Sounds of Haiti

Awakened
Crowing roosters, barking dogs
No need for an alarm clock
A woman speaking in a foreign tongue, selling her wares
Voices outside, socializing as they prepare the morning meal
I can hear you Jesus

Working
Songs come from the lips of laboring men, to help them pass the day
Motorcycles, whiz by with Haitians riding three or four deep
Water comes splashing, pouring out into buckets, but not without effort
Crackling fire, it is meal time, a relief from the exhaustion the morning brings
I can hear you Jesus

Children
Shouting “blanco” and asking me “What is your name?”

Giggling at my efforts to speak Creole

Cheering, clapping, laughing after a victorious soccer match

Sometimes silence, smiling, slipping their tiny hand in mine

I can hear you Jesus

Day’s end

The sound of competition on the basketball court

Praises pouring from a small church

My pencil scratches furiously on the page

Recounting the events of the day

I can hear you Jesus