after katrina came
i struggled to sleep most nights
when i did sleep, i dreamt of bodies floating in water
i would try to scream to wake myself
but it never worked
another lucid nightmare
a funeral in slow motion

at a galveston beach, i met linda
her dress fluttered in the breeze as she stared at the waves
it was too easy
she didn't realize anything was wrong until we reached the louisiana border
not a word did she speak
nor did i
she knew what was coming
the sweat beaded
then wandered down her spine
her panties grew damp
it was not an easy death
her suffering was magnificent
a beautiful mass of flesh, bone and duct tape

back in new orleans, the worst wasn't over
bodies floated by the dozens
and looters had their way with the city
i dumped linda near the french quarter
to them, she was just another dead black girl
to me, she was the first
a blueprint of misery

today, the nightmares continue
but i no longer try to wake myself
instead, I lay back and enjoy
sometimes i see linda
the murky emptiness now her grave
i see her slowly drift away
a funeral in slow motion