Hurricane Katrina
She Couldn’t Wash Us Away…
With the threat of another hurricane upon us, I wrote this poem in memory of the 1,833 victims who perished in Hurricane Katrina. While it was a time when we all lost family, it was also a time when New Orleans came together, as a family. As we remember those who perished, let's also remember to stick together as The Who Dat Nation during this hurricane season...
Hurricane Katrina couldn’t wash away our culture.
She couldn’t wash away our spirit, couldn’t wash away our pride.
She couldn’t wash away our music or how we like to party.
She could never kill New Orleans, no matter how hard she tried.
She blew into New Orleans in late August, ‘05.
She smashed into our levees like a fast pitch line drive.
Thousands of our people weren’t ready for her anger.
She’ll go down in our history as a mean Category 5.
Soon our weak levees gave way to her meanness.
The brown water covered most of our beloved city.
While the rest of the Country shook their heads in dismissal.
New Orleans’ survival was indeed not looking pretty.
But the Who Dats stare danger right back in its face.
As a family we gather around and as a community we embrace.
The people of New Orleans don’t take nothin’ laying down.
We’re the Who Dat Nation! We’re the talk of the town!
Hurricane Katrina couldn’t wash away our culture.
She couldn’t wash away our spirit, couldn’t wash away our pride.
She couldn’t wash away our music or how we like to party.
She could never kill New Orleans, no matter how hard she tried.
Once the water left our City and our people came back home.
It was time to clean up our houses and our beloved Superdome.
Soon arrived the Neville’s, The Dirty Dozen and Dr. John
Then came the Radiators and our jukebox was turned on.
Vince Vance & The Valiants returned and the Wild Magnolias too.
And Harry Connick arrived with his entire sound crew.
Then Deacon John, Irma Thomas and Allen Toussaint
‘They All Axed for You’ was playin’ without no restraint!
Hurricane Katrina couldn’t wash away our culture.
She couldn’t wash away our spirit, couldn’t wash away our pride.
She couldn’t wash away our music or how we like to party.
She could never kill New Orleans, no matter how hard she tried.
When our own Fats Domino finally arrived back on the scene
People started to smile again cuz New Orleans was getting clean.
They started cooking the gumbo and the Saints started to win.
New Orleans was finally back on its dancin’ feet again.
Soon the snowball machines were humming and the parades were running on schedule.
The king cakes were baking and we could buy Roman candy.
The shrimps were getting boiled and the crawfish were getting peeled.
The people started smiling cuz the Katrina wounds were getting healed.
Hurricane Katrina couldn’t wash away our culture.
She couldn’t wash away our spirit, couldn’t wash away our pride.
She couldn’t wash away our music or how we like to party.
She could never kill New Orleans, no matter how hard she tried.
© 2021 Jeffrey Pipes Guice
About the Creator
Jeffrey Pipes Guice
Jeffrey worked for years in New York City and Washington D.C. while traveling throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and even spent some time in Antarctica. But the true discoveries came from inside himself, and that poetic journey is shown here.
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