when the saints all marched away

[niyad]

(the following is posted with the permission of the author, who gives his permission to send it far and wide, with credit to him)

(papadoyle--doyle reynolds)


I sat down and wrote this today after hours of watching the nightmare in New Orleans. After almost a week people are still stranded on roofs, hungry, thirsty and starving, looting is still rampant, thousand of people are displaced or missing and help has been turned down because, "We take care of our own," and, "everything is going to be fine." The quickest thing that has happend in thes catastrophe is that gas prices skyrocketed immediately even in states with no shortage. If this had been a terrorist attack Homeland Security would be greatly embarrassed by its preparedness and response, AND WE KNEW THIS WAS COMING! Our National Guard is guarding the wrong nation and the budget for the levee repairs was cut because there wasn't enough money in the federal budget for them.....there was for war though. If this had happened last year before the election the results would have been different.

Bottom line is the private sector(Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc.)had a quick response and is there for the duration. Please donate if you can.

Thanks, Doyle

When the Saints All Marched Away


She blew in with hell and fury in August of '05,
And left a watery graveyard for both dead and alive.
A cruel and meaner lady no one has ever seen,
A lady named Katrina that wasted New Orleans.


She never showed a bias in the gumbo that she made,
A lot of salty water and bodies of all shades.
Black and white and creole, old and young and new,
Seasoned with our homes, a godforsaken stew.


A Mardi Gras from hell she marched down Bourbon Street,
The dirge she blew was awesome, no jazzman could compete.
We all new she was coming, we heard it on the news,
Those of us who could leave did and the others sang the blues.


The last stop on the streetcars was a place called misery,
Where people lived in attics both starving and hungry.
The levees broke and flooded us because there were no funds,
They never were repaired because the money went for guns.


A devil's jambalaya brewed in the last ones left alive,
It started with some looting from the ones who would survive.
Then the city filled with evil in the men who would be snakes,
The gangs were taking over and these cajuns got no breaks.


Where was the National Guard who protected this great land?
Where was the offered aid from those who lent a hand?
Why were we left for days when our babies were alive?
We looked for you the next day, instead of waiting five.


Help waited from other countries and never got the word,
Cuba offered doctors, but you didn't want to be disturbed.
Just down the road in Florida the boaters offered care,
And Canada was set to come with trucks and food and ware.


You told them all that we'd be fine, "We take care of our own."
Yes our alligators and crawfish had cleaned us to the bone.
Yes our gangs and snipers were really doing well.
And you came on TV and told us we were really doing swell.


We only wish that help had come as fast as gas went up so steep,
Our priorities do differ if we vote or just impeach.
Afterwards you cut vacation short, no sacrifice too great,
Even though you knew beforehand we were on Katrina's slate.


We will all remember when the casinos all threw craps,
And Katrina's form of voodoo tried to wipe us from the maps.
She coldly kicked her heels up on a dance floor called Big Easy,
She showed us who the real saints are and blew the fronts off of the sleazy.


I don't have much and times are hard and I'm certainly no saint,
But even sinner that I am I'll help a man whose beat.
For if I had to walk awhile in your shoes and it was hard to stand,
I know that you would do the same and lend a helping hand.

Doyle

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