Category: New Orleans

New Orleans12 Comments

It’s the Waiting That Kills You

Zouxzoux

Sometimes you talk, sometimes you don’t, sometimes you want to but can’t. You watch the numbers on all the machines that are supporting her life, you note them and compare them to the numbers from the day before, the week before and the month before. You wash her face, lubricate her lips and wait for the few precious seconds she opens her eyes and wonder if it’s just a reflex or a reaction to your voice. You lotion up her hands and feet then rotate them and stretch out her fingers. You leave the room after the 30 minute visiting … Continue reading It’s the Waiting That Kills You

New Orleans2 Comments

The Waiting Room

Charlotte Hamrick

Twilight from closed curtains is soothing for sleep deprived eyes. Quiet whispers, families contemplate ventilators, sedated loved ones and impending doctor visits. Sweet cleaning lady empties the trash cans of crumpled coffee cups and “breakfast on the go” bags, swabs the wet floor of steamy bathrooms recently cleansing the tired bodies and flagging spirits of the ones who live in the waiting room. It’s 11:00, time for the second visit of the day and the ritual walk down the long hall to the SICU. Continue reading The Waiting Room

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Poem of the Month on Long Story Short

Zouxzoux

My poem, “Divergent Paths”, is published in Long Story Short in their Poetry Page and was chosen as Poem of the Month for May. I’m excited it was chosen for this honor by a website that’s been voted one of “Writer’s Digest 100 Best Websites For Writers” 8 times. This was probably the most difficult poem I’ve written to date because it is autobiographical and took me several weeks to get right. (Unlike my usual dash ’em off and get ’em up style!) I highly recommend Long Story Short as a great resource for writers and as a great ezine … Continue reading Poem of the Month on Long Story Short

New Orleans10 Comments

Hanging With the Cool

Zouxzoux

I waited by the gate where we’d planned to meet, leaning against the metal barricade hot in the sun as sweaty arms and legs brushed by to get closer to the stage. Robert Cray was jamming, sweat dripping down his face while his mouth worked, chewing on lyrics like he was eating barbeque with a kick, fingers picking that guitar clean, leaving bare bones where meat used to be. I saw you coming, walking fast like you had somewhere to be, eyes focused on the roped off area behind the stage, guarded by a big man in red with shifty … Continue reading Hanging With the Cool

New Orleans4 Comments

Perspective

Zouxzoux

When the water came crashing through windows it wasn’t lovely or artistic, it was raw and dirty and filled with the last words screamed by lonely old ladies in wheelchairs who were found six days later in the room where they drowned. _____________________________________- I never know when the memories of the storm (Hurricane Katrina) and the flood and the victims will grab my gut. It did just now when I saw this photo and read about the artist who created it “to mimic a frothy flood of water rushing into a room”. And this was my reaction.  This was a … Continue reading Perspective

New Orleans15 Comments

Wiggle-Waggle

Zouxzoux

The dragonfly buzzes about minding its own business, iridescent wings flashing in the sunlight. Humans shuffle along the dirty sidewalk, tied down by the vitriol dripping from their mouths. _______________________________ This poem was inspired by the poetry of Ko Un which I just discovered thanks to Via Negativa and I’ve been devouring as much of his work as I can find on the internet today. I highly recommend reading Via Negativa, the website of poet Dave Bonta and contributing poet Luisa Igloria whose work I adore. Their site is on my Google reader and I read them every single day … Continue reading Wiggle-Waggle