanelle form — a form I view as a tight container, an urn, for holding deep, complicated but simple, emotions, layered emotions such as deep grief brings. I knew I found the right "canning jar" to hold what I felt, the almost nothing feeling; and — to feel again — thought of Gatemouth and how utterly sad it must have been to see all your cities drowning, personal and private. But that sadness, feeling that, makes us go on. It helps. Our ceremonies, however small, however private or public, heal.
This poem, and others, is posted at www.hellicane.blogspot.com — I would be willing to help anyone find good poems among the rubble; particularly those suited for children, as I was hoping mine would be. There's a great one down below, by Anthony Robinson entitled "Blueprint". Poet-bloggers may also leave comments with good suggestions, links to good poems, and maybe their own, for you to find. I hope so.
Thank You for thinking of poetry.
This poem, and others, is posted at www.hellicane.blogspot.com — I would be willing to help anyone find good poems among the rubble; particularly those suited for children, as I was hoping mine would be. There's a great one down below, by Anthony Robinson entitled "Blueprint". Poet-bloggers may also leave comments with good suggestions, links to good poems, and maybe their own, for you to find. I hope so.
Thank You for thinking of poetry.
posted by Lorna Dee Cervantes at 1:17 PM
5 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I'll help in any way I can. Just let me know how.
gingerivers@yahoo.com
STOP TALKIN JUST ABOUT NEW ORLEANS THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST WAS AFFECTED WORSE IM SICK OF PEOPLE THINKING THAT NO ONE ELSE WAS AFFECTED>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!! AND IF YOU WERE A STEADY READER OF THIS BLOG YOU WOULD KNOW THAT I, EARLY ON, POSTED PICS AND LINKS TO THE GULF COAST EDITION OF THE SUN HERALD AND THE DEVASTATION IN THE MISSISSIPPI GULF, PAS (something) IN PARTICULAR. I WAS MONITORING, AND PRAYING IN MY WAY FOR THE GULF AND TEXAS -- KNOWING THE LEVEE 'REPAIRS' WOULD NOT HOLD SHOULD NOLA GET HIT AGAIN, OR ANYWHERE NEAR IT. IF YOU WERE A STEADY READER OF THIS BLOG, OR MY POETRY, YOU WOULD KNOW THAT ONE OF MY LIFELONG IDOLS WAS "BORN IN LOUISIANA, RAISED IN ALGIERS" AND MOVED TO WALLS, MS. BEFORE SETTLING IN MEMPHIS, TN. AND YOU WOULD KNOW THAT SHE, MEMPHIS MINNIE, WROTE THE FIRST BROKEN LEVEE BLUES AND WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS. MOST LIKELY ABOUT THE FIRST, AND SAME, DISASTER IN NOLA. AND, SHE WROTE IT TO UPLIFT THE SPIRITS OF EVERYBODY WHO NEEDS TO HEAR IT. OR, JUST DANCE. LIKE NORMAL. TELL US ABOUT THE MISSISSIPPI GULF, PLEASE. I'VE READ ALL THE ACCOUNTS THERE ARE TO READ. (I HATE HURRICANES!) I'M NOT A PROSE WRITER OR A REPORTER. I JUST DIRECT PEOPLE TO THE BLOGS & NEWS ON MY LINKS FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY THERE AND TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING AND TO PEOPLE WHO HELP THEM- INSTEAD OF TALK-WRITING OR PICKING FIGHTS. I KNOW THAT OUT OF APPR. 170,000 HOMES 135,000 ARE NO LONGER THERE OR REPAIRABLE ALL ALONG THE COAST. THAT MANY PEOPLE MAY NOT HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE OR A PLACE TO EAT OR SLEEP TONIGHT FROM NOLA, AND OTHER PLACES. SOME PEOPLE MAY BE STILL WAITING IN ATTICS TO THIS DAY. TALK ABOUT "ARUBA, KEY LARGO, GEE I WANNA. . ." I KNOW THAT AN ESTIMATED 100,OOO CENTRAL AMERICANS ARE STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR, MOST OF THOSE HONDURAN. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ABOUT HALF THAT MANY, OR MORE, MEXICAN SHRIMPERS AND OTHER WORKERS NO ONE TALKS ABOUT. I MOURN FOR THE CAJUN CULTURAL WHICH I OR MY CHILD MAY NOT EVER EXPERIENCE EVER AGAIN. I WAS QUITE LITERALLY SICK ABOUT IT, ALL OF IT. so I write poetry BUT, THANK GOD FOR BLOGGERS WHO CAN WRITE AND WHOM DO SO MORE COHERENTLY THAN THAN THIS POET, AND WHO "TALK" ABOUT THESE THINGS MUCH BETTER THAN I EVER COULD SUCH AS THE LATINAS ON MY BLOG ROLL OR ROSIE O'DONNELL WHO ACTUALLY SPENT TIME IN MISSISSIPPI WITH REAL PEOPLE, REAL TIRED TRAUMATIZED PEOPLE AND QUIETLY PUTS 3 MILLION WHERE HER MOUTH IS TO HELP THE CHILDREN OF KATRINA/ RITA WITH REAL RELIEF 100% DIRECT -- ART SUPPLIES, VIDEOS AND TOYS. THAT'S WHAT XICANISMO IS ALL ABOUT, NOT SUCCUMBING TO TRAUMA. WE'RE STRONG and polite. PERHAPS YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE? A WRITER WHO WRITES WELL WITH FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE OF TRAUMA AND POVERTY, THAT IS. A FELLOW SURVIVOR? WELCOME? BUT, THIS ISN'T A CURRENT AFFAIRS BLOG WITH REGULAR JOSTLING IN THE COMMENTS. JUST A HUMBLE POET'S HOME. I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR (so loudly) AND ANNOUNCING THAT YOU ARE SICK OF PEOPLE THINKING NO ONE ELSE WAS AFFECTED>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hey, I just wrote a poem about New Orleans because for the past 25 years I have been doing music research and archival records searching in the New Orleans parishes AND SOUTHERN BLACK BAPTIST churches in Mississippi. As well as hoping to search old newspaper archives, another thing that gets totally wiped out in a flood. I'm a scholar and a closet researcher. To know the history of American music is to know the history of New Orleans. And, the history of Mississippi. I have never been to either of those places. I am, quite frankly, afraid of the "Deep South" having been referred to as a "n....." to my face on numerous ocassions in my lifetime. Texas is as far south as I've ever ventured, and I know I do LOVE the people of the Texas Gulf, about as fine folk as you'd imagine, people from Corpus Christi & Galveston, for example, speaking of people who never get mentioned. If Houston, my adopted home for a time, my son was born there - mother's would understand - I would have written a poem about Houston. And organizing fundraising poetry benefits for the city. I have never been to New Orleans. (Hmmm, that's a new working title for a poem.) I have never seen it even from the train. I have never sat in Congo Square, and now I never will. (crying hard) And all I'm saying is that all I know is that we all need poetry right now. Got any poems on Mississppi? Write one. It will make you feel better. Especially if it makes those who most need to hear it feel better. And it doesn't cost a paycheck to donate in case you, like most people who hang out out in my house, don't have the cash.
You think global and act local. Ya know? Heartwork.
Thank you for your comment.
Lorna Dee Cervantes
<--- listening to Beach Boys:
DO YOU WANNA DANCE? DONATE! DONATE! DONATE! SUPPORT DIRECT EFFORT WHEREVER YOU FIND IT< WHATEVER YOU LOVE.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Does anyone know why it seems I'm getting passed so many bugs? My brower's crashing now, too.)
hey. i'm hillary. monday i'm leaving for mississippi. the place that i'm going to starts with a p and they said that it was so bad that we had to get training. these people r in such pain. i had to learn how to tell fractures apart. and wounds and how to heal them. i'm 14. i'm leaving to go to the worst place ever. its gonna be like hell and i have a choice to go. i chose yes and i don't care what anyone says about me but i can't wait. these people r hurt and i'm getting sick of listening to people complain about it but they just set back and watch the toned down version on tv. well guess what i'm not setting back and watching these people die. i'm going to help them!!! and so should you.
Post a Comment
<< Home