Marguerite L. Harrold

LEAVING NEW ORLEANS Tattered water Shattering the concrete Jack hammering moldings Splitting the crypts open Daisies and dessert dishes Float by bloated bodies It's not the first time Levees have levitated the dead Suitcase above your head A silver stole back barrette A coveted coral dress And your godmother’s gun One pair of shoes To kick out the door To stomp a roach To temporarily disable a man One pair of shoes Never shuffled Never muffled       - - - - - -

Marguerite L. Harrold has worked in HIV/AIDS prevention since 1991 and has helped develop national curricula focused on prevention in African American communities. She received her MFA from Columbia College Chicago. She is a member of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. In her spare time she kayaks on the Chicago River.