7 Days Later (Katrina 2005) Poem by Byron Headrick

I’m sad today
(Not the day the storm came
Killing the poor and elderly)
BUT
7 days later
When I’m realizing
There are still babies living
Dieing
Because we as Americians
Didn’t act as fast as we should
As fast as we could
As fast as we did
Half the world away
When the water’s wave
Came
Drowning tourist and Asian resident
The same
This was different than Tsunami
THIS WAS DIFFERENT…
We had forewarning
Time for evacuation
Time for preparation
Yet it’s
7 days later
And I’m realizing
There are still babies living
Dieing

And I can’t help but
Wonder if
It has to do with the color
Of the babies skin
Or more likely
The fact
That
Their parent’s don’t have voting majority
(Otherwise known as money)
And I hate
That my mind
Contemplates
These thoughts….
I’ve heard the explanations
Excuses
Reasons
“Doing the best we can.”
Understand
Homeland security
When we refuse to
Accept the aid
Of foreign lands….
And even the Soviets had squadrons on stand by
Before the storm made land fall
Yet it’s
7 days later
And I’m realizing
There are still babies living
Dieing

The Muslims cry Allah’s retribution
The European’s simply “Tsk” and shake their heads
And
It’s a sad day for me
7 days later
Because I can’t explain this to my children
It’s a sad day for me
7 days later
Because I thought we were better than this
It’s a sad day for me
7 days later

BECAUSE

It is
The
First
Day
That
I’ve ever
Felt ashamed
To be an American