It is estimated that 20% of the Houston area homes and businesses were affected by flooding. Not the 80% assumed by those watching images like those above.
Houston: Sanctuary City
Built on Buffalo Bayou by two enterprising NY guys,
Allen Brothers scheme of their own free enterprise.
From a swampy, mosquito infested estuary,
a mighty, sprawlng city would eventually rise.
Cursed with yellow fever, drought and flood,
Houston was continually plagued by dust or mud.
So it wasn't until Galveston was destroyed,
that Houston had much to offer or any pride.
Austin took away its claim to be a capital,
but Houston always remained pivotal.
As a sea, railroad and road junction,
the city began to find useful function.
A seaport was dredged to Galveston Bay,
the foundation of a great city was underway.
Oil and natural gas flowed like milk and honey,
by pipeline, ship, train and truck, money.
Along with timber, cotton and sugar,
from points west, south and east with rigor.
But Houston had a bad reputation as "Mud Town."
Howard Hughes paved streets to put that rep down.
With downtown often threatened by flood and hurricane,
in 1940 two flood reservoirs were built to ease the pain.
Houses were built high and the streets drained.
Bayous were drained and ditched, but still remained.
A super space city rose from its swampy earth,
air-conditioning fueling the arrivals from the north.
Housing for the multitudes spread like an invasion.
people from every country, creed and persuasion.
Houston was a city on the move and of change.
pushing the limits, replacing old with rearrange.
But mother nature paid no heed to the progress made.
Mother nature never adapted to the decisions we bade.
Burn fossil fuel until the last vein of coal.
Drill for oil and burn it; we were on a roll.
But with global warming comes tropical rain.
Mother nature warned us, but the same old refrain.
Came from the rich lords of the manor of oil,
Dig, dig, drill, drill. Burn, burn, labor and toil.
When the weather changes and heated skies turn gray,
the rain keeps on coming and doesn't go away.
Allison taught Houston that its location wasn't safe.
But Houston continued to ignore and seemed to have faith.
That the infrastructure built would keep the city from harm,
when the truth is that nothing will ever be the norm.
Hurricane Harvey arrived and changed all the rules.
Normal emergency measures were the stuff of fools.
So the good people of Houston stepped into the breach.
Provided emergency assistance with kind outreach.
The rumors that people of this country can't come together,
are as false as the claims that fossil fuels don't affect weather.
It is time we understand nature and the nature of us.
We are all good people and need to quell the fuss.
For our problems are many and caused by our own largess.
We all need to work together to make this world blessed.
Copyright 2017 © Ronald W. Hull
8/30/17
Read this poem at my website here.
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Love ya!
Jane
I take this to be one of your "Hah-Ha-You-See?!" master pieces. It's loaded. I'd categorize this as "Dramatic-Satire!" You come out with blazing guns from both holsters; some people are rattled; then they notice you're just out having fun. Blanks. Then you and the guys go over to the saloon (?) and have a few laughs. Drinks on you!
And, of course, you know ... with me being in Seattle 'n' all ....Well ... I really, really can identify with these couple lines:
" When the weather changes and heated skies turn gray,
the rain keeps on coming and doesn't go away."
From: "Houston: Sanctuary City" by Doc R.W. Hull!
Again, an excellent story, my friend, I wish there was more to it to learn from; Thank you for posting this...-e-
Jon