04-06-2017, 12:57 AM
Flood Water Rising
Water turned black and toxic
took everything in its path.
Propane tanks became floating bombs
but maybe it was the gas leaks
that sent up his building.
They called ‘79 the Big One
until this one took the whole city.
Lenny was there for both.
He liked having the building emptied,
just him and the rats. He knew how
to cook ‘em crispy with a tin of sterno.
Straight from high school to Da Nang,
Lenny wore his khaki field jacket home,
toked up on a night train from Chicago.
Nobody helped him find shoes
when his boots finally gave out, but
no matter, he fought his own wars.
The call to evacuate came four days
before the crest, but Lenny wasn’t going.
They went building to building but
didn’t find him until later.
The whine of boat motors down Front Street
echoed hard between empty buildings.
Lenny heard the sound of swamp boats coming.
Water turned black and toxic
took everything in its path.
Propane tanks became floating bombs
but maybe it was the gas leaks
that sent up his building.
They called ‘79 the Big One
until this one took the whole city.
Lenny was there for both.
He liked having the building emptied,
just him and the rats. He knew how
to cook ‘em crispy with a tin of sterno.
Straight from high school to Da Nang,
Lenny wore his khaki field jacket home,
toked up on a night train from Chicago.
Nobody helped him find shoes
when his boots finally gave out, but
no matter, he fought his own wars.
The call to evacuate came four days
before the crest, but Lenny wasn’t going.
They went building to building but
didn’t find him until later.
The whine of boat motors down Front Street
echoed hard between empty buildings.
Lenny heard the sound of swamp boats coming.