Levee Poems | Examples


List of Member Poems

Stripe-Backed Lizard

Stripe-Backed Lizard runs
across the scalding, tan sand.
Its too hot to eat!

Blue Racer

Day on the levee.
Blue Racer twists through the sand.
He gleams in the sun.

The Fast Lizard

Day on the levee
The fast lizard flies through sand
He dives in cool hole.


Premium Member Should the Levee Ever Break

Premiered at Rugged Old Crossroads Community Mission, 
New Orleans, LA – 10/16/2013

ACT 1

SEEKING LABYRINTHIA
BLUE JACKET BON VOYAGE
SAILING THE SEVEN SEAS
SHIP IN A BOTTLE
ISLAND OF DON DI VON KAIRE
BOX WINE BLUES 
THREE HAPPY ITALIANS 
VOYAGE
SUNSET BALLAD


ACT 2

LABYRINTHIA
NIKITA SOMETHING
VIGILENT MOJO
MEMPHIS BELLE
UN PEU COMME LA PLUIE 
ZULLY’S APOLOGY
ROUGH WOMEN ACTION
XERXES SURVEYS HIS REALM
INTERMISSION FOOL
	

ACT 3

BAAAD POETS
FUNERAL STRUT 
BLIND WILLIE’S SKETCHPAD
MAKING MANDY BEG
TOO MANY WOMEN
CURRICULUM VITAE
FAT CITY KITTY CAT
I WAS A TEENAGE SHAKESPEARE
SHE’S THE CENTERFOLD

Premium Member Should the Levee Ever Break, Act 1, Scene 1, Part 3

Bumblebee Babineaux, the younger daughter, has just reached the age when self-confidence makes the most sense. Bumblebee is generally a pleasant, well-mannered girl, with a smile like freshwater pearls, and sparkling emeralds for eyes. However, being a middle child has its disadvantages, to her way of thinking. She is often righteously intolerant of her precocious younger brother, Gnat, who takes every advantage when left unsupervised to rummage through Bumblebee’s dresser drawers, curiously examining all her girly-girl things. Bumblebee is very protective of her girly-girl things, especially her large collection of jazz musician stickers. But more regretfully, she is envious of her beautiful and talented older sister, Labyrinthia, who is currently in Baton Rouge studying to become a yoga instructor. Bumblebee harbors an incipient resentment toward her older sister that will have dire implications in the story about to unfold.

Too Heavy For the Levee

There once was a girl on the levee
Who by anyone's judgment was heavy
She tried to get here
By crossing the pier
But ended up crushing the Chevy


The Day the Levee Broke: Part 3

The Dome is dark and all are scared so
Mama's gettin  weak cuz her sugar is low
Whispers don't let child see me go
But child knows when mama goes
A child always knows when Mama goes

And now we're grieving 

Sorrow that washes despair
Tears sheddin natural wash mama here
All the reasons to US are unknown
Father, take her to your heavenly home
Father take her to you heavenly home. 

And now we're reeling

The Day the Levee Broke: Part 2

And now we're waitin

August 2005 
Levy gave way
wanted no man alive. 
Water rising all around us
Who has got a cell phone?
Man, they left us here all alone
They left us here on our own. 

But, we're still prayin 

We are the United States
We braved the storm, the levee
and the man-made mistakes
Can't let child see dome- horrible things
But I'm grateful for the hope
that life brings.
Yes, I'm hopeful for the hope that life brings.

And now we're waitin

The Day the Levee Broke: Part 1

August 2005
Hurricane Katrina 
wanted no man alive.
The Good Ol Boys 
said Head to the Dome
For those who can't get out on your own..
and they left us here all alone. 

And we are prayin

We are the United States
We will brave the wind, the storm
and the man-made mistakes.

The storm stole all our material things
But we're grateful 
for the hope that life brings.

Yes, we are grateful for the hope that life brings.

Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.

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