A Saint's Goodbye

"A Saint's Goodbye"- by Jamie Patterson

You are New Orleans
You are not just a number on a black and gold jersey
You are the smell of magnolias blooming in spring
And the sound of a child shrieking with joy
You are the hot breeze trailing the streetcar barreling down Canal
And the pigeons warbling to one another as they hunt for bread crumbs from forgotten beignets

You are not just a skin color or race, nor a religion or faith
Because in truth we are all golden in God's eyes, we are all connected here and beyond
You are the footsteps checking on a child caught in the web of a nightmare
You are the muscular arms holding your wife with tenderness
You are the hand holding your child's hand with care, teaching that a strong man is also gentle
You are the fine mist spraying from a fountain freckled with pennies and filled with wishes

You are New Orleans and family,
And we do not put you to rest with anything less than hearts leaden with grief
We dance at a second line funeral, but our steps do not mask our tears
We ask, as always, "Why?" and "How many more?", and are answered by silence
You are going home, and leaving New Orleans
Without you we are less of a people, and the gold fades with the sunset