New Orleans is not in the best shape, over three years after Katrina — exactly how bad its condition is, is a matter of endless dispute, I am sure. The economic crisis can only be bad news for the ongoing recovery efforts. Don’t know to what extent John intends this as a commentary on the city’s condition, post-Katrina — except maybe for the oblique reference to Charity Hospital. John has mentioned to me that it saddens him to visit the place in the wake of hurricane, although through the years he has loved the place and had a timeshare in the French Quarter at one time, if my memory serves me correctly.

Anyway, here is John’s offering  –

Major Thoreau-Fair

Airport route taken to old New Orleans
interstate highways still but a dream
restaurants’ rich luxuries making the scene
lights of the motor hotels brightly gleam
innocent child takes in all he can see
neon in flashes of pink, blue, and green
everything modern and everything clean

Havens for homeless folks now there abound
ignorance, poverty, filth all around
ghetto home dwellers in houses run down
hospital’s charity cannot be found
wandering hookers in dirty silk gowns
armed doped-up dealers sell drugs by the pound
yes, this was once a swell part of town