I was moved to write this essay during Hurricane Melissa, as Jamaica confronted devastation on a scale that forced us to look again at the condition of our Land, our homes, and the systems upon which we depend. I had not completed it before the demands of my larger manuscript required me to put it aside.
The essay returned to me while I was contemplating the relentless assault upon the character and humanity of my Haitian brothers and sisters. I asked myself what I could do to help the Caribbean remember that every one of us is worthy of the life we envisioned—and that we possess resources within our genuine relationships that can be used to lift Haiti rather than deepen her isolation.

I do not write on behalf of Haiti, nor do I presume to inhabit the full depth of her experience. I write from my own Point of Proximity: as a Jamaican and Caribbean woman who recognizes Haiti as sister and brother. Law establishes our shared worth and responsibility; proximity disciplines the place from which we may truthfully witness, speak, and act.
When the essay returned, I discovered that it already contained much of the governing knowledge I had since articulated more fully in the latter chapters of my book. I have therefore preserved it as its own entity. It is a letter to Jamaica because Jamaica is the nation to whom it is entrusted. It is dedicated to you, Haiti, because you are among the reasons the world must remember.