Rising Up

As we prepare to leave on Friday for Port Au Prince, in addition to lots of last minute packing, all of our team members have been reflecting on this upcoming experience, the devastation we're a few days from witnessing, and many of us are feeling humbled, hopeful and full of anticipation. Below is an expression of this preparation in the form of a poem written by one of our team members. Below it is a powerful photo that another team member found online that puts an image to the sentiment of the poem.

something rising up

slow

in the midst of

the murmuring chuckling buzz

the sarcasm and pith and wit

the anticipation and 

the exhaustion and 

the compassion.

something common

and true

and whole

and deep like water

in the midst of 

us.

coming to a singular

silence and then voices

and then 

that something

crystallizes for a

throbbing moment

shhh.

close your eyes

and feel

humid opression

moist silent

heavy hands

tropical black

night

and hear

thwack thwack thwack

flip flop flap

giggles and wide

dark silence

like a

morning essence. 

and taste

salt air

lapping

against salt skin

clear beads

adorning

dry lips.

and smell

firewood lit

by a plastic bag

rumors of

sustenance

and rancid 

rumors

mingling.

and see

one blue ocean

touch rubble

and return

melancholic,

unable to 

bathe the wounds

sensing that

the amputations

were for

damages limbs

but were never

meant to sever

a people from its

dancing voices.

something rising up.