The cracked streets are quiet
and the clouds are all dark...
The French Quarter is eerily empty
as the criminals leave their mark...

The broken shutters are closed
and the iron gates are all locked...
The locals are too scared to come out
and the tourists are all shell shocked...

The drains can no longer handle
the rains from up above...
City Hall is a dismal failure
showing overtaxed locals no love...

The police are overwhelmed
and the politicians don’t really care...
They expect the cops to succeed
on a wing and a frickin prayer...

The jazz music is already gone
and the great chefs have all left town...
The pimps and their girls suffer
cuz there’s no more money around...

What’s happened to New Orleans
over the last few years...
Our children have all left us
Leaving the grandparents in tears...

We elected corrupt politicians
And they stole our very soul...
They left the heart of New Orleans
With nothing more than a flooded pothole...

©2020 Jeffrey Pipes Guice