All that’s left of Darren Sanders’ home in New Orleans are memories and photos taken by his parents when they returned to their hometown in October to view the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Darren, a ninth-grade honors student at South Middle School in Aurora, remembers the Crescent City and his evacuation ordeal, and writing a poem has helped him deal with it.
“Dark gloomy skies/ Government lies/ Evacuees sigh/ While refugees cry/ House filled with water/ Inside dead fathers and mothers,” he wrote in his poem “Rekindle the Everlasting Flame.”
Nearly seven months ago, Darren’s parents, Joshua and Kiantha Sanders, took dire hurricane-evacuation warnings to heart. The family of three fled their small but cozy home in the Lower Ninth Ward.
With just the clothing they wore and a few personal belongings, the Sanders fled the impending storm one night before it unleashed its destructive wrath.
Hurricane warnings were familiar for the 13-year-old.
“We thought it was going to pass like always,” Darren said.
But Katrina caused an estimated $75 billion in damage, took more than 1,599 lives and left thousands displaced or homeless.
The journey to Colorado for Darren and his family wasn’t easy. They didn’t know where to go and ended up traveling by car across nearly 10 states in search of refuge. The decision to come to the Mile High City was made after Darren’s grandmother, Ruthie Sanders, arrived here Sept. 4 with about 400 other evacuees.
Ruthie Sanders and some of her family were plucked off a rooftop by military rescuers aboard helicopters.
Darren is one of thousands of children whose lives have been dramatically changed by the storm. They are trying to adjust to living in new states, new homes, new neighborhoods with new schools, teachers and friends.
“It’s an ongoing issue of loss and uncertainty,” said Dr. Joy Osofsky, a psychologist and professor of pediatrics at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. “It’s a chronic crisis.”
Osofsky has been treating children who have been affected by the hurricane. She said many are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, a numbing of emotions. Some are dealing with loss by expressing their feelings through writing and drawing pictures.
“What we’ve seen is enormous resilience in children,” Osofsky said.
Visitors to Darren’s home are shown color photographs of his former neighborhood, house and his bedroom. All that remains now of his neighborhood is toxic waste, shattered dreams and a heartfelt longing to return.
“It makes me feel bad,” Darren said. “I just want to go back.”
The teen keeps in touch with his friends at Thurgood Marshall Middle School via e-mail and telephone calls.
He is adjusting remarkably well, according to his teachers at South Middle School and Aurora Central High School, where he is taking honors English and geometry courses.
Aurora Public Schools’ Board of Education recently recognized Darren for academic achievement during one of its meetings.
The shy boy with a big smile had never written poetry before South Middle School language arts teacher Sandy Abu-Baker assigned his class to write a poem that was persuasive.
“He feels compassion about his life lost there,” Abu-Baker said. “But he’s really landed on his feet.”
Darren has shared stories with his classmates, and his poem was put on the district’s website.
Staff writer Annette Espinoza can be reached at 303-820-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com.
“Rekindle the Everlasting Flame”
by Darren Sanders
The fifth ward
Once throbbed with life
On steamy star-lit nights
Little con men shot dice
Once or twice
And watched working girls
Their silken skirts unfurled
Flash copper skin
Give big grins
To feisty men who leered at thighs
Gave lusty sighs
Now streets empty of people
Lined with rubble
The stink of human remains
Fills people’s hearts with pain
Dark gloomy skies
Government lies
Evacuees sigh
While refugees cry
Houses filled with water
Inside dead fathers and mothers
A jewel for centuries
A city of memories
Now encrusted with black dirt
And people’s hurt
This jewel deserves a new chance
A gem full of romance
A symbol of life and love
A blessing from above
Like a diamond it glistens
And like my family I miss it.
