Angelic Aquila

Six-year-old Aquila Treks the 2.5 miles To Galina Primary every day. When she returns, There’s no time to practice To study To learn. She must help scrounge for food Attend to her sick father And watch her siblings. Aquila sits on the stoop Of a broken down home Not yet finished. There on the top Many metal sticks remain Show casing the poverty Overwhelming this country. As she ponders her role In this torn-up society, It pains me to see a single tear. Rolling down her cheek And landing on her One-strapped, Peeled away, And hole-y right sandal, I cannot help but to immerse this little child in love. Sitting to her left, Fighting back tears of my own, I ask this little baby girl Why she is not running around, Playing. Sniffling away And wiping her tears, She simply looked up And stated, “I must help my papa”. And that’s when I saw it. A spark in her eye, A tone in her voice – I’m not sure which. But something About this little young lady Radiated maturity And benevolence. She told me her story Of her mother’s kind heart That slowly diminished Due to lack of food. It’d been almost a year now, However she recalls the day As though it were only yesterday. “You see, Here in St. Mary’s, There’s little to do. No jobs to find, And on this land, No crops to yield. Momma talked high though, To God, Jesus, Whoever was up there, Begging for mercy”. She continued the account Of her mother’s deteriorating body. She ate last, Least, Sometimes not at all, All to be able to attend to her family. Astonished and heart-broken, I wrapped this angel in my arms, Praying over her and the remainder of her family. Culture-shocked And immediately transformed, I realized Aquila is my purpose For attending my Jamaica Mission Trip. The departure of our newfound Family love for one another Was devastating, As I couldn’t wish for more Than to take her back with me. Here in America, We are blessed complainers. Yet there, In a seemingly alien world of it’s own, They are praising optimists – Always grateful for the little they own. It can change your day, Your mindset, Your world, To experience this selflessness, This charity, That little six-year-old Aquila Graciously blessed me with. Stop watching the sad commercials, Remembering you forgot to write, And experience a child’s love Of someone who truly needs your help. A simple quarter, Care package, Or maybe even a letter of faith to Aquila's mom Could have raised her hopes And helped her fight hunger. You never know what small actions can alter realities.