Papa Noël was afraid to pass through on Christmas Day

In the streets of Port-au-Prince. Bullets were being fired in droves

Sporadically, haphazardly. Many people were hiding under beds

Naughty terrorists are like dogs, hyenas in vile forests or deadly wilderness

They are everywhere with big machine guns which are not made in Haiti

The lawless bandits or God-awful devils are killing and terrorizing everyone

Even old cats and dirty rats that are running in the ravines

Things are very serious, extremely dangerous and awfully bad in Haiti

This year, Uncle Noël was scared, very afraid that's why he failed to visit

And to pass through the tiny streets of Haiti. Nobody knows when

These ugly and unusual things, chaos, crimes, nightmare will change or end

There were no holy midnight masses; all the church doors were shut, closed

The bandits who wear filthy sandals carry very expensive and modern weapons

That their white western uncles and dirty oligarchs gave them as Christmas gifts

So that they can drive more innocent civilians deeper into the fires of Hell

It is very fascinating to notice that the werewolves, the infamous Loups Garous

Were also afraid to go to the cemeteries to unearth their innocent victims

In Haiti, formerly Pearl of the West Indies, It's dogs eating dogs

It's cats eating cats. It's dogs eating rats

People are stuck in this once paradise, Pearl of the Antilles

Which is presently Hell on Earth and bloody dungeons for so many

 It's cats eating rats. It's dogs eating rats and cats

This is a despicable madness. Frankenstein would have been happy there

People have never experienced such ugly mess before. When will this change

When will this end? When will the oligarchic, western and greedy settlers

Leave the peaceful and resilient people of Haiti alone? And when, when

When will the brave people revolt? When, damn it, will the Diaspora

Unite to fight and defend Haiti? Haitians are tired of losing lives, money

Territories and properties in Haiti. When will all these unruly terrorists

Disappear, vanish on the face of the Universe. I'm shouting angrily

You, damn it, I'm talking to you. I'm freaking talking to you

I'm goddamn talking to you, yes, yes, yes to you, violent criminals

Cockroaches, ungodly birds, wicked hypocrites and ignorant fools

Stop talking about revolution. Use common sense. Stop dreaming

Open your eyes. Yes, for in the name of Yahweh, I'm talking to you too

Santa Claus, Père Noël, Tonton Nowèl was afraid. No poor and little people

Received no gifts, nothing, zero, nitchs, only the sordid perpetrators

Who kill and terrorize the citizens, were celebrating. The weak Police, the feeble

Army and the helpless UN vacationers can't do more; they can simply do less

We know that Haiti is not Ukraine, yet Haiti needs help. Haitians are desperate

The nefarious CPT presidents make big moollah, big dough, big gourds, big bucks

And big money, the infamous ones who are in power, receive a lot of money

These traitors are defending their pockets, not the homeland

They won't protect the innocent people, they won't defend Haiti

The bandits, terrorists, hypocrites and greedy oligarchs are in command

Criminal groups are scattered ubiquitously in the corridors, all over, everywhere

Little Jesus didn't go to Haiti, he was scared too. Santa Claus didn't come

He was scared naturally. Let's think, think deep, resist and dream until spring.

 

P.S. This poem is dedicated to all who are suffering in Haiti.

The Haitian people and the Diaspora are tired of being humiliated. Down with misery,

Insecurity, corruption, crime, injustice, impunity, discrimination, and inequality.

This is a translation of ‘Pè Nowèl Te Pè Pase Nan Pòtoprens, Ayiti’.

 

Copyright © December 2024, Hébert Logerie, All rights reserved

Hébert Logerie is the author of several collections of poems.