Porch Stories

 I went to visit my dear friends Craig and Stacey in Bay St Louis, MS.

This is one of the most charming small towns in the world, curled up next to the Gulf of Mexico like a kitten.

 While Stacey and I drove around places we have loved, I kept hearing this song by Bruce Springsteen in my head.

One year and 10 months after Katrina, here's what Mississippi looks like....

There's a blood red circle
On the cold dark ground

And the rain is falling down
The church door's thrown open

I can hear the organ's song
But the congregation's gone

My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Now the sweet bells of mercy
Drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner
Like scattered leaves

The boarded up windows
The empty streets

While my brother's down on his knees
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Come on rise up! Come on rise up!
Come on rise up! Come on rise up!
Come on rise up! Come on rise up!
Come on rise up! Come on rise up!

Now there's tears on the pillow
Darlin' where we slept
And you took my heart when you left

Without your sweet kiss
My soul is lost, my friend
Tell me how do I begin again?
My city's in ruins
My city's in ruins

Now with these hands
With these hands
With these hands
With these hands
I pray Lord
With these hands
With these hands
I pray for the strength, Lord
With these hands
With these hands
I pray for the faith, Lord
With these hands
With these hands
I pray for your love, Lord
With these hands
With these hands
I pray for the strength, Lord
With these hands

With these hands
I pray for your love, Lord
With these hands
With these hands

I pray for the faith, Lord
With these hands
With these hands                           
I pray for the strength, Lord

Come on, rise up!
Come on, rise up!

What really gets to me is;  I keep hearing the catch in Stacey's voice when she missed a turn and said,"All my landmarks are gone".

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• #16 Comment from cgtperkins 
  5/29/07 9:12 PM | Permalink

  I am from MS, and there is so much damage that people have no clue about that is still there. So much was lost! Everyone has focused on New Orleans but has no clue the damage done in Ms.
  I will be glad when things get back and going like they were before.
  Hugs
  Carrie
• #15 Comment from am4039 
  5/19/07 7:12 PM | Permalink

  Wow those pictures are so sad. Can't belielve how much damage there is.
  
  http://journals.aol.com/am4039/life/
• #14 Comment from lsfp1960 
  5/19/07 3:44 PM | Permalink

  Really sad pictures, I live so far from there I don't realize people are still struggling until I see pictures like these.   Thanks for the comments you've been leaving in my journal, I'll add you to my alerts so I can keep up with yours.   Linda in beuatiful western Washington state.   http://journals.aol.com/lsfp1960/LindasWorld/
• #13 Comment from astaryth 
  5/17/07 9:11 AM | Permalink

  Welcome Back!! I used to read over here, in fact I had you in my Bloglines Blogroll... I don't know why it didn't alert me. Eh, Technology! I'll have to delete and re-add you. I've noticed if a website doesn't update for a while sometimes it will disappear or quit working in Bloglines..... So, occasionally I have to manually check-up on people <LOL>.
  
• #12 Comment from gehi6 
  5/15/07 6:14 PM | Permalink

  This is a pretty effective way to tell the story of loss and change due to catastrophe helped along by man's lack of preparation.  I hope the landscape here doesn't stay that way forever.   Gerry
  http://journals.aol.com/gehi6/daughters-of-the-shadow-men/