Haiti Quaking in Our Hearts: By Lenelle Moise

The following is an excerpt from a blog post by Lenelle Moise, a 2010 Featured Poet at the Split This Rock Poetry Festival. Click here to read the full post.

Nearly 30 years ago, I was born in Port-au-Prince, the nation's capital; in General Hospital, one of the many buildings this terrible earthquake has destroyed. Many Haitian friends are writing to me, calling for comfort and prayers. They cannot find or connect with their loved ones on the island. They are at wit's end. My own grandparents live down the road from the partially collapsed National Palace. We have not heard from them. We wait, horrified. Thousands have died. Millions are displaced, injured, traumatized and wailing. Haiti needs our collective cri de coeur, our respect, our love, our magic and our energy. Haiti needs immediate international support.

The following are Lenelle's suggested ways to help.

If you have not already done so, I encourage you to text YELE to 501501 to donate $5 to musician Wyclef Jean's earthquake relief effort. Yele is an effective grassroots organization that brought fast, direct assistance to the people during Haiti's recent hurricane/flooding crises.

For those who can give more, journalist Rachel Maddow has compiled a list of links.

Medical professionals can call 212-697-9767 to volunteer.

To read Lenelle's poem "Mud Mothers," our November 25, 2009 poem of the week, click here. Please circulate the poem and Lenelle's blog post.