Hurricane Katrina: We Will Never Forget

School had just started,
I was back with my friends,
Little did we all know,
That in 3 days it would all end.

The news reports showed,
The storm was heading to us,
The city was evacuated,
Those who couldn't drive were packed on a bus.

We figured no big deal,
This wasn't the first hurricane,
But this was THE ONE,
THE ONE that would drive us insane.

Weeks out of touch,
With people we loved,
Wondering if they're still with us,
Praying they're not above.

Within 20 minutes,
Lives were torn apart,
Still a year later,
Broken is my heart.

We look back now,
Wondering: How did we survive?
Thanking God,
That we're still alive.

There were cases of suicide,
From those who lost hope,
Those who were so tattered,
They didn't think they could cope.

Ordinary people,
With ordinary lives,
Soon became heros,
By short surprise.

Eighteen hundred deaths,
Many injured and hurt,
Flooding to the roofs,
No more grass; just dirt.

Where do we go now?
And how do we start again?
Were questions we all asked,
Also, How do we find our friends?

We lost so much,
On that fateful day,
So now I'm taking time,
To say what I want to say.

My mom stayed through the hurricane,
Saving many and risking her life,
So why is it my family,
Must go through this strife?

Is it just coincidence,
That what Katrina means,
Is cleansing with water,
Or is this just through the eyes of a teen?

Why did I move,
2 hours from my hometown,
Where I lived for 13 years,
Why is it I frown?

Mardi Gras for one,
Is no longer the same,
The crowds are much smaller,
For that who's to blame?

Was Katrina a wakening,
For those who are blind?
Who said it'd never happen?
Should we move on or look behind?

Friends scattered everywhere,
Some we'll never again see,
Yet people who know me now,
Want to know why I kept my old key.

I have so many memories,
Piled up inside,
So many emotions,
That I solemnly hide.

I miss my old friends,
Wish I could go back,
To say that I love them,
One last hug is what I lack.

People think it doesn't hurt,
Because it was a year ago,
But until you go through this crisis,
The pain they'll never know.

We're left asking why,
We still don't understand,
We want our old lives back,
I feel smaller then a grain of sand.

The city seems dead now,
Not like before,
I cry myself to sleep each night,
Making my eyes red and soar.

I've watched my own family,
Gut out homes and start anew,
It's hard to believe it's been a year,
Day's ago? It seems only two.

Bringing back this city,
They say it will take years,
That scared me to death,
It tops all of my fears.

Sure I see progress,
But it's still not enough,
Getting through this tragedy,
They said it'd be tough.

But never had I thought,
I'd cry so often,
I thought I'd see my old friends again,
When will this pain die or soften?

I just want my life back,
I want to be happy once more,
I don't want to cry so much,
I want to relinquish my deep hidden core.

Why did this happen?
Will I ever find out?
Let this all end!
Is what I now shout.