Katrina and the Civil War

With each year that passes I see the people of the world coming closer together. We live in different hemispheres (metaphorically speaking) but we share many of the same experiences in life. We all are capable of love no matter where life has destined us to be in a certain period of time. I feel the love each time I go to the site meter on my blog and see all the wonderful people from the United States and around the world who have come. They are, to me, a "cloud of witnesses" standing guard. Love exudes from all the volunteers who have taken time from their lives to help their suffering brethren They have given us hope.

So I ask, "Don't forget us. Let what happened in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama always remind you of how fragile life is." Love your neighbor, practice the golden rule, "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You".

In its lifetime, our state suffered much destruction from the Civil War and major hurricanes that have kept us at the bottom of all the polls economically and yet one poll we lead is our generosity to others in their time of catastrophe. Mississippi has been the birthplace of many famous people, Elvis Presley, Oprah Winfrey, William Faulkner and lets not forget our girls that were crowned as Miss America.

We will come back and this time we will be better than we have ever been. We are a hardworking people and a determined people. We have what it takes to succeed and arise from yet another setback.

The free style poem below was written by me. Many of our southern states seceded the union and fought a bloody war that split our unity. There were many casualities. Though we may have been on opposite sides, I think my "punch line" shows how close we all really are

Splendorous and grand were the
antebellum homes gracing our homeland
Our beaches were clean and pristine
with swaying palm trees casting a shadowy scene

Jefferson Davis, the President of the
Confederacy, was given asylum
Sorrowfully, the North and South were
hearing the beat of a different drum

Black and white fought side by side to
preserve what they believed to be right
The Civil War brought terror, death,
hardship and destruction because of
erroneous belief

Tis true, the Union soldiers were stronger
with supplies and armory
But, to all Americans, the War brought
a shameful study of history

Rows and rows of Confederate graves are
in Vicksburg, the resting place for brave young men
Some were my kin

My great, great grandfather
came to New Orleans from Santo Domingo
A future son was to battle and survive the War
Death of kin and friends left in his
heart a permanent scar

The famous words uttered by Admiral David Farragut
before capturing Mobile Bay,
"Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!"
would often resound in my head

He couldn't have known that life would throw a curve
and his great, great nephew would marry my
maternal grandmother's sister

That the states would divide I take no pride
but of my heritage, I am PROUD!