The Other Side

A friend from Springdale NL, Cavell Simms, wrote a poem for me 24 years ago, after I had been living in Haiti for only two years. The poem was special to me and sixteen years later, in 2013, I was thrilled to actually be able to welcome Cavell to the HATS-Haiti Mission with the Springdale team. Before leaving Haiti she wrote another poem for me which I wanted to also include in this blog but I am unable to find it at this time. I am sharing her first poem with you and including photos of Cavell when in Haiti in 2013.

The Other Side by Cavell Simms 1997

If I could place just for one day
Any child of mine
Somewhere to teach them gratitude
The place is not hard to find

I’d ask my dear friend, Karen
To take one on her knee
With another from the orphanage
Just so they could see

I’d get her to point out to them
All is not there to take
Or even get to make the choice
Ice cream or chocolate cake

There’d be no house, but a mere hut
No shoes upon their feet
No worry about your buddies
Thinking your Nikes are neat

No worry that your classmate
Has brand name fancy wear
Or has an earring in her nose
Or three in just one ear

No worry that your computer
Will soon be obsolete
For because it’s one year old today
Another has it beat

No worry that your corn pops
Won’t last ‘til grocery day
Or when you ask for ten dollars
Will five just come your way

No worry, worry, worry
About all this crazy stuff
But to wake up in the morning
Just might be enough

To bring polluted water
For your family
And hope there’s food to go around
Praying, “Dear God, let there be.”

Then take the little food there is
And cook it really long
And then you wonder as you eat
Are the bugs really gone?

When the day has tired your body
And you now must face the night
No fan to cool you down, my son
No books read by beaming light

No “Tender treasures” to tuck in
No clear water by your bed
No fluffy, pretty pillow
To lay your pretty head

I’d pray that when I brought them back
Eyes and hearts open wide
And realize that when life’s coin was tossed
It could be them “on the other side”

Cavell caught the vision of what we were trying to do for children at HATS-Haiti and came on board 24 years ago. She continues to yearly fund raise to help care for the children in our care.