Katrina's Letter to Haiti

Haiti my heart is heavy for you
Wrenched by the havoc that came like a thief in the night to beset you
The cosmic dust rising high over Hispaniolan Pine is thicker than London’s fog
Desperate cries of misery bellow out from stark silhouettes hidden beneath the rubble
I wince!

The images are much too familiar
The sadness still lingers
The grief is unbearable
I am an-gry as hell!

Those were MY people that you abandoned and left for dead!
Those were MY people that you slandered and called looters!
My people that you simply forgot about

You didn’t write back.
You didn’t return my phone call.
You didn’t even text.
How rude!
Kij an yo rele sa an kreyol? (What do you call that in Haitian Kreyol?)

I’m a true patriot, you know
Born and raised in the hills of Mississippi
Everyone I knew growing up ate fried chicken and watermelon with their KOOL-AID
The black faces that you forgot about

Collards on the stovetop
Cornbread in the oven
Can I get some plantains, patees, and poisson with that?
I try some piklis thinking it’s like coleslaw
UHHHH…. HOT! HOT! HOT! My mouth is on fire.

We are one people
Unity is our strength
Kisa ou bezouen? (What do you need?)
I am here to help you.

-Brother Soulistic