Mogadishu Lessons Poem by Diana van den Berg

The sun rises
with a new glow
these days
in the killing grounds
of Mogadishu.
The resilient, smiling people
awake with the fresh breath
of hope, expectation and determination.
The streets are filling up again with people
no longer afraid to venture out and ply their trade
and buildings are being reborn
with the fruits of funds that are pouring in
and most of all,
as many people as can be reached
are healing
in some ways
with the blessings
of loving,
humanitarian,
volunteering
doctors,
nurses,
paramedics,
journalists
and others
who hold back their tears – or not -
and visit the country
a week at a time
and take
medicines,
food
equipment,
skills
and loving compassion
and work the skin off their hands
and rub their hearts raw.

God has truly blessed Somalians
who deeply
know and understand
the love
and blessings
of others
and that
God helps those
who help themselves.

God, please continue
to bless
those loving givers
and worthy and needing recipients
with everything that you deem good

and please help me to
do
like those volunteers
in my own little space
and to
be
as grateful and hopeful
and determined and pro-active
as the people of Mogadishu.

(13 September 2011)