Words For Haiti

God places a hand of concern on the shoulder of apathy His voice, Calamity, shakes the rest of the world to gain our attention Reminding us that the loss of life ripples wider than the most thundering of quakes. And dust settles on rock-hewn skin like cremation.... we have been genetically predisposed to carry the burnt pain of our ancestors on our sweat pores like blessed religion. My heart assures me that my feelings are normal. It is far beyond the rational mind to understand such destruction. To know that it is happening right now and not be able to lend a hand. But we are only helpless if we allow ourselves to be. So we surrender our thoughts to you, for too long we ignored you The more I think, the more I realize that I do not know much about human nature, but I hate that it takes this much loss for us to gain a sense of responsibility. We should have been there long before you crumbled, may we find our character buried somewhere beneath the grace of your rubble. find more than bone but souls find humanity dig us from beneath our filth too long have we tried to cover you wash us new this heartbreak will force the stories we try hard not to hold on to Our souls rubbed as raw as your hands as you shift through the broken bless you if you can see God amongst all that rubble today I love you, bleeding guilt. Hope. Terror. Prayer. Today I love you as if you were mine and I desperately want to piece you back together. May the spirits of the fallen be reincarnated within each of us so that their story can live. Let us re-attach their broken limbs using verbal glue. I remember my grandmother saying it’s pointless to bring flowers to the dead, so instead we send regret scented supplies to supplement what you have lost. Your story will not be buried with your children. It will live on in the mouths of witnesses, spectators that finally have the balls to admit that you exist.

You and your Land of high mountains, fist curled, back against the wall
how they topper the lies and threatened to de-God you
your truth now resonates in our hands like destiny manifested
and we shall hand them over so dreams can once again touch reality

This is the re-birth breaking though bones and barriers--everything that came before has led us here: to the undeniable interconnectedness of a people no lines of separation/ no space between. Every breath in every child in every crevice in every corner matters. The weight of our worth will be measured now, the universe watching and recording, hope swollen in her lens.

Showing struggle in an unfamiliar light…as humans we tight rope between Heaven and Hell, the wind pushing us in either direction…divided we fall, and our screams fall on deaf ear, our hands reaching for compassion grasping darkness tightly for fear that we will fall out of touch with light…Haiti, our fallen comrade, let our words serve as wings to bring you from the depths of destruction…let our voices guide you in your blind attempt to better your circumstances…in each letter find steps to a ladder of love and compassion until you reach the pedestal on which you belong.

Poets:

Jason A. Mars

Fisseha W. Moges

Adam (In-Q) Schmalholz

Youssef Grant

Natalie Patterson

Yesika Starr

Daniel Weingarten

Thea Monyee

Venessa Marie Marco

Gina Loring