(Poem to commemorate Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, 2 years later)
730 days and counting
Our people are suffering
They’ve suffered before- but now their hearts are tearing Tears dried-up and their spirits decaying January 12, 2010- A new day of reckoning
The Earth shook and swallowed us in Massacred our loved ones and our families Displaced our goods, brought down our entities
[30 days] We agonized and grieved Grieved and agonized Grounded our feet to our foreign-raped land Gagged ourselves to our lost government
Help did come from distant shores [90 days] Billions raised and millions more
But, we died in massive numbers still [200 days] Cholera came and sought to kill And though, resilient in our fight We grew weak and became ill
[300 days] Sick from the corruptions clenching our air Leaders and politicians who barely care For the stench under those tents Is just unimaginable And the reason why we’re waiting still Simply inexcusable
365 jou, Et nou t’ap tan toujou Pou ti moun anba tòl trouve chimen lekòl Pou tout moun kap soufri Bat grangou nan la ri Rive jwenn soulajman Anba solèy touman
United we stand, divided we fall Oui, L’union fait la force But, who will answer the call?
We cry out for justice May change be our gain That Haiti does rise From its rubbles again
And today- Another 365 days later, Still, more of the same Our men pile up in tombs unnamed Our women, victimized and shamed Visitor troops with machine guns How thick our drying blood still runs!
Our NGOs, now multiplied
Lay bricks on crimes unjustified
A system donned with ghost-like faces A country broken into pieces
Perhaps today- we will look earnestly at one another And into the victims’ weary eyes And see our mother and brother Our friend and neighbor All struggling to survive
And this time, eradicating the lies And strengthening our ties, Stand together- 730 days stronger!
(All rights reserved. Copyright 2008 by Marjory Sheba. No portion of this posting can be transmitted or used without written permission from Author.)
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Marjory Sheba is a singer, a thespian and actress. She’s been a talk show host on television and on the radio. In 2008, she published her first book, Shebafied! A Poetic Journey to Self-Actualization. Prior to that, she wrote Haitians on the Move, a monthly column on The Caribbean Sun Newspaper, which highlighted the significant strides and progress of the Haitian Diaspora. She’s had articles and stories published with the HSDA Observer, Iliad Press, The NLP and many others. But, in all, she remains firsthand a conscious being—daughter, sister, and mother. She is simply a woman, living and enjoying life, althewhile seeking to be in harmony with all aspects of herself..