Unforgettable Barahona
A traveler who immersed themselves in Barahona for an extended period graciously shared their profound reflections on the experience. This poem beautifully captures the captivating landscape, the warmth and struggles of the people, and how a visit to the Deep South of the Dominican Republic can even lead to a deeper understanding of self.
Unforgettable Barahona
I saw the land thrive,
While the people simply endured;
Their resilience more valuable
Than the juice of fresh mangoes,
Their smile more tranquil than
The crashing of waves.
I learned of a people in love with the moment.
No dancing, but music,
No resources, yet resourceful.
I learned of simplicity.
Their bare feet in flight atop the stones,
Seemingly with no pain,
Sprinting toward an ocean
That would wash the anxieties
Of poverty away.
A plate of rice and beans
Accompanied by a solemn prayer
Of thanksgiving.
Children giggling
Running in the middle
Of the safest streets they’ll ever know.
“Pssss pssssssss”
Says the moto concho,
Ready to take me
Wherever I needed to go for
Quite a small fee,
Though being a “gringo”, it was higher for me.
Yet, here and only here I feel comfortable
Trusting him with my life.
Island time.
A time I can never unsee.
Here it’s a time of contentment
And love.
Here, it’s a time of frustration
And lack.
I learned lessons on a ground
So unfamiliar.
I tripped over every crack
And stumbled over every pebble.
I didn’t remember myself for a moment.
And for that reason I will always
Remember them.
I witnessed a people
Rich with spirit,
Beg on beaches
Covered in Larimar.
Now I understand why I wasn’t greeted
In their stores,
But welcomed in their homes.
Now I understand that the
Heat of the sun
Only Intensified
The warmth in their hearts.
Oh Barahona….
I learned that I haven’t made it.
I learned that I have a long way to go.
You taught me
That God, in his love,
Made a place for me
To learn to be different;
To learn that we are all
One in the same;
To learn how the rivers flow into the
Oceans;
To see the morning sun
Meet the mountain tops;
To tread with caution
The shoreline of the
Blue deep;
To sweat all my troubles away, and
To understand that there really
Are no excuses, no shortcuts;
That sweat is sometimes unavoidable;
Sometimes it’s necessary.
Unforgettable Barahona….
I pray that you’ve made
A woman out of me.
May your sweet and salty current flow
Through the souls of the masses;
May you continue running every traffic
Light until you reach your goal.
May I accept you for you,
And you accept me for me.
And may we meet again.
Yes, may we meet again.