Treme

I saw the series, Treme,
was playing weekly on HBO
the advertisement said it was about
New Orleans' recovery after the hurricane.
After watching the news and a Spike Lee documentary
I didn’t want to see anymore sadness

but I heard they started a second season
the first one completed amidst rave reviews
quotes stating, “It’s about the music,
with the background of Katrina's rebirth.”
Took a gamble and watched the first one
got hooked and saw the first ten episodes.

Sure enough, the music was great, the different
relationships, authentic and interesting but
like I suspected the sadness snuck in exposing
all the loss, injustice, and hopelessness
and like all great stories I couldn’t turn away.
I followed the characters in their struggles.

Post Katrina is a sad tale
but so are the earthquakes of Haiti, Chile
China, New Zealand and the triple
whammy of earthquake, tsunami
and nuclear meltdown in Japan.

Dollars and prayers were sent for each
while trying to cope with my struggles
yet, I was inspired by this story.
The Mardi Gras Indians in particular,
survivors of slavery and genocide,

danced in full regalia to remind the world
no matter what one suffers, remembering
the past and dancing in spite of it
gives one the courage to rebuild community
and to do what it takes to overcome tragedy.