Through Our Garden Gate
A Celebration of Names In Haiti
Juseline, Maria and Cleanta
Come through our garden gate
Hips swinging, skirts swirling
Sassy, smiling; with periods late.
Miouse, Madeline, and Molemine
Wait by our garden gate
Somber , stretching, silent
Waiting their due date.
Rosana, Rosleande, and Lumane
Knock at our garden gate
Moaning, crying, holding on
Fearful of their fate
Iveline, Denise and Milouse
Fall to their knees and pray
Holding, squatting, calling out
As night turns into day
Dady, Elini and Joudeshka
When despair was very near
Opened up their hearts:
Abandoned all their fear
Nadine, Nadie and Yderline
Nuzzeled, nursed and knew
The joy of newborn babies
Named Merille, Fred and Ginew
Rosemon, Eline and Nadle
Left through our garden gate
Walking, waving, wishing
babies born in Haiti
Would live a bright new fate.
Sarah, you always make me cry! Thank you for the beautiful vision you paint of Haiti and our birth center!
ReplyDeleteLove, Jennifer
Sarah, I love this! One of my biggest/only regrets of the summer was that I didn't send my favorite poems to you before you left. Don't worry though, they are coming. I think the United States misses you a lot (I am in Spain geologizing; I miss you too).
ReplyDeleteYou have delivered, raised and loved so many babies in your life, I am so happy to consider myself one of them. I think/hope things will be a little different in the states when we both return, all your babies are making changes in our country/world!
I hope life is well in Haiti, I'm sure it's tough, but I'm know you can handle it. Do you have a return date? My best friend is very passionate about Haiti and health issues in the world, maybe I should send her your way!