In port au prince, the music comes from everywhere.
Compa and Ra-Ra. Gospel and hip hop. Techno beats drone and reggae bounces from cinder block street bars.
The roosters squall and packs of dogs course through the black hills behind us. They scream.
Voices of praise ring out. One voice with a microphone and a raging chorus. They offer up their lungs to God.
They sing as if they could give their very selves up to God.
I sat on the balcony. In the still of it all.
In the quiet of my mind,
In all of the noise.
Of the living.
There is a blackout in port au prince tonight.
The music seems to crawl up from the depths of creation.
I once asked one of the boys why there was a celebration going on in our neighborhood, and he told me they were celebrating the light.
When was the last time that light was an opportunity to give thanks to god and be joyful.
When was the last time that anything was?
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