Blame Katrina, or Larry… - Poem by Ivan Donn Carswell

You may have heard a dumb-ass claim that
Katrina, a hurricane, is to blame for current
stress upon our fiscal state, that petrol prices
ate their share but be aware of what the lack
of Cavendish bananas did when far too few
were found to satisfy the mad demand.

It began by setting off alarms throughout the land,
scaring out of bed irrational thought that bought
Cavendish at 14 bucks per kilogram, buyers pleased
to show their purchase as support for growers
caught on horns of a dilemma (who are now
remembered not as victims but beneficiaries).

A local breeze, Cyclone Larry, did the deed,
his claim to fame was wrecking Innisfail and all
the crops around, bananas lay aground and
vegetables were drowned (while we still suffer
from a clinging drought). Without a doubt it was
a time of malcontent and dismal instability.

The banana industry which ran the NE Coast
ceased that very night, and despite relief designed
to keep the Coast alive survival tales abound to
make one shiver as of fright. It would be surreal
to think it might have been in order our PM
could have bananas with his breakfast cereal.

For months we’ve heard the plaintive cry and still
the prices do not fall – with all the hue and cry you’d
think a shred of conscience would be pricked
but pick another line and think again, the price will stick
for years to come until the gain exceeds the loss,
that is the blooded fee no matter what the final cost.
© I.D. Carswell