Tough Times
These are tough times,
Times of horrific violence,
Times of fleeing families
Fleeing from bullets,
Fleeing from rape,
Fleeing from kidnappers,
Fleeing from gangs,
Fleeing from gang warfare.
Fleeing with nothing, to nowhere,
Times of daily kidnappings
Times of asasinations ,
of very public figures and,
not so public figures,
Brutal murders.
Bodies mutilated.
Bodies burned.
Bodies never found.
Times of stray bullets killing people,
In their homes,
on the street,
in a car,
stray bullets have become a major cause of death these times.
Times of dead bodies on the roads.
Who are they?
Who killed them?
Who knows?
Times of sleeplessness,
machine gun fire never lures people to sleep,
Racing hearts injected with fear are not conducive to sleep either.
Times of Terror,
terrified to leave your home,
terrified on the way to work,
terrified on the way home.
Too terrified to go to the hospital at night so you wait until the morning but the morning ends up being too late and your loved one dies on the way.
Times of closures,
schools closed,
hospitals closed,
businesses closed,
gas stations closed,
churches closed,
shops closed,
banks closed.
Times of emptiness,
fuel tanks empty,
food depots empty,
cooking gas tanks empty,
stomachs empty.
Times of walking,
everywhere people on foot as no public transport
Times of protests,
burning barricades,
tear gas,
live ammunition,
dead bodies,
dead journalists.
Times of sickness,
no transport to take the sick to hospital.
Many hospitals closed.
No oxygen in many.
No electricity in most.
Times of Cholera.
Times of Hunger.
Times of departures,
so many have left the country.
Friends, colleagues, young old-leaving-“anywhere will be better than Haiti’ is the mantra.
Times when everyone has a headache-from thinking and stressing too much
Times of worrying,
how are our school kids?
do they have seizure meds?
how are they managing without therapy?
have they food and water?
How are they managing locked in their homes for months?
Times of endless wondering why?
Why Haiti?
Why never a time of peace and prosperity?
Times of patience and hope-maybe this week things will improve.
Maybe fuel will be available.
Maybe school will open.
Maybe the killings will stop.
Times of amazing determination,
walking hours and hours to work and back.
A disabled wheelchair bound employee, negotiating passage through a burning barricade for his wife and new born baby.
Market ladies carrying huge loads down the mountain-no motor bikes due to fuel crisis.
Times to keep busy and keep positive.
So much work to be done.
Times of great need.
Times where there is no time to feel fed up because these desperate times call for supreme acts of solidarity.
Times when we need to stick together.
Times when the smile of a child lifts your spirit.
When the full moon reminds you, that you are part of a much bigger picture.
When you feel grateful for today because you have no idea what tomorrow will bring.
When you look at those in your care and see how far you have come, and your heart swells with gratitude and you know you are doing ok.
Times when you look at all those working with you and you think- wow! Such amazing men and women. Despite all their worries and all the dangers, they give their all to those in our care.
These are tough times.
These are terror filled times.
With the help of God and with your help,
We will get through them.
Sadly, many, many will not.
Gena Heraty
