H a it i m y c o u n t r y For several months, Quebec illustrator • Rogé prepared a series of portraits of P o Haitian children. Students of Camp em s Perrin wrote the accompanying poems by H which create, with flowing consistency, a itia Haiti My Country. These teenaged poets n S c use the Haitian landscape as their easel. h o o The nature that envelops them is quite lc h clearly their main subject. While misery ildr e n often storms through Haiti in the form I of earthquakes, cyclones, or floods, llus tr a these young men and women see their te d surrounding nature as assurance for a by R joyful, confident future. og é ❧ Governor General Finalist 2011 Haiti (children's illustration category) ❧ Communication-Jeunesse Selection The pretty flowers of my country are to me ❧ Lauréat Prix Saint Exupéry 2011 Like pink butterflies (French category) my country ❧ Lauréat Prix Applied Arts 2011 That smile at the sun. (illustrations category) ❧ Lauréat Prix Illustration Lux 2011 Judes-Roldes (book category) ❧ White Ravens Selection 2012 Preface by Dany Laferrière Poems by Haitian Schoolchildren Illustrated by Rogé www.fifthousepublishers.ca www.fifthousepublishers.ca 5HOUS_Haïti_Cover.FNLsoft.indd 1 14-02-11 10:16 AM Haiti mycountry 5HOUS_Haïti_Contents.FNL.indd 1 14-02-18 11:17 AM Haiti mycountry Poems by Haitian Schoolchildren Illustrated by Rogé Translated by Solange Messier 5HOUS_Haïti_Contents.FNL.indd 3 14-02-18 11:17 AM Faces and Landscapes Whenintroducedtoapoem,Idonotliketoknowtheageofthepoet. Withanovel,Ialwaysendupknowingtheapproximateageofthe author.Ionlyhavetoreadattentivelytorevisittheeraheorshegrewupin (throughasong,aplace,anobsoleteexpression,oraparticularevent). Apoetoftenevokesthegloryofnature,fornootherreasonthanforthe purejoyofit.Foranovelist,natureisoftenseenthroughtheeyesofthe maincharacter–duringacarrideoronalongwalkwithalover,for instance.Naturemightalsobeusedtoexpressthewretchednessofabroken heart,orthesudden,glowingjoyofacarefreechildstartingoutonlife’s journey.Theyoungpoetswhoseworkyouwillreadhaveplacedtheireasels inthemiddleoflandscapes.Clearly,natureistheirprimarysubject.Their waysofdescribingitremindmeofprimitivepainters.Fromtheirpensflow suchelegantscenesthatwetendtowonderiftheyreflecttherealityofHaiti. Aftertheongoingdeforestationofthelastfewdecadescameasuccession ofcyclones,deadlyfloods,andthenthehorrificearthquake.Ishouldclarify thatthesepoemswerewrittenbeforetheearthquakeofJanuary12,2010. What’smore,theregionwheretheseyoungpoetslivehasbeenlargely unaffectedbythecalamitiesthatIhavejustmentioned.Thenatural landscapesthatsurroundtheseteenagersinspiresuchdreamsthatvisitors areoftensurprisedtheyoriginatedinHaiti.RicardoJocelynliftshishead toward“anazureskyscatteredwithsmallwhiteclouds.”AndLordanie Théodore,whilestrolling,breathesina“lovingscent.”We’reattheheart ofSouthwestHaiti,aregionthatIamunfamiliarwithbecause,forsome mysteriousreason,Ihaveneverbeenthere.I’mherenowtoviewtheregion 5HOUS_Haïti_Contents.FNL.indd 4 14-02-18 11:17 AM throughtheeyesoftheyoungpoets.Nevertheless,Petit-Goâve,whereI grewup,isn’tasfarfromthesouthasIhadbelieved.Andmyadolescence isnottoodifferentfromthoseoftheseyoungdreamers.Ifeel,liketheydo, thesecretjoyonefeelsaboutlivingnearsuchcharmingvistas.Wemight prefertokeepouremotionsprivate,buttheyaresopowerfulthattheyseem toseepthroughourpores. IobserveMarie-Andrèlewhoissofascinatedbythe“yellowmango”that shesingstoit,hopingforittofall:“Balanceyourselfbelowthebranch.” AndIremember,likeMarie-FranceÉtienne,the“heavyrains”inJune“and thegiantnoonsun.”Everythingisseeninvividcolour,reminiscentofa tropicalMatissepainting:aredmango,agreenwindow,withsomepurple hereandthere.Whatacelebration!Andalmostimpossibly,itdistractsus fromthedevastationcausedbytheearthquake.Suchenergyinhabitsthese adolescents!Itoverflowsandconsolesus,evenasunfathomablesadness invadesourhearts.Theirvitalityisirresistible.Butasheavenlyasthesettingis, itdoesnotdistractthemfromthehumancondition.Theyarenotfools. EventhoughI’mdisinterestedinknowingtheageofthesepoets,Idolove toseethefacesofthosewhospeaktome.Idonotknowiftheillustrationsare truelikenessesoftheyoungwriters,butIlovetheportraitsthataccompany theversesbecausetheyblendwiththelandscapeandgiveusthetruefaceof thecountry–asnapshotofitsfuture.Itisnotcommontoseesuchsoberfaces inHaiti,wherewestillbelievewemustaccentuateourzestforlifeandadd somecolour.Theillustrator(Isayillustratorandnotpainterbecausethese portraitsforceustothinkratherthantolook)seemstobetryingtoresolvea deepmysterybehindthefacesthataresuddenlyunreadable. Whyisthat?Perhapsit’sbecausetheysuggestapeaceful,evenidyllic world,whenweknowthatterribleturmoiladvancestowardthem.That’s whatmakesthemsopoignant.Thedesert,gainingground,threatensthis harmoniousworld.Miserygallopstowardtheseyoungmenandwomen, whoarepresentlyfilledwithlaughter.Heretheystandsoconfidentof theirfuture.Judes-RoldesRaymondevenhastimetoslipusherloveof flowers,“especiallypinkflowers,”beforemeldingwiththelandscape.And toensurethatnoonesendsherabouquet,shepointsoutthatsheprefers them“attachedtotheirroots.”Howmuchtimewillittakebeforethese youngfacesarecarriedawaybytime?Whowillbelefttoevokesuchjoy onthisbereftisland?Otheryoungpeople,ofcourse.BecauseinHaiti, poetsgrowasfastasthetrees. DanyLaferrière 5HOUS_Haïti_Contents.FNL.indd 5 14-02-18 11:17 AM Tomyfamily, Rogé 5HOUS_Haïti_Contents.FNL.indd 7 14-02-18 11:17 AM I want to make it radiate everywhere To make it known that Haiti is a gift from the heavens Witnessing its greenery, its palm, Apricot, mango, and avocado trees The breeze caressing them as they dance Their ripe fruit perched on high Reminds one of the Genesis... These oranges more sweet than sugar More fl avourful than honey Each day in which the sun rises Illuminating hills and rivers provides comfort for our worries Upon awakening we hear the song of our neighbour’s rooster A beautiful concert to the ears of the merchants Parading the streets of my country Oh, Haiti! How beautiful you are in my eyes! We come from everywhere, from all around you, to contemplate Not far from your eternal and pure white beaches We can smell your loving scent, intoxicating your people Who sing for you, Haitian nature... 5HOUS_Haïti_Contents.FNL.indd 8 14-02-18 11:17 AM 5HOUS_Haïti_Contents.FNL.indd 9 14-02-18 11:17 AM 5HOUS_Haïti_Contents.FNL.indd 10 14-02-18 11:17 AM I dream Of millions of fl ying birds Around a tiny island without shelter, without shade Hail and rain invade its sheet metal Large trees inhibit its land from plummeting From south to north I walk in a garden of gold By crossing wooded mountains To Calcaneum After each night of marvel The citizens awaken under a sun That protects the beaches from the cold sea My gaze stops on a beach Filled with people and belongings Children who play, who chat There, so jealous, rebellious Begin to sing nonstop Suddenly, I awaken While imagining that it was all real I open wide my eyes and ears I look through the window It’s completely the opposite I do not want to see these things in dreams But in reality... 5HOUS_Haïti_Contents.FNL.indd 11 14-02-18 11:18 AM