The Experience....

-soooo, friday afternoon received word the venue had been cancelled...mind you, we drove to NO for this gig...and because of prior commitments would drive back friday night....i was a lil leery at first, but it all checked out. broke the news to my fellow poets...but we were ok with it, and knew it would all work out...and it did...made a phone call to another contact...bam 2 more gigs...no worries. made the needed phone calls...some folks were not happy. then realized, uh oh, only packed for a couple of days...
-did the tourist thing, hit the french quarters...man sin city is an understatement...bourbon was too much even in the middle of the afternoon...
-found a great lil dive on one of the side streets (always go off the beaten path folks) playing jazz and cover songs...some stranger grabbed faye and started dancing as soon as we walked in...guy playing the guitar and singing looked ALOT like Blackula....ya'll don't nothing about that oldie? hey we are in New Orleans, stranger things have happened
-did lots of driving and sightseeing and getting lost..repeat on the lost and driving and sightseeing...one more time repeat on the lost, driving and sightseeing
-drove further into the neighborhood, well what was left of it, and realized we were face to face with the levee...we had been close to the 9th ward the whole time...i could not control the emotions that flooded my being, like these streets once had been. i wanted to run and beat on that wall...i was so overcome with tears, anger and sorrow...didn't expect it...the car was silent for a very long time. the things our eyes saw was beyond comprehension...kept shaking my head asking why? why 3 years later and it still looks like this? yet the tourist areas and the higher economical areas....what hurricane?
-the people in these devastated areas are taking care of their own, for no outside help is coming for them. still. no help, but they have each other.
-the military police still roam the streets...marinate on that for a minute
-the people do what they can, when they can; even if its working late into the night with only a generator to show some light (we saw this).
-still trailers in driveways of houses that no longer exist, or look like empty shells, cars abandoned, streets in much need of repair...yet amongst all of this a few children still find the time to play basketball with a makeshift goal. i smile.
-our first feature was @ the Red Star Galleries, nestled in a lil corner of heaven...all the business in this triangle area were black owned. BEAUTIFUL! from a creole woman-owned coffee shop called Black Coffee, a rasta shop starting a clothing line (but the rastas inside look like a front for the militant revolution-seriously), a vinyl record store...yes i said vinyl...the youngings in the car couldn't understand my enthusiasm lol...there were more, but those stood out
-we rocked it neosoul proud style! they usually have visual artists that come through, being only a month new, we were the first official spoken word artists that featured there. nice huh? got some new ideas and some new folks to add to the extended family
-next night's feature was across the Crescent City Connection bridge, you remember the bridge...when folks tried to escape, they were turned away by armed police and military...yeah that bridge.
-the lovely Asia Rainey, man she is stunning in person, helps run a community center in Westbank, called the Craig Cultural Center, just a few months old...again the need for taking care of one's own...and they do.
-we were truly blessed and blown away by some of the youth that hit the mic...oh did i mention, we hung out with some of the New Orleans Youth Slam team...yeah and WOW...we were priveledged to hear some of the new group pieces too.
-ended our night hanging with some of them at Cafe de Monde, with a lil street poetry.
-needless to say, after packing up the car, we didn't want to leave...but knew we would be back...soon...this trip has changed me a bit...i have got to do more in my community to help my own, as poets we should.