Haiti: a Prayer
Taino Indians
Of the South American
Arawaks
You called the western third
Of the Island
Ayiti
Mountainous land
Europeans arrived —
Columbus landed on your
Island
December, 1492
You are the only
Free country
In our time
Created from slave
Revolt
And the world’s first
Independent
Black republic
You have been long time
Crushed
Your land saturated with blood
Spoiled by your own
Leadership
And others
Abandoned you were
Long ago
Now —
You are tragic
If we believe in justice
It is a double course justice
If we believe in compassion
There is no stranger
Or we are all strangers
Not just then
But always
If we believe in people
There is no one outside the camp
Tonight
Who cannot be brought
Within
If we believe in good
Then there is good
And only good
If we believe in wholeness
There is no broken
No partial
No incomplete
No land too ruined
To be repaired
O G-d —
You are endlessly patient
Compassionate
When will You abandon us?
Never
james stone goodman
united states of america