Keith M. Kelley | Poet

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An, “abject lesson”–

in what, “how to be an ass?”

Commander an’ deez…

☆

I traveled to New Orleans for the first time this spring. Thanks to the hospitality of my friend Maurice Cade and his roommate John, I was blessed with lodging and a couch that was walking distance from many of this iconic city’s cultural meccas. I truly fell in love with that town! The following haiku are some of my initial musings on the experience.

21.

Birds sang in the trees

as the band started playing-

it was 8 a.m.

22.

I love this night life

with 24-hour bars

that have laundromats.

23.

A simple greeting,

“How you doin’?” prompted a

real conversation!

24.

Music in the streets

Creole, Cajun comfort food

and all night taverns.

25.

As the trip winds down

a voice inside my head whines,

“Aw, do we have to?!”

26.

27.

There’s no welcome like
a blistering solo from

Brotha Fred’s trombone!

28.

It began to rain

as my train left New Orleans

heading back up north.

29.

New Orleans native’s

memories of Katrina

were shared over drinks.

30.

Railways and highways

slice through the bayous and swamps

but nature still wins.

31.

Why was this possum

walking out in the daylight

across Congo Square?

☆

More to come…

The “wind chill factor”

Is an estimation of

How the cold’s perceived.

---

During segregation

Separate rarely was equal.

Black people were considered second-class citizens.

Jim Crow was de facto and de jure

Denial of African-American citizen’s human rights.

White folks’ inferiority complex

Is lethal!

“Whitestown”
Proudly painted

On the water tower-
On the all-white… water tower.

Must be a “sundown town.”
Black folks still need

Green Books!

Pay it forward
Pay attention

Attention to details

Attention deficit disorder

Disorder driven by delusions

Disorder in the court

Court of law

Court of public opinion

Opinion is subjective

Opinion cares not for facts

Facts overwhelmed by fiction

Facts are based in reality

Reality television

Reality for those who cannot handle drugs

Drugs taken to self-medicate

Drugs that numb

Numb the senses

Numb the pain

Pain is a signal

Pain from trauma

Trauma begets trauma

Trauma often haunts survivors

Survivors of tragedy

Survivors of abuse

Abuse by caretakers

Abuse of power

Power perceived to be absolute

Power to the people

People make the world go round

People are followers

Followers seeking messiahs

Followers of false prophets

Prophets still exists

Prophets are not motivated by profit

Profit in the eyes of stockholders

Profit is why corporations cannot be trusted

Trusted to act in the interests of the people

Trusted to do what is right

Right is not always profitable

Right here right now

Now is the time to do the right thing

Now is the best time to act

Act like the adult in the room

Act like you know better

Better is not necessarily best

Better merely implies growth

Growth and development

Growth can be be stunted

Stunted

Development