Difficult Beauty

This is a poem that I was moved to write about my experience in Uganda.

Difficult Beauty
by Leor Rotchild

Amidst the mud and mystery;
Behind the horror of history;
Lies a beauty hidden from the naked eye.

Where people laugh and smile;
And talk for a long while;
The equatorial sun sets high in the sky.

The fruit tastes as sweet as sex;
And the tea really is the best;
In a land without electricity or time.

Music is nowhere, and everywhere;
The children dance, jump and shake without care;
As though entranced by an X Box video game high.

Sharing a world with I Pods and space shuttles;
Shit-infested ponds here get reduced to mere puddles;
While malnourished kids stretch to collect their family’s share.

Water. It streams infinitely from our taps;
But on this area of the map;
Every drop spells the difference between survival and despair.

So what do you do;
When the situation overwhelms you;
When you feel crippled and losing hope?

Keep doing your part;
Carry the songs in your heart;
And represent well no matter where you go.