Mississippi Goddamn

Well, I've heard from everyone I know from Mississippi. The situation there makes New Orleans look like lunch at the MGM Grand. De Lisle is no more, I understand. The devestation is pretty complete. In fact, they say the entire coast of MS to 40 miles inland looks like Hiroshima. They've gone to Florida to live with her family.

As for Leakesville, well, looks like the house they closed on in June is a complete loss. Three 60' pine trees from elsewhere in town landed on the house, and one from their property was driven right through the house. There was a little cabin on the property, it survived better than the house (four upright walls). They fixed the roof, tore up the floor because of the rain-damage and laid down new plywood at $22 a sheet. Insane. The four of them are living in one room, but at least they have a roof over their heads, and electricty. Its better than what a lot of people have. And the kids started back to school this week. Work at the county lock-up sucked pretty badly, I gather. My friend worked 11 days straight with between one and four hours sleep a day. He kept telling them he needed to get out of there for a while, they kept telling him 'tough shit, you're stuck'. They were short staffed and some people quit. I guess he lost it, not that I'm surprised. Going without sleep makes people psychotic, and add the stress of guarding inmates who themselves are under stress worrying about their families on the 'outside', and well, its not pretty. He'll survive, I'm certain. Its his poet's soul I'm worried about.

(title courtesy of Nina Simone)