If We Can Bomb & Rebuild
Where else an airport
named Satchmo International?
Where else
the beads and decadence
of Mardi Gras
party town
without
a trace of the Calvinist
taint everywhere else
in this tight
-sphinctered country.
They say the death of a city
is the greatest disaster of all
on YOUR watch Mr.
I-don’t-have-an enemy
or-teleprompter-so-I’m-lost
for-words
President.
Who you gonna bomb now, God?
If we can bomb & rebuild
No one saw it coming
‘cept those who’d
laid out the Category IV
scenario, meaning
anyone paying attention, but
we are a nation of John Wayne-wannabees
ride our majestic steed
kill off the bad guys
rescue the damsel
prevention ain’t sexy but failed priorities
are the first chickens
come home to roost
in dat
toxic gumbo
dey call post-Katrina N’awlins.
Professor Longhair and Doctor John.
The Brothers Neville and assorted Marsali.
Louie Armstrong and Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
Pistol Pete and Fats Domino
last pictured
bein’ rescued
maybe sleepin’ on the Astrodome floor now
Blueberry Hill the last patch
of higher ground.
If we can bomb & rebuild
And they weren’t finished
with the destruction
of what’s left
of the middle class
remember them?
Two paychecks in front
of anyone from
didn’t have an SUV
w/ a few cases of
Perrier.
Middle class
drowning 21st century American style
mountain of debt
barely watchin’
the procession of tax cuts
and armchair warlordin’
so easy
for chicken hawks ain’t never
fired no wartime guns.
Jesus just left
Said, Jesus just left
Workin'
from one end to the other and all points in between.
If we can bomb & rebuild
We can dig out
from the mountain of militarism
make this city big
and easy again.
Get ourselves some seafood
gumbo & one too many
hurricanes
(the drinkable kind) wash away the stench
of an empire gone wrong.
We got
to drain & rebuild
Cuz Miss Marie Laveau done taught everybody there
voodoo
and someone’s got a pin
ready to stick in this doll
some call
and there ain’t no cryin’ Uncle
when you are the Uncle named Sam.
Said Jesus just left
Chicago and he’s bound for New Orleans
You might not see him
in person but he'll see you just the same.
Said: You might not see him in person but he'll see you just the same.
You don't have to worry 'cause takin' care of
business is his name.
If we can bomb & rebuild
We can drink too much
display our dicks
or tits when asked
stumble to our temporary
French Quarter-I’m-on-vacation
no-time-for-nothin’ but-a-party-now
home
and reminisce ‘bout the good ‘ol days
when Republicans warned about
the military-industrial complex
and poor people had a chance
as long as they had their trombone
some warm gumbo
and a bad-ass-pass-the-tabasco
voodoo-place
to call home.
7:51P – 9.6.05
w/ some lines from ZZ Top