Haiti

• Lisa Crofts, Grade 11
• Poetry
• 2010

The anguish sings a lullaby that lulls me near to sleep
The pretense of a brief escape into waters far too deep
The crushing weight of concrete and my heart longs to be free
All things I wish for no one else in my island home, Haiti.

Paper stops my nostrils, trying to block the smell of death
Urine soaked into my jeans and I strain to draw a breath
Panicked scenes parade my mind and I see my daughters’ face
I’ll never see that face again if I die in this cruel place.

Dear God, I’ll make a pact with you, I’ll walk away from this
God spare me my life this day, and the people still long missed
And please protect my darling girl in the nursery down the hall
The only one I thought of when the world began to fall.

Time is long forsaken, measured by fading vital sounds
I strive to hear my girl cry out, I long to hear her found
I fend off death disguised as sleep, trapped near lifeless remains
I pray they come to save us, here in Haiti, home of pain.