Street roots., February 05, 2010, Page 7, Image 7

Street roots
7
Li
Feb. 5,2010
Hotel Villa Creole
by Jay Thiemeyer
the GI’s are coming
to save the’ Haitian believers ¿
who worship a hidden God
whose presence reassures on sun-drenched days
but whose cruelty is a given
on days like yesterday
but the GI’s áre coming
armed, they insist, for good
We are God-fearing too,
their mission says;
disregard our martial costume
we are here for only one purpose .
> our appearance aside ,
~
we come for mortal purpose,
we are assigned by our overseers,
we have no option.
the bodies in their thousands
line the rubble strewn roads .
fathers scream at arms protruding
and beg their children to rise
from the dead
a hidden God has shown his cruel face
but they have no other option .
than to believe
the American troops are coming
the American president sends aid
with strings attached
the people have been struck dumb
by the roar of their cruel God
but their shock is falling away ■
their anger is. rising, they are ready to act '
in the midst of their fear of their unknown God,
what he will deal them next.
They must act but where?
the American troops are descending
to save lives to save
the world as its predators know it.
to prepare the barren ground
for further exploitation
Obama talks about‘investment’
and ‘the long term commitment’
and sends Clinton and Bush to oversee
the troopers are coming
to save what is left
of a poor people’s world s
made bright even in darkness by unreasonable
hope
(what choice do they have but to believe and hope?)
and Aristide speaks from a distance in South Africa
a bystander as his county lies near death
where it has always been
and the Americans send aid to be used
by Clinton and Bush’s wise choices
! ! !
L-
LOOKING FOR A N
affordable place to rent :
and? the GI’s are coming
And in the country the GI’s have left behind
half pf all black children
half of all their children
are impoverished
and foreclosures for the people and bonuses
for Wall St continue to rise'
and body bags are at a premium in Port au Prince
and Hotel Villa Creole has yet to close its doors
some will die in upcoming days
and they are the lucky ones
the stench is everywhere
and Hotel Villa Creole •
has yet to close its doors
and the people still left
hear echoes of death
rising from the rubble
their children and mothers
from beyond this hellhole palled Haiti
calling and echoing in the tunnel
of rubble .
and they must beg for a pittance
from the country that has beat them down
forever.
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