My First Day in New Orleans

The things you thought:
Gelatin-melting in the sun
A sticky glob _ You'll see
Yesterday fades away like
Memories, good, in New Orleans
Two thousand five.
Six months later, I'm here
for God's sake and
My life may take a different
A different type of way
After a day like today.
Emptiness.
Stress.
Smiles faded like the paint
On the sides of these houses.
The church we stay in cries loud
And the mold on the walls
Alone listens:
The only sign of emerging life.
I could cry.
Or maybe that's the fiberglass insulation.