Michael A. Rhea Photography          New Orleans (An Essay) Streets flooded, buildings ruined, people stranded and torn from their homes, lost and confused. No food or water, just chaos, that’s what it’s like in New Orleans today. Before Katrina hit the “Big Easy” it was known for its soulful jazz, the distinctive aroma in the French Quarter is regrettable but never its world-class Cajun cooking. And who could forget Mardi Gras, the most colorful Tuesday of the entire year. But sadly, most of that is gone now. This tragedy will not crush New Orleans nor what it stands for. The people of this city will emerge from the muck and resurrect their beloved city and become much stronger in will than ever before. And smite all the problems standing before them, uniting to take control once again. SHIEKRA, by Alex Brunette When I gazed the blue and red I thought maybe I was dead. I stood in line with this guy named Fred. I hopped on the train and started to tread. I hope the adrenaline goes to my head. When the train got to the top, All of the nonsense began to stop. People braced for the drop. Someone please get out the mop, Fred just regurgitated his pop. All I can do is shriek and scream, I really hope this is not a dream. Maybe I shouldn’t have had cookies and cream. Man this ride is incredibly mean, I hope it dose not loose it’s steam. Man that ride really rocks, I almost lost both of my socks. The girl in the front was a real big fox, That was before she lost her locks. They gave them back in a big red box. HALF PAST FOUR, by Alex Brunette Steve was at his house at half past four, Loudly, Steve began to snore. His parents woke him with a chore, No Man! That’s such a bore. Steve we want you to mop the floor, Steve started to do his chore. When he looked at the water there was no more. So he ran out the house’s front door, To go and fetch some more, So that he could finish the chore. Which was to wash the house floor. When he was done he got an apple and ate it to the core. Wow it looks like it’s going to pour. I better hurry and get to the store. When he was done he asked a guy what time it was 4:44. Steve said SCORE! I have enough time to get to the door and get in bed so I can snore. Man how I hate to do a chore at half past four. D-DAY, by Alex Brunette Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Thousands of thoughts burn through your head. Your knees start having spasms like someone is Shaking them. The ghastly sounds of people regurgitating. The atrocious smell of people’s urine. The smell of salt-water spray, The Captain in front barking orders. Saying, “This is your finest hour, This day will go down in history, If you give up think of all the liberty loving people That you will be letting down, Their prayers are with you, The tyranny must stop. It has been a pleasure working with you gentleman, Now don’t disappoint me.” Let’s, BOOM! Everything turns black. Are you dead? Is this heaven? You wake up in water grasping for air But the water is red to blue. Crimson dark red, It is blood, you see the limbs of your troops Scattered all over the place. Bullets hiss by, wales of humans being slattered. You trip and fall next to a medic Who is sewing a man’s intestines back in his body. He is dead, said the medic, he stands up to go get his pack, BOOM! Right where the medic was there is a big crater. You get up and run to a hill on the beach and just hide. Watching for it to be over. When will it be over. THE SOLDIER, by Alex Brunette Hot dry days, explosions everywhere. The smells of death and dirt all around. The countless rhapsodies of innocent people. The constant echoes of executions bellowed through the streets. The barks of Klashnikovs coming from the Islamic extremists. The fear coming from every nook and cranny. Risking your life just to walk down the street. And caravans that seem to last for miles with no end. Children playing soccer in the streets two blocks away from a suicide bombing. It just seems like endless chaos no real certain point. Sons of doctors, teachers, lawyers, family fighting in what they believe, in what you believe. Not knowing if they will live through the day or die tomorrow. But the enemy if called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice. They will fulfill it with no hesitation, with no remorse. Even though they kill themselves they destroy children, babies, your sons and daughters. They would rather use every last human, child, or person. Just to win, just to win.