24331: SLPGlobal: (web) I don't look Haitian?

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

(web) slpglobal@aol.com:  Haitian Look?


I don't look Haitian?

You approached me with a smile on your lips and slapped me five, gave me jive and a pound of your ignorance by telling me that I don't look Haitian.

You shook my hands to welcome me, and then shook my soul with your audacity, stating that I don't sound Haitian.

You asked me if I was sure I was from Haiti when you are not sure where you are from and you carry this mentality to the doorsteps of your white houses and your media coverage showing me impoverished barefoot and hungry seeking food and water in the slums, you show the negative of my voodoo drums in a light of despair.

I don't look or sound Haitian?

Why?

Is it because I do not have the seawater of Biscayne Bay dripping from my tattered clothes, or is it because I am not as dark as you perceived me to be, did I mess up your entire theory of relativity, to hell with einstein, you need to press rewind so you can see that all relatives of Haitians are not hungry, dark and comely, like the tents of your media's Kedar.

I don't look Haitian you say?

Is it because you did not catch me with a bucket on my head working in some factory with an accent on my tongue until I'm 40,50,60 dead tired, no I think your notion of me should have expired a loooooong time ago.

I apologize if there is more to me than voodoo dolls, and I apologize if there is more to my country than slums, poverty and hunger, and I apologize if my poetry makes you wonder if I am really Haitian, product of years of miscegenation.

I apologize if your idea and concept of me is not what I have proven to be, 100% dark skinned, accent on my tongue, with an apprehension to stand straight or look you in the eye, no fear of being hung.

I'm sorry if you thought you'd find me in some sugar cane field,
I know how many of your own people must feel, catching me with a pen and a college degree in my hand instead of a machete, turning your lies and stereotypes into silly confetti, you see, I AM Haitian, doctor, lawyer, teacher, accountant, nurse, and engineer, my goodness, I think we have instilled an absolute fear deep within your socio-political pseudo-humanitarian heart, because we have evolved from your views of primitive art because we were the ones to draw the freedom chart, is this why you want to keep us apart?

Because we don't look like what you expected us to be?
Or are you still upset because we declared we were free after riding the freedom train to it's 1,804th last stop, upset still because we made the world's mouth drop?

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Haitians have declared themselves free.

Napoleon and Leclerc embarrassed internationally!
Haiti becomes the original Statue of Liberty!
Denmark Vesey inspired by Ayiti!
Gabriel Prosser inspired by Ayiti even he used August as the month for his rebellious activity!

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

We held truths to be self evident before the first shackle, built an above ground railroad way before Harriet went Underground spoke to
American pharaohs like Moses to let our people go, stood side by side with Arawaks and Tainos yes, we invoked our Petros AND Shangos, spoke with the same tongue as Patrick did, give ME liberty or give me death and before your 13 colonies we built our capital of freedom on 15 hills of wealth and called it Port of Princes.

I don't look Haitian (sarcastically) and you don't look American, you don't look like the indigenous Indian but you do look like an international comedian because you've got jokes and jokers in your white house and punch lines filled with coke lines in your congress political white lies that are blasphemous stand up comedy in your judiciary that needs to understand that they need to stand and step down running your house like a circus with father and son clowns.

My country is a country of rainbows, mixtures of Arabs, Africans, French and Italianos side by side with Polish and Jewish and we all have a fetish to always be known as Haitian and not your amalgamation and misrepresentation.

I don't look Haitian (sarcastically) with my multi-lingual self, English, Yiddish, Kreyol, French and Spanish filled with powerful history I look so Haitian that you fear me.

Vespuccian sons and daughters,

CAN YOU HEAR ME???!!

Look past my face into my heart and you WILL see,
My only nationality IS defined in three letters.

I E T!