Reliant City: (Part of the Hurricane Katrina: Trail of Tears essay)

Bring me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses.
Unless, of course, you been sittin’
on your lazy black asses!

Yea, we brought you here from Nawlins,
and you didn’t even ask.
We put you in a stadium,
this wrist band is your pass.

You’re told to go over here,
and to walk over there.
There’s police at every gate,
grounds security is everywhere.

Welcome to Reliant,
Please begin the line right here.
Women on the right,
and men go over there.

At Reliant we don’t discriminate,
we pat everyone down.
If an 86 year old needs water?
Tell the rest to go around.

Those doors are ‘Exit’ only,
and thru those you can come in.
Keep those little babies quiet,
and the lights go out at ten.

We’ll let the media film you sleepin’;
Put a camera in your face.
Y’all gots to be outta here by Saturday;
We don’t care where…just leave this place.

It’s not that we don’t like ya,
we just got other shit to do.
What’s a gentle of way of putting it?

‘You’re just another venue.’

Sure there are people trying to help ya,
and yo’ families at the gate;
but unless they have an escort,
then they just gone have to wait.

Reliant City isn’t pretty,
and you know it’s all you got.
It’s gotta be better than the Superdome,
at least here you have a cot.

So be grateful that we brought ya…
We coulda left yo’ ass behind.
Accept our good will graciously,
the first to complain goes to the back of the line.

AZ