In minute-by-minute detail, Patricia Smith tracks Hurricane Katrina as
it transforms into a full-blown mistress of destruction. From August 23,
2005, the day Tropical Depression Twelve developed, through August 28
when it became a Category Five storm with its "scarlet glare fixed on
the trembling crescent," to the heartbreaking aftermath, these poems
evoke the horror that unfolded in New Orleans as America watched it on
television.
Assuming the voices of flailing politicians, the dying, their survivors,
and the voice of the hurricane itself, Smith follows the woefully
inadequate relief effort and stands witness to families held captive on
rooftops and in the Superdome. She gives voice to the thirty-four
nursing home residents who drowned in St. Bernard Parish and recalls the
day after their deaths when George W. Bush accompanied country singer
Mark Willis on guitar:
The cowboy grins through the terrible din,
***
And in the Ninth, a choking woman wails
Look like this country done left us for dead.
An unforgettable reminder that poetry can still be "news that stays
news," Blood Dazzler is a necessary step toward national healing.
Patricia Smith is the author of four previous collections of poetry,
including Teahouse of the Almighty, winner of the Hurston/Wright
Legacy Award and the Paterson Poetry Prize. A record-setting, national
poetry slam champion, she was featured in the film Slamnation, on the
HBO series Def Poetry Jam, and is a frequent contributor to Harriet,
the Poetry Foundation's blog. Visit her website at www.wordwoman.ws.
