Poems

POEM OF THE WEEK

Gi mi back mi sweet likkle nation!

In dis 50th anniversary celebration,

Gi mi back Jamaika land wi love! Gi mi back di irie meditation!

Gi mi back di cool runnings! Gi mi back di loving an peaceful vibration!

Gi mi back mi sweet likkle nation!

"Up, you mighty race! You can accomplish what you will"!

Gi wi back men wid wisdom, vision an skill!

Guns, be silent! Murderas, be still!

Gi mi back di love! Thou shall not kill!

Too much agony, grief an pain!

Wash weh di blood stain!

Let peace an love reign!

Jamaica will rise again!

Sweet sweet Jamaika,. land of wood an wata!

Mi nuh wah Dililah! Gi mi back di irie likkle dawta!

Wen mi go tu di maaket, mi still wah di likkle brawta!

One love! One heart! Jamaica is not di land of blood an slawta!

Tek weh yuself! Wi nuh wah nu troublemaka!

Gi mi back di ole time farma, di teacha, di nurse an di baka.

Mi tiad fi go a fineral an graveyard wid di undataka!

Gi mi back mi sweet, sweet Jamaika!

Step up tu di plate if yu is a true Jamaikan!

Rope een every man, pikni an ooman!

Wi haffi tek a stan!

Com mek wi tek back wi beautiful likkle i-lan!

Nuh badda wid it! Wi nuh wah nuh fat cat!

Som a di greatest sportsman an ooman wi gat!

Tribal war?! Wi nuh wah no more a dat!

Mek wi stick to track an field, reggae music an di cricket bat!

Gi mi back di pride an joy of 1962!

Gi mi back Bob Marley! Gi mi back reggae music an ital stew!

Gi mi back Jimmy Cliff, John Holt, Third World. Gi mi back Miss Lou!

Gi mi back Ernie Smith, Al Green, Beres Hammond! Bring back di whole massive an crew!

Gi mi back mi sweet Jamaica ... Land of my birt!

Mi nah go no weh! Mi nah splurt!

Sexy Jamaican girls ... girls like dirt!

Jamaica ... A yah so nice! Man com from all ova di worl' an dem nuh stop flirt!

Gi mi back di ol' time music! Gi mi di ridim! Gi mi di bass!

Let's get togadda an feel aaright! Jamaika a di right place!

We accept everybaddy as one race.

No matta if yu a Chinese, Indian, black ar white ar yuh jus bleach out yuh face!

In dis 50th anniversary celebration,

Gi mi back Jamaica land wi love! Gi mi back di irie meditation!

Gi mi back di cool runnings! Gi mi back di loving an peaceful vibration!!

Gi mi back mi sweet likkle nation!

You're standing so close

I can feel your breath

Hot and passion filled.

I move away, you move with me,

Cause I'm your magnet

And you my steel.

I'm your captive and you are mine

There is no other way

You are my man and I your wife

I'm your nut

And you?

You are my bolt.

We are so close now

It's impossible to tell where you start or where I end.

Joined together,

Fused forever.

Two as one we are.

Joined together.

Fused forever.

Forever magnet and steel.

- Corrie Cunningham-Brooks

Mi dey yah

So fram de BIG innin

Dem should Ban Hall de eye

All dem how teacheth vouwell

How to use hink nib, snothcer and an dye

Far wance persands cod weed

Eberyting is subjack

To MISS HEN FARM MAY SHUN Hand

MRS INTUR PRE TA SIN

So dis ah wah we mus doeseth

Ban Hall!

De ni dem dutty radia

Playing an de carnea hat

6.45 HAY HEM Munday to Fryday

Mech ah disgrace out ah we

Nashinal Dish

Carrupting school pick ken ay fram befo

In di PEN DANCE

Dis few shan

dem!

Bun up HALL NEWSPAPA

Which dey pub lish pat wah

expecially

De Gleanah

Who puppy la rice who ease

Beh hin

And still ah

Copper dem coffas

Ban Hall de

Lettas of di

alphabetic

DASTRAY!

Wuds

In any far moot

Is slackful.

- Helen-Ann Wilkinson

The drum

Dedicated to Kenroy St George Brooks

The drum

The drum beats

The drum beats and vibrates

The drum beats and vibrates against my chest

The drum beats and vibrates against my chest violently

The drum beats and vibrates against my chest violently and consistently

The drum beats and vibrates against my chest violently and consistently for you

The drum beats and vibrates against my chest violently and consistently for you and me

The drum beats and vibrates against my chest violently and consistently for you and me.

The drum

The drum beats and vibrates against my chest violently and consistently for you and me. The drum is

The drum beats and vibrates against my chest violently and consistently for you and me. The drum is my

heart. The drum...

- Corrie Cunningham-Brooks

To him

To him, it is like a gel-filled candy.

The outside hard, smooth and sweet with a touch of tang,

But when you get to the core, the glorious middle

That's where the sweetness truly begins

To him, walking away is the best choice ever, but he remains planted.

His roots have begun to sink in.

He has already removed the wrapper - its taste is known to him.

How about he just finishes what he started?

Get to the gel within.

To him, all is well.

"What could possibly go wrong?" he asks himself.

He does not see the handcuffs.

He does not see the whips.

He does not see the prison bars as they encircle him.

- Corrie Cunningham-Brooks

So dey be cussing ...

SHE BE SEW I NG ... "Life goes go ..."

So dey be cussing

when she nuh care singing

foreign music sweeter

So dey de cussing har

bout clothes on de line

God sen plenting rain

to mash back ah crab in de barrel pain

All day long

morning wrong so strong de cussing can't wane

shatter window pane

So dey be cussing

bout squata and who have nuh rights

dem hoard up food and

find if full ah pest bite

So dey be cussing

bout who can give eviction notice

God send Him thunda an roll juice stick

So dey be cussing

when she gone away

but she glad dat life end

wouldn't 'ave it any othda way

So dey all day be cussing

finding ways to soak she

she SOCA KING me

pretty cloth, press down de pedal

she stitch straight, on two side ah de zip

singing "You make me feel like a Natural Woman ... sock it to me, sock it to me: "

zip

CAL, LIP ,

SO ... SWEET.

- Helen-Ann Wilkinson