Finally, An Impact

Reading Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith was a task I thought was going to be like any other required reading for class - tedious and not worthwhile. When I reached the last page, however, I found it to be neither one. In fact, all the poems in the book both interested me and gave me a new perspective on not only Hurricane Katrina itself, but the lives of both humans and animals who lived in New Orleans.

One way Smith showed a new perspective of the event was she made a couple of the poems from the point of view of Hurricane Katrina. In one poem called "8 A.M., Sunday, August 28, 2005" (page 11), for example, Katrina talks about how she gave some warning for days, but at that time, on that day, she wanted to let it all loose. "Or could this be/ it, finally,/ my praise day,/ all my fists at once?" Having the poems from the way that a hurricane saw what was going on can almost make someone feel for it, because it has been given a personality. On top of that, Smith is putting into the poem what had actually been going on, so it helps preserve some history in there, too.

Another way Patricia Smith made me look at the hurricane in a new way was she put in the story of a dog throughout the book. For example, the first time we see the dog, Luther B, is in the poem "Won't be but a Minute" (page 10). In this poem, a parent is explaining that they have to leave Luther B behind, but that he should be okay tied to the tree. He is seen again in "Luther B Rides Out the Storm" (page 21), where he is experiencing. The final time he is seen is in "M'Dear Thinks on Luther B" (page 30), where the owners think about him. It may very well be the animal lover in me, but the story of Luther B killed me. I felt for the humans, of course, but I felt horrible that he was unable to even try to move because they tied him to a tree. The poem where he is experiencing the storm was so visual, too, that it was impossible to avoid the heartbreak of the event and feel crushed by the end of it.


All in all, reading Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith was one of the best ways I have spent my time this year. I'm not saying that because I want to make it sound like I'm a good student or because I want a good grade, either. When I finished the book, I felt like I had a better understanding and connection to an event that is so well-known in the country. When it happened, I understood how terrifying it must have been and how terrible it must have been for the residents of that area to lose their homes. Years later, however, I am just now feeling an actual emotional toll because of the strength of the words in all the poems and the strong characters. This book was definitely worth every penny I paid for it, simply because of the understanding I gained from it.