Hope and its feathers

For those suffering from the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina:

"Hope" is a thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

I've heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extreminty,
It asked a crumb - of me.
(E. Dickinson, 314)