 Purred: Sun May 6, '12 1:26pm PST |
 | |  | | Louie
Our mom wrote this 2 days after Katrina...wanted to share it with you for the longest as it's sorta pretty despite the sad event that inspired it...
so glad you have had a wonderful celebration so far...bet you're kicking back with a catmint julip...
love,
Natalie
Bayou La Batrie (Katrina's Song)
Standing here, watching the sunset
Across this silent place
Wondering if the Ghosts of Time
Will try to claim this space
The Bayou hardly changes
Despite that bitter storm
Just those who try and hang on here
Fight mosquitos, snakes and warm
I got your letter yesterday,
I read between the lines,
As you mourned childhood memories
But told me all was fine
I bit my lip and shut my eyes
And wished it wasn't so
Because this place is all that I have
There's no where else to go
I knew from the way the dog carried on
This wouldn't be like the rest
The rain-like nails, blown sideways,
No one here had guessed
How the canal would just give way
That levee never stood a chance
I grabbed the dog, climbed to the roof
And prayed to circumstance
The waves were rough,
Trees crashed down,
Screams and mist hung in the air
The water rose, the sky grew black
And I lost myself in prayer
The dog snuggled close,
His cold wet nose
Resting by my ear
As I watched the night close in
Then the sky, it seemed to clear.
It seemed so long,
Morning came on
And the sun it streaked the sky
As stranded here like Noah,
I watched my world float by
I took a gulp of bottled water
Gave some to the dog to drink
Strange the bayou was so quiet then
But I was just too numb too think.
And I guess I managed to sleep some
It really wasn't so tough
Old mangrove tree just sheltered me
I guess that was enough
Then just a little bit ago
Jake from that store on First
Saw me and the dog stranded there
Yelled up "I've seen you worse."
He had a boat, he got me down,
He bought me here to Aunt Nell's
Who's kitchen looked like heaven
After my night in hell
Her house is OK where it is,
They got a generator here
So for now we have all the comforts of home,
Cornflakes, moon-pies and beer.
The dog is laying at my feet
The bayou feels the same
As I listen to the radio
Spin-doctors shouting blame
But can they know what happened here?
Because I know what I feel
Haven't had a paper here all week
The silence seems surreal.
Jake told me the house can be repaired
He said it doesn't seem too bad
The dog barks at possums on this porch
Auntie says it's driving her mad
I heard they evacuated New Orleans
But so far they leave us alone
And I wanted to tell you that I'm alright
But the line's down so I can't phone.
And there's one thing I can't figure out,
Amidst the destruction, sorrow, and blame,
It's how can such a devastating storm
Have such a lovely name? |  |  | |  |
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