Help Haiti

Hustle, bustle, movement, people

All the signs and sounds of life

In a moment, horror, sorrow

All that speaks of death and strife

Houses, buildings, churches crumble

Mass destruction, Massive loss

In one instance families shattered

In an instance lives are lost

So many lives swept up in rubble

Nothing but confusion is left to claim

These were living, breathing persons

And now we don't even know their name

Children left without father or mother

Sister or brother, no family at all

Their screams echo through the air around them

With no one near to hear their call

No food, no water, no care to heal them

Streets flow; it seems, with blood and tears

Reporters with their cameras tell us

It was the first quake that big in 200 years

But to the suffering people striving to live

Those facts mean nothing, they are empty and bare

All they want is their families, decent shelter

Food, water, and medical care

Hands are raised up to Heaven

Hearts and prayers turn there too

"God help us." They cry out

It is all they can do

Days pass by, the devastation is clear

Thousands upon thousands, simply gone

The few survivors start new lives in tents

Here they stay from dusk to dawn

Parents fall on their knees in pain

They find their baby, they've searched for days

But it is too late to save their infant

Her life was lost without a trace

The dust settles slowly, small fires remain

People cling to each other with all that they have

It puts into perspective everything at once

The small trifles we deal with aren't really that bad

Let us cling to our loved ones, don't take them for granted

God gave us time to savor, not to waste

Your whole world can be lost in a minute

Everything you ever knew swept away in haste

Don't think it can't happen to you, it happened to them:

The thousands of Haitians in need today

So while we are able, let's do all we can

To help those who are hurting somehow, someway…

©Allix Brunson 1/28/10

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/photo/2010-haiti/index.html (I based parts of this poem on these pictures. Viewer discretion is advised.)

http://ibgracia.org/haitifunddonate.php (this is a great place to donate money...fast, easy and very helpful!)