Rita's Rage

People parted when the saw her coming,
like the waters of the Red Sea,
as she stormed across the dance floor,
eyes filled with jealousy. 

Her fury blazed, unrepentant,
she’d set her sights on harsh revenge,
and the fear on people’s faces
as they scurried in their flight
just made her laugh.

She scanned the crowd, pointing fingers
in all directions, never pausing long
— keep them guessing, that’s her game;
borrow on the fear 
left from the one that came before her 
and build it with new threats all her own. 

But no matter how she tried
how loud she screamed, 
how hard she stamped her feet in rage,
her efforts still fell short 
of the shoes she tried so desperately to fill.

Another day, another year,
she would have been the Harvest Queen,
— but not this year. 
This year she’s runner-up, 
left to cry in her despair, 
overflowing with her tears
and spitting insults after injury
‘til no one cares to listen any more.

Oh, she’s blazed a place in memories,
of that she can be certain,
her antics won’t soon be forgot,
but she’s been cheated of the limelight
and that just made her mad,
for she still just came in second
on the echo that Katrina left behind.



september 2005
Janet Reid

Hurricane Rita raged across the Gulf of Mexico as a catagory 5 storm.
Her predicted path wavered between Corpus Cristi and Houston TX. 
Katrina's memory prompted a massive evacuation of much of the Gulf coast.
When she finally landed, she was down to a catogory 3 and struck land 
at the TX/LA border Sept. 24, 2005.  She had the potential to be worse 
than Katrina, but in the end she wasn't.