Haiti Cherie<\/p>\n
What word can encompass stretch its arms and wrap them around
\nA day when the world returns to the dust it was
\nBefore we fashioned orderly chaos and became free
\nThe First Negro Republic raises weakened arms to wipe
\nThe Ash
\nFrom its eyes water and ash to mould human tragedy
\nWhat word can encompass\u2026 we have asked before
\nEncompass passion itself when it screams whimpers
\nHaiti mwen
\nHaiti nou
\nNou la \u00e9pi zot<\/p>\n
The word that encompasses has not yet been created
\nBondy\u00e9 ki pa bon
\nThe word cannot be found
\nUnder the rubble of ash and water edifices
\nBuildings made from tears and dust that crumble into a void of screaming and loss
\nA hellish void of independence and burnt out communication lines sparking revolting revolutionary pain
\nAnd yet is Haiti so epic that
\nHurricane-proofed we sink into the earth from which
\nYo di
\nWe came
\nThe dead in the streets and the word cannot be found the dust will not settle for the word to be found
\nShe hides in the folds of warm pervasive stench heavy and loud as shattered eardrums
\nShe cavorts with criminals buried under police stations and wives caressing newborns to deep deep sleep<\/p>\n
Reveal yourself, word!
\nOne hundred French citizens buried beneath a thousand Haitian bodies
\nKi t\u00e9 k\u00e9 soucouri corps mwen
\nAnd they keep coming
\nThe hits
\nThe hits
\nLes coups n\u2019arr\u00eatent pas
\nWhat more do we ask but to find the word that can
\nThat will
\nReach long arms around the day when God gripped us in His loving hands
\nAnd shook and shook
\nFinality
\nHe set us down gently like lambs beautiful black sheep and
\nPoured ashes onto our heads?<\/p>\n
Annie Quarcoopome<\/p>\n