The Evacuation of New Orleans

by Sean Allen   Sep 10, 2005


The time has come.
Knocks on her battered
door rapidly call her away
from this place, the place
she's called home
for all of her life.
Now alone, but
not always alone,
she breaks down
among the photographs
of sons and daughters,
of her dogs and cats,
of her loved ones.
Are they all right?

She can't know,
but she knows
the kittens couldn't
survive a cold night
and Old Rusty,
her dog, couldn't ever
learn the swim just
quite right.
And all along,
all along she wondered
when the help that
was promised would
finally come.

My God,
only in a world so cold
can we point fingers
at one another
in ironic hypocrisy
and scream out "inactive!"

Good lord,
only in a world this cold.

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Latest Comments

  • 17 years ago

    by Bridgette

    Very nicely done.. great word usage, the flow was great & overall this was a really great poem, with a very true meaning behind it. 5/5***

  • 18 years ago

    by lost_laureate

    Poignant and well written, interesting take on the New Orleans Event. Thanks so much for the wonderful commentry you gave to one of my poems, I have taken this on board and would be happy to discuss it in more detail...but this is about your poem which I adore...I love the way you provoke empathy in the reader by focusing on the thoughts of one woman and her pets...
    "My God,
    only in a world so cold
    can we point fingers
    at one another
    in ironic hypocrisy
    and scream out "inactive!"

    Good lord,
    only in a world this cold."

    Favourite stanzas. I hope this begins to thaw this world the way it thawed my heart. Outstanding....

    [lostlaureate - come find me]

  • 18 years ago

    by NannO

    Wow.. very strong poem.. i reli lykd it.. it flowed lyk in a trance or smthn.. i reli enjoyed reading it.. and i lyk how u repeated the last line.. it brought a desirable effect
    keep it up
    Nouna

  • 18 years ago

    by Steven Beesley

    Sean,

    This is so brilliantly written. The view that you have shown gives a unique perspective and makes it even more interesting to the reader. The whole incident was so sad.

    Regards,

    Steve

  • 18 years ago

    by Afraid of the Dark

    Wow i love it. . . i dont know what else to say

    well done

    Laura xXx

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