Poem: 'When the Water Came'

<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>James Davidson, Artist (excerpt)</strong></span></p><separator></separator><p>Months before Katrina, I started having dreams<br />of being in flood water over and over.<br />They were not bad dreams, not scary,<br />but in each dream I was chest deep<br />in water making my way to an exit<br />or an entrance to higher ground.<br />A lot of people were helping<br />each other get together<br />up to higher ground so<br />there was no fear.<br />Then I’d wake up.<br />Our dreams are so peculiar.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; You’re in a strange place<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and wonder why you’re there,<br />but you go along with it.<br />I had that dream many times.<br />Started in May and stopped in August.<br />It never dawned on me<br />my dreams were telling me<br />something.&nbsp; The day we evacuated,<br />We drove to Memphis.<br />CNN showed people trying to get up<br />to the I-10 overpass and I said,<em><br />I&nbsp;&nbsp; just&nbsp;&nbsp; don’t&nbsp;&nbsp; believe&nbsp;&nbsp; it.</em><br />I’d had so many of those dreams<br />and then to see that water<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; pouring into the city and all<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; those people stuck there.</p>