Katrina's Wake Up Call Poem by Alexander Shaumyan

It's a far too familiar sight -
All the poor who were left behind,
In the cesspool that once had been
The great city of New Orleans.

No carnivals here, just death -
Sick and elderly out of breath,
Hungry children barely alive
In the heat and filth, left to die.

In the flood of drowning cries
They were given nothing but lies -
Promised rescue that never arrived
For the thousands still alive.

Private charity drives will roll,
But the poor have taken their toll -
Jobless, homeless, with nothing at all,
Having trusted the government's bull.

Billions spent on a pointless war,
Many start to say 'no more' -
Time to get the priorities straight -
Time to act before it's too late.

Yes, it's time to wake up again -
Every woman and child, every man -
To rise up for the people's needs
Against corporate lies and greed.

September 2,2005