I Remember

I remember

Second lines and penny candy
Project block parties and St. Mark's dances
Corner stores and corner whores
Ducking out the back door
To skip chores
And G-Nikes and street fights
And street lights would keep night
From beating us home
Home grown on neck bones and collard greens
Cat fish, fried chicken, and red beans
With rice, it was nice
But at what price

My rights?
My lights?
My life?

Now I'm trife cuz a hurricane took away my property
One stormy Monday



I remember

Fat Tuesday and Super Sunday
Funeral processions on Burgundy
Fish plates from Broadmore
Po-boys on Chef Menteur
Making groceries at Shcwegmann's store
And calling out your ward
Like, "five, four"

I remember

Opened flood doors
Were way more than what they bargained for like
Swollen doors and mold up from the floors

Inflated bodies
Too many casualties
And all they wanted was a little more money

But it's too many dying
Too many crying
And not enough lying

I remember

The Joy and Eastlake
Motor bikes on the Lake
Talent shows at St. Mary's
High school sororities and fraternities
And Gregory D!
Davy D, Lonnie and Mannie
Rob Fresh and Raj Smoove
Big Cheese krushin' groove
DJ, DJ Money Fresh, Wop
And Jubilee, Dynamite Dave Soul, Captain Charles
And ya boy, Wild Weezy!

Club Big Easy and Prime Time
Rumors, Nexus, Velocity and The Bottom Line, on Monday
Whispers on Thursday
And House of Blues every Sunday

I remember

Riverboat Hallelujah and Bonaparte Place
Dooky Chase and fat shoe laces
Monogram name plates and apple rings
These are more than just a few of my favorite things
More than just a fading memory
Cuz see, when I say "Stop. Pause."
If you aint from where I'm from
Not even Anthony Hamilton can sing you a clue
So I'mma "make it do what it do" and tell you
Nobody knows what it means
To miss New Orleans like I do
Cuz this is more than just a city
Where my house sits
It's, my heart beat
And even the pot holes in the streets are sweet
And just like "You can't beat Wagner's Meat"
You can't take the N.O.
From the soul of me
See, I'm a Uptown soldier
Little bit of a hard head
From being 7th ward bred
And just enough of that nine
In my spine
So, I don't mind dyin'
But, "aint no love
In the heart of city"
With no culture
And no people
This is gospel
I'm saying a mouthful
But my heart is empty

Cuz, I remember

July and November
Frankie Beverly, Southern and Grambling State University
Black people in unity
Dressed to impress
And putting all kinds of money
Back into the community
Cuz aint nothing greasy
About this Big Easy but the chicken
See, we family
We got Nan Nans, Paw rans
And play cousins
School kids on corners playing dozens
And "nigga knockin"
And only when the gumbo pot thickens
Do you know your Grandma done put her foot in it

Yes, I remember

The joy and the pain
The sunshine and the rain
And no hurricane will take the main vein from the artery of this country

So please, save the babies!
Raise the levee
My heart's so heavy
But my pen stay steady
So, I'mma "get it ready
Get it ready
Get it ready, ready"
So we can all come home

Cuz, I remember the Dome
And the Convention Center
The French Quarter and the FEMA water
And I don't want my daughter or son, to be
To only have that image of my city
I want them to create their own memories
So that they may grow
Grateful to be from the N.O.
And quick to let anyone know

From the Square in the Congo
To the Indian battles outside of Joe's
We are a special kind of people
Born under the Cajun moon Lullabies sung to voo doo blues tunes
Sons of Moses
Daughters of Oshun
From the Beignet to the Etoufee
Flora's and the Hard rock Cafe
Fridays at True Brew
the Square on Sunday
And the "Jockamo Fi Na Ne"
Come soon, come soon that day

Cuz, I remember.

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