December 12, 1492............A Dream Revisited

                                                                                                             ©pralinanmi

In this dream which I cannot forget I am
back in time with my ancestors standing
on the shore of my homeland
my second born by my side
To the north I see the sailed ships landing
the tall ships come to our Land of Craggy Mountains
to change our destiny...forever
"Look" I say to my son that is all I can speak
for inside...my heart is sinking remembering
premonitions told by ancestors of those
who would come one day 
to spill our blood
upon sacred Haiti into the healing sea
As I wake there are tears of sadness and fear
for I know what follows...the lifemare
just beginning for my people

                                      My people hand carvers of dugouts 
                                      carrying a hundred across the sea
                                      to trade to visit to share with relatives
                                      willingly gave the strange ones
                                      respect and hospitality due
                                      builders of ships with billowing sails
                                      builders of wooden vessels bringing
                                      strangers scores of strangers
                                      come far away searching for gold killing for gold
                                      gold our precious charge gift from the earth

Their lust for this ore
drove them to plunder
pushed them to massacre
made them insane
did they lose themselves in the search
become jealous wanderers
searching for any home...to conquer....