A Time of Mourning

Most of us here haven't had time to mourn since the earthquake. We've been too busy trying to deal with the effects of the earthquake and most Haitians have been too busy surviving. I came across this poem yesterday as I was writing reflection questions for the volunteer engineers and nurses that MCC is hosting right now. Reading it forced me to pause, reflect on everything that's been lost and make a little bit of space to mourn.

A moment of silence please,

A time of reflection on

The casual destruction

And near immolation

Of much that we love.

Whenever the reason please,

Cease from absconding with

The mutual horror

And engorging on murder

Of much that we love.

I planted a tree please,

And watered the roots for

Many long months

Hoping for mangos

The kind that I love

It was gone in a moment please,

Flattened by debris from

Nearby explosions.

It died in the earthquake

Like much that we love.

So a moment of silence please,

A time of reflection on

The abs/presence of Deity

And responsibility

For much that we love.

- Will Fitzgerald