POEM: HAITI

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The poem, HAITI  was published by the Plymouth Writing Project in the Summer Writing Institute Anthology 2010.  This poem is the result of quick writing sessions with my students on the weekend that followed the earthquake that shook Haiti in 2010.  The sessions took place at CURNE -Centro Universitario Regional del Nordeste- (Regional University Center in the Northeast).  This is a branch of the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (Autónomous University in Santo Domingo) and it is located in San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic.  My students wrote very interesting paragraphs and just poems came out of my heart. I do not know why.  Out of all my poetry drafts, I chose one to share with my partners in a writing club.  They gave me very valuable feedback.  Later on, I shared the poem in a writing session at the Summer Writing Institute in Plymouth, New Hampshire, USA and my partners gave me more feedback. This time, I am sharing it with my students, followers, and viewers in general through this blog.  After you read it, I would like to receive your feedback in terms of what you like, the questions it arises, and things to consider in order to improve it.

Thanks for taking time to visit this blog.

Máximo

HAITI

By Máximo Encarnación Gomera

“A time to love...and a time for peace.”  (Eccl. 3:8)

Strong breath and courage

lying next to me

Eternal joys:

Dances in the streets,

happy cries of instruments

kettledrums embracing accordions

singing with their hearts

Oh! Africa, our beloved

Heroic Tousaint’s blood is mixed

with brave Lemba and De Ocampo’s

Beautiful Anacaona and Iguaniona’s

Enriquillo and Caonabo’s

Great shine opens

multicolored skies

spread by the sun

heating ebony skin

speaking up through the times:

Black is beautiful!

Feet tread back and forth

stepping on the dirt

One side and the other

Parted the island

over the brook

with clear waters

and a sad name

Yellowish dust

covers many eyes

Believe it or not

Same hunger, same struggle

same love

Same bright future

scribbled on foreheads

Nature flows commonly

like blood through the veins

Mother nurtures sons and daughters

with delicious rice, beans, meat

Tasty plantains, yucca, corn

coconut water

refreshing their souls

Now you are

a strong reason

to sing and not to cry

Remember the words

I whispered in your ears?

Remember that sorrowful evening

right before spring?

Remember when I told you

that in a glorious time

you would re-emerge

and then we would dance

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 2011