I died because I'm poor. (Compassionate mod kicks in a penny for the funeral)

Poet | I.C. Howe

[phoenixrising47]

I died because I'm poor.

I'm floating in the water. My Mom is accross from me. Mosquitos swarm around us. They're our only friends.

I'm in the United States. Of, America. Not Vietnam. I'm not on T.V. It's really me. I'm dying 'cause I'm poor.

Mama's eyes are fluttering. Like a butterfly. This is real. Please, people. Not a photo op. I'm dying 'cause I'm poor.

I spit on Mama's lips, to give her moisture. Her face turns cold. I'm crying 'cause I'm poor.

Oh, Mama! Dear sweet Mama. I wail into the sky. Where's that promising Bush? Mama didn't have to die.

Now it's my turn. I hear the helicopter, but have no strenth to go out on the porch. I'm dying 'cause I'm poor.

I hear the rotors of the blades. I'm hugging Mama. Get her warm. Oh, Mama, it's come to this. We're dying 'cause we're poor.

I reach out to the men. And suddenly it's black. My life's film has broke. It broke 'cause I'm poor.

It broke 'cause I'm poor. It didn't have to be. We did better in the Tsunami. We did better in the war.

We died 'cause we're poor

by I.C. Howe

[Barset]

The pix are visual interpretations of the Big Lefy Lie that Katrina and its aftermath were President Bush's fault.

The "pome" is so maudlin and peurile that only a pictorial exaggeration of its message could belie the Lie.

Of course, I'm probably one of the lowly among us. I know I am!

[Purrcival]

You forgot - it's "poor", so it don't HAVE no stuff! Either that, or it was washed away.

[syriacus]

Mosquitos swarm around us.

Weren't a lot of the adult mosquitoes and their larvae killed by the hurricane?

I could be wrong, but I would have thought it would take a while for the mosquito population to build up again.

MOSQUITOES, POST HURRICANE - USA (05) Thu Sep 15, 2005 22:22

It is very likely that Hurricane Katrina wiped out most of the infected adult mosquitoes within the most heavily impacted areas.

Larval mosquitoes that get flushed into large bodies of deep water become food for assorted predators or die from the increased water salinity.

The adult mosquitoes of the Culex species that are most often associated with the amplification and transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) typically shelter in low, enclosed areas (e.g., storm sewers, crawl spaces, sheds, hollow logs, culverts, etc.), and they would likely be drowned by the flood waters that came with the storm

I realize I am quoting from a write-up about a particular kind of mosquito.

[dirtbiker]

This is out of the compilation "A Line in the Sand" by Dick Draggin.

I heard his name was Peter Draggin...

Have you heard "Caught on a Fence" by Won Hung Lo?

[xp38]

I got your icy Howe right here.....

[SAMS]

Wait, if I dig my nails in may hand & hold an onion under my eyes I MAY be able to squeeze out a tear for this bovine scatology.

[nonliberal]

LOL!! That's a good one.

[syriacus]

Did Governor Blanco help you?

Memo to Governor Blanco after Hurricane Katrina:
Dress for Duress

To be sure to outshine all your foes --
Wear a wardrobe of Liz Claiborne clothes
Don a sweater by Bauer.
For a touch of raw power,
Put on waterproof boots with steel toes.

[drew]

And whitey's on the moon!

[Doomonyou]

I died because I'm poor.

Well I'm just getting all misty eyed here.

[Billthedrill]

I always see the good threads too late.

I'm sittin' on my tuckus watchin' wind and wave and ruckus
And a hunnert thousan' suckas that are floatin' by my door
Tub o' Heinies on dat ice, and you know it just ain't nice
When the roaches and the lice are treading water on the floor.
An' it's rainin' without letup so I sez to Momma "Get up,
"Dis a rotten Karl Rove setup, so git off yer big fat duff,"
But she just sez "Pass a Twinkie, Oprah's on our plasma TV,
And we'll get another freebie if we stay here long enough."
So I'm settlin' in to wait and I'm cursin' at my fate
Cause de Mayor's bus is late and the street ain't there no more,
You should never put your trust in a levee dat's gone bust,
And dem politicians just don't give a crap about the poor.
When you're lootin', steal a boat, cause new stereos don't float
And a brand new ermine coat don't keep your head above the flood,
And the pretty golden bling bling makes a pretty damn poor life ring
You be stylin' but not caring when they dig you from the mud.
And I gurgle gurgle gurgle, gurgle gurgle gurgle gurgle...

[Doohickey]

You freaking weirdo. If only it were true.

[Doohickey]

Better than that. It's that highbrow poetry crap that's highly alliterative and doesn't...you know...rhyme.

[AndyJackson]

My favorite. That stuff is still around? I'll bring the pretzels.

[RockinRight]

What the hell is this?

[syriacus]

Did Ray Nagin help you?

Remember looking down from heaven and noticing that Nagin told folks to go back to New Orleans, soon after Hurricane Katrina was gone? As they started to go back, Hurricane Rita blew into the area.

~~Happy Days are Here Again~~

"Happy Days are here again,"
Said New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin.
"Yes, the water's down,
Come back into town.
Happy days are here again."

A storm named Rita's coming strong
Nagin fears the levees won't last long
He'll repeat his hymn
To folks he once made swim
"Don't blame me. I'm never wrong."

[AndyJackson]

It's supposed to be, like, poetry or something.

It is poetry. Every line rhymes with poor. In fact, the end of everyline is poor.

[Barset]

"...I could almost hear some other dead person playing bongo drums while I read it."

OMG, I am crying here. I am picturing you listening for bongo drums. This thread is hysterical.

[Lady Jag]

[Darksheare]

Here, I corrected your mindless drivel:

phoenixrising47 died because phoenixrising47 is a bore.

phoenixrising47 is floating in the water. Floating sewage is across from phoenixrising47. Flies swarm around phoenixrising47. They're phoenixrising47's only friends.

phoenixrising47 is in the Septic System. Of D.C, Not NOLA. phoenixrising47 has not a T.V. It's rotting phoenixrising47. phoenixrising47 is dying 'cause phoenixrising47 robbed a store.

phoenixrising47's eyes are fluttering. Like a housefly. This isn't real. Sheesh, people. It IS a photo op. phoenixrising47 is dying 'cause phoenixrising47 did no chores.

phoenixrising47 spits on truth. Her face turns cold. phoenixrising47 is crying 'cause phoenixrising47 is outdoors.

Oh, Marx! Dear sweet Marx. I wail into the sky. Where's that promising Stalin? Marx didn't have to die.

Now it's my turn. phoenixrising47 hears the Code Pinkos, but have no strength to get off the porch. phoenixrising47 is dying 'cause their butt got tore.

phoenixrising47 hears the motors of the Buses. phoenixrising47 is hugging Marx. Get him warm. Oh, Marx, it's come to this. We're dying 'cause we're AlGore!

I reach out from the pen. And suddenly it's black. phoenixrising47 life's film has broke. It broke 'cause Democrats ran the store.

It broke 'cause phoenixrising47's a whore. It didn't have to be. We did better with salami. phoenixrising47 did better with Mikey Moore.

phoenixrising47 died 'cause phoenixrising47 is no more

by I.P. Now