Day Two, almost gone.

where does it all go, when something is so great that it's beauty swims under waves of vanity? It is a burning car, death from a-far, broken stone on an unpaved road. It weeps. With the rain, and then burns away with the sun and yet, we still remain. Day to day a year and maybe more. A child becoming a mother to the streets, a son selling his home; a basket of fruit, a torn up suit. And it is all there, but still. Silence is broken, shuffled away with politicians and policemen who hear nothing. No crying, not the pacing of callused feet and hungry eyes. But a picture, simply a flash, the snap not a blink and scowls of discontent. The sky sings above as the clouds part and it all crumbles. Rolling anger shattering, lighting light less homes and blackened streets. It works without reason. What thrives not behind iron-clashed gates, lies elsewhere, shivering beneath taunting door wells, and greeting cobble stoned alleyways with empty eyes.

The Countdown. 3 days left

I leave Madagascar in three days. I am not sure my heart knows what to feel. It is sad, eager, and moving continuously. I do have my words though, and what I cannot speak, I have written. Without this opportunity, and all the love and support that came with it, I know that these poems would not have come to me in the same light. With that, I am posting one of my “blurbs” each day until I leave this wonderful country as an initial countdown, to a heartfelt goodbye, if nothing else. ---------Breaking Dawn--------- The darkness is a song. People, Start with the dawn and chickens Call while women wait, and it is Really nothing at all. The only ones who hear, Greet the same dawn, and it breaks; A man’s back, the scorching heat, and Every children’s cry, it all starts to die, And with the night, is welcomed light. The fire touches the rain and it is good, To drink and to thirst again. And to start and finish a day With the same darkness, It is something special, To say, that we sleep and awake again, And it is silence with sound. A song awaiting the voice of dawn.

These are some pictures of our first southern sunset, our home for the last ten days, Karen and I dying Mama's hair (it was such a delicacy), Karen and Harena (her daughter in spirit and mind), and our drive to Faux Cap to see the elephant bird egg fossils and much more. And then there were the people of the day, the market place, me attempting to teach Toky (it is hard even in english, and then to try french, Oh boy.), the big birthday celebration for Kelly and Dada, and then the long road back to Tana.

Ambovombe and SO much more

Well get ready, I think this blog is going to be epically long. We just got back from the South and it was incredible. It is really mind blowing how much the culture changes among the people and even the surrounding resources, as we move. The road was long and unpaved, but I quickly found primitive beauty to be so much more satisfying. Staying with the family in Ambovombe, in the compound was such a change from my everyday life. Showers were a bucket of water, and the bathroom, simply a hole in the ground. Unfortunately I didn’t take a picture of either of these things, but the cockroaches were great incentive to get by duties done quickly! I was so blessed by everyone. They welcomed me with my own bed and a beautiful open living space. It felt luxurious. The food was simple, just the way I like it. Rice (vary maina), Oh and soupy rice (vary sosoa) which was my favorite. Meat came scarcely in chicken, turkey, zebu, and goat, which was heavenly (despite the little hairs still grasping onto it), and the vegetables were my dessert. Mmmm! The children were my light, the songs were my prayers, and the love was my blanket of warmth. Despite our obvious illumination from the Tandroy people, I felt quite ordinary. Tana, Tsihombe, Ambovombe, or Tamtave, it is the same feeling. I feel as if everywhere I go, and as much as I give, I receive it all back ten times over. It is in every smile and actions as quaint as a grasp of my skirt by a girl in the market. The gifts are in their eyes, and I am staring into the face of beauty, in awe. After going to the South, I have been further inspired to make this place a part of my home. I am excited to continue on with Madagascar on Board (Karen and Kelly’s project), to create a safe environment for kids to learn, and receive a prosperous education. It is so rare here, especially places in and around Ambovombe; to graduate even from high school. On another note, I have been introduced to a new part of myself. I am learning more about giving. That it is not just about what I can give, but how I give it and the meaning behind it. I have opened myself up to my limits, and accepted them, with the knowledge that what I can offer will be enough. As this time is passing, and coming to an end, I am trying to seize it all in the palm of my hand. And so it may be a gift in writing, given to me so that I may give it again, to all of you, and hopefully back to some of them. Thank you. These are two words in constant repetition among the mess of my thoughts. Thank you, for I feel an abundance of joy and satisfaction.