Wave
My child
Born to me by water
And by water
Swept away.
D.Wisely 12/2004
Very lugubrious, but well-written.
I think it’s capturing and pretty.
Do you mean lugubrious in the mournful sense, or the dismal sense?
I find the subject matter mournful, but the poem itself is, in my non-expert opinion, quite good. (In other words, I like it!)
Thanks for sharing it again, Dale.
Cheers,
John
Whatever happened to the “old times” Dale, when you used to grace us with your haiku on a regular basis?
Good stuff man - don’t go years between next time though huh? 
I meant it in the sad, mournful state.
HeartBroken (for New Orleans)
-By Eric Clapton and Greg Phillinganes
When the wind blows down this hard,
Many a bond is broken.
See the water lie on the ground
From where the heavens opened.
Lord, how will you get through this night
With your dreams departed?
And who alone will comfort you?
Only the broken hearted.
So you’ve gone beyond your means,
Every wound is open,
Your best laid plans are out of reach,
And all your fears unspoken.
Sweet revenge is spoken then;
In the twilight it is gone.
To living lies with no escape,
Lord, I would rather be alone.
I press my fingers to the wood
To tell you of my dreaming,
To sing you songs from olden times,
To keep the love light gleaming.
’cause there’s a place where we can go,
Where we will not be parted.
And who alone will enter there?
Only the broken hearted.
On and on, the rain will fall
Like tears from a star, like tears from a star
On and on, the rain will say
How fragile we are, how fragile we are
–Sting
Since this disaster hit I’ve had it in the back of my mind to listen to New Orleans music, from King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Sydney Bechet and many lesser known 20s jazz bands up through the piano professors (Archibald, Professor Longhair, Tuts Washington), the R&B greats (Fats Domino, Roy Brown, Mr. Googleeyes, Dave Bartholomew, Huey Smith) through the soul greats (Chris Kenner, Johnny Adams, Irma Thomas, Lee Dorsey) right up to modern funk and soul groups (The Meters, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John.) Add to the list people like Snooks Eaglin and you begin to appreciate what this relatively small city has contributed to modern music and I’ve only mentioned the most obvious people; behind these names are dozens of others almost as good.
Somehow I can’t yet face up to working through the music, not that I’d normally think of it as work. Even if the city is fully rebuilt I can’t help but feel that something of its soul is lost forever. But maybe the music teaches us otherwise. Of all American musics, there can be none more optimistic and irrepressibly joyous than that of New Orleans. May that spirit survive.
Very well said Wombat.
The same idea has been floating around in my head for the past few days. I hope that whatever it is that inspires this music can be harnessed to rebuild the City and its soul.
Slan,
D.