Levees

May 7

I am thankful for levees. Without levees, it's unimaginable where south Louisiana would be. All you have to do is look at what happened in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina when the levees failed. New Orleans, being basically under sea water level, was devastated. Baton Rouge, although higher, still has had some close calls and major flooding before the levees were built, such as that described in Randy Newman's song Louisiana 1927 ("louisiana, louisiana; they're tryin' to wash us away, they're tryin' to wash us away").

The photo is of the Baton Rouge Mississippi River waterfront, with the USS Kidd in the foreground and the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge in the background. The steps were built onto the levee so that people could sit and watch the 4th of July fireworks which annually take place over the river. Each spring, we watch with bated breath as the river rises when waters from up north pour towards the Gulf of Mexico. It is fairly high this year but it has been much, much higher in the past. A few years back there were some leaks in the levee not far from here which had to be sandbagged. But all turned out well in the end. Thank goodness for levees and the spillway system which takes much of the pressure off our levees.

levee

i’ve built a levee sanctum

around my very inner soul

to keep the rushing waters

from taking their impending toll

built of layers of soil and rock

built very high and strong

it will keep the onslaught at bay

it will keep me safe for long

rushing waters don’t breach my failsafe

don’t push over and pass on by me

so take your muddy waters over

and go straight down to the sea

should it break down my guards

and happen to spring a leak

i’ll fill my sandbags to plug the holes

so as not to show me tired and weak

rushing waters may claim me still

that i would no more to hide

and keep all others away

with the waning of the tide.

© rt tulley