Image: New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
Source: Licensed through Wikimedia Commons (here)
Stuck at strategic locations
It's no more just at the outskirts
Right in mid-town spots
Opening up to the freedom of expression
Which may appear strange at the outset
It's outrageous!
It's palatable!
It's humorous!
It's bawdy!
Outright obscenity!
Blatant disregard of accepted norms
The palette in hand running wild
Do they serve a purpose?
Yes!
City fathers accompanied by local authorities
Can take a look-see
Even a cursory glance sufficed
of graffiti all over the city and
of what's ailing in the locality
Lack of facilities
Level of poverty
Employment setbacks
Profusion of delinquency
Illegal immigrants wanting to be heard
Supplementing graphs,figures or write-ups
solutions may not be to the dot
Accuracy is not the objective
But the big picture can tell a thousand words
Apparently the preponderance of graffiti
on bathroom walls is indication of frustrations
outside the walls!
Is this true!
Written for Anna's hosting at d'Verse Meeting the Bar: Graffiti Poetry
Very good! Nicely crafted.
ReplyDeleteIf only people would stop and reading that writing on the wall...
ReplyDeleteI agree on the frustrations outside those walls ~ Are they listening though ~
ReplyDeletehaha love the shouting out of them and/or at them, so bawdy haha
ReplyDeleteSome people just like to complain at their lane, needing to board the train instead of looking, they'd rather pop a vein.
ha...i think the bathroom wall one you may be right...smiles...lol...oy, there is a purpose there...the big question becomes does anyone notice....
ReplyDeleteYes, the frustrations that spill over and all the problems that are ignored. I like where you took the prompt, Katrina was an exemplar of nonresponsive government.
ReplyDeletenice shout out!
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
~ > < } } ( ° > <3
..in reality, probably right; somehow I like the ability to protest through graffiti...it tells more of the story from the depths of the source of pain..nicely written.
ReplyDeleteYes! We need to stop, read, and savor the spontaneity--not wrinkle our noses at unsavory vandalism. Art is the opposite of vandalism.
ReplyDeletei think it is a symptom that society does not have good means for people to organise change in broken systems, economics, ecology, responses are individual or ephemeral like protests.
ReplyDelete"Apparently the preponderance of graffiti
ReplyDeleteon bathroom walls is indication of frustrations
outside the walls!" I guess this is true to a great extent!!!
Graffiti is often the only outlet for self-expression in a world where no-one takes the time to really listen - or indeed cares about the plight of others.
ReplyDeleteWell crafted write.
Anna :o]
Excellent. I think the bathroom walls idea might stand more investigation. There might be yet more mileage in it.
ReplyDeleteI really love the bathroom stall image here ;-)
ReplyDeleteYour choice of image and your poem touches me as someone who lived through Katrina and, afterward, in a city that was broken for a very long time. You might be interested to know about Rex Dingler and his "NOLA Rising" movement after Katrina that spotlighted street art meant to lift the spirits of the city. I saw my first NOLA Rising art on the door of a partially destroyed house that I passed every morning going to work. It gave me hope that our city would rise. Subsequently, I became friendly with Rex who continues to do great work. Here's a link to one of his NR flickr sets:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/nolarisingproject/sets/72157600987303424/
I could write so much about this subject and maybe I will one day.
Thanks Chalotte, for the link. Been to see the flickr set. It's great that the NOLA rising art took off. All of the same size and medium. It was a joy to see all the end result. It was also a way of venting so much frustrations. I understand there was an administ've standstill for many days at various locations. It's all in the past now!
DeleteI remember being in New Orleans during the 1984 World's Fair. The city had the typical latin facade in almost all of its buildings. I guess most of them must have been affected by Katrina. I remember the World' Fair site was along a river with the big arch spanning from both banks. Don't recall much now except for the fact that I tasted my first ever bowls of boiled crayfish then. It appeared awkward to discard a large portion(comprising the head and the big claw)in the course of taking them. Thanks for the memories!
Hank
Yes, the voice of the people.
ReplyDeletebut the big picture can tell a thousand words. : )
ReplyDeletePerhaps we should elect street artists and evict politicians? Just a thought ;-) But, when the voice of the people is ignored, when their pain and suffering goes un-noticed - then street-art is about the only way left to shout.
ReplyDeleteSometimes there is no other way to give voice. Sometimes we must read and listen. Sometimes...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2013/02/22/it-is-written-vehicles-of-the-word/