Souls Descending

While cleaning out a folder tonight I ran across this poem I wrote October 11, 2005 from my desk in the U.S. Capitol. I was a Senior Advisor to Speaker Pelosi. It was shortly after my first trip on October 3 into the devestation Katrina brought to Mississippi and Louisiana... Just weeks after it hit. I met some amazing people and had much to report. I ended my memo to the Speaker with this poem:

Souls Descending, Hope Appearing

Stinging, sea blue eyes cutting, hurting
Penetrating, silently sinking, falling
Souls descending, down… lower... lower…
Marble exploding, caskets floating
Church doors opening
Salvation missing

Glowing, flickering canvass sand castles
Empty eyes in the moat looking
Souls descending, down… lower… lower…
Wood fraying, steel bending
Hearts breaking open, wide
Paradise collapsing

Surging crystal staining lives
Eyes struggling, looking, needing
Souls descending, down… lower… lower…
Hope appearing, at the bottom
Slowly moving, turning, seeing
Hope rising