Life In Louisiana (by James Leland Ludeau III from Lafayette,LA)

life in Louisiana for me means gorgeous scenery
mighty oaks covered in moss
alligators
turtles, fish, snakes
boundless seafood
the Gulf of Mexico in our backyard
life in Louisiana is slower
humid
sticky
it's about summer evenings on the porch with your favorite drink
telling tall tales
laughter
celebration
our history runs deep
our love does too
Louisiana is a melting pot
it's dark past is slowly emerging as a promising future
people will look you in the face here and say, "mais hello cher"
they smile
la joie de la vie
there is joy here
from dusty festivals filled with music and food
to lazy plantations that stand as testaments to our past
from winding bayous
to mysterious swamps lined with cypress trees
we live in a rich, beautiful state
we burst with culture and life
i look out at the state around me
and i'm filled with pride to live here
Louisiana is my love
i'll take crawfish boils and beer over traffic jams and smog any day
we are country and sometimes simple
but we are appreciative of life here
we witness the beauty of nature and how the earth gets renewed with each season
our sunsets are majestic
to live in Louisiana, for me, is a blessing