Disparity
in that house red beans & rice
cooked every Monday for four
generations until the water
washed it away.
it floated down Forgotten Street,
clapboards splintering like frail old
bones in the jaws of the beast.
the land where it stood's going on
five years empty now, sacred ground
bleached with the salt of bitter tears
but still loved with a fierceness that
would amaze the unbaptized.
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Author's Note
This was written a couple of months before the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. It was inspired by a photo series I was involved in that showed homes still destroyed and abandoned at that time.
This was originally published in the online journal Dew On the Kudzu in January 2011
Other stories by Charlotte Hamrick
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Brings back memories of living on one plate of red beans n' rice per day at Buster Holme's.
He learned to hide the "free" french bread after I'd been going there a while.
Dollar a plate, as I recall.
"inspired by a photo series I was involved in "
I imagine you're familiar with this:
http://www.amazon.com/After-Flood-Robert-Polidori/dp/3865212778
Oh, that last line. Very nice. *
*
Captures so well the sadness felt in the aftermath of Katrina.*
Gorgeous and awful. This is a powerful statement. Compressed like a hand grenade. Great work. A+ / *
visceral capture
All I can say is wow.
This hits close, especially now that I'm back home. Loved this, Charlotte. *
"amaze the unbaptized", that is a fine phrase, Charlotte!
WOW. Amazed. The feelings, the rhythms, the small details (red beans and rice!), the sense of commitment and love in the face of all that loss.
Gorgeous poem.
*
Thanks again to all for your kind comments and time.
bleached with the salt of bitter tears
but still loved with a fierceness that
would amaze the unbaptized.
You are exactly right about this. You nailed it, and after 8 years the unbaptized line still resonates.*