POEM OF THE WEEK

Dr Heather Little-White - The Miracle

HEATHER,

My cousin

'Big sister', 'mother', friend, confidante, mentor

Miss you

You carried me when everyone left me wanting

Teaching me to cook saltfish fritters, pizza

You name it

You knew I could cook but was best at tasting

So you made me 'Official Nyamist' at graduation exercises

Big and small

Jamaica Conference Centre

With prime ministers

Linking opposition and government

Heather,

You did it all

Guiding me, calling me on the phone

Teaching me nursing skills, elderly care, everything from bed making

To techniques in resuscitation

Making me 'ecture, present, represent, master ceremonies

Eat

Nyam good food

Heather,

I know you are smiling

You carried me

Till I am strong

I prayed for a miracle

But I realised that God had given me that miracle

It was you

Always you

Filling the gap

Where it was left otherwise empty

You had insights beyond the ordinary

There is a special place in Heaven for you

God say

Him don't understand

Why we should have all that nice healthy lifestyle

Him need a great nutritionist at Him right hand

Time up

Time up

We never want

Time to be up

But it exists for us all

Heather,

I remember especially

That coconut bun at Easter

It was my sustaining bread

"Give us this day for daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us ...

God nuh fool

It is so much easier

To forgive when yuh belly full

So Heather help nuff a we to forgive

And so, we need a whole heap ah food fi do dat!

Heather

You was not about a handout

Didn't give any

Didn't take any

Always accountable

Sold everything to pay taxes

Staff,

Left out self

Sometimes without your own ice-cream money

I just glad

That destiny had to time to link us together

Late nights

The challenge in a wheelchair

You loved to shop at night at MegaMart

You loved their wide aisles

Heather,

Time

Time

There is a specific recipe

The dish has to be served

The cake as a clock

God know, you just did ready fi Heaven

Heather

Sold everything

Clothes, shoes, bags belts

That were not wheelchair-friendly

You had a dream

To be married

You made it be

With Peter

Heather, you did it all

You were a friend when there was no other

I knew the truth

The truth

You always would tell me

You left me strong, not alone, you were a good Samaritan

Thanks

Woman

Taking care of your parents,

Mother

Father

Always loving Lennie

Deeply concerned

Heather,

Wheeling fortune

No misgiving, you were no gamble

I asked God for a miracle

He answered

The miracle is you

There is too much blood hanging on your back.

Leave the strife, live a good life,

Don't you want to have a wife?

Shed some light, have some kindness, and fill the void of your emptiness.

I know that you have no money and you are distressed,

But there is no need to stop a man's progress.

We need justice, we need peace,

Let's come together and have a love feast.

I love you, you love me,

Let's eat from the unity tree.

Inside of me there is a roaring flame,

And a love for humanity that cannot be tamed.

I need you, you need me, to crime and violence let's all cry, 'Cree!'

Put down your swords, put down your knives, and harm less lives.

Let peace flow as heavy as the Niagara Falls,

To everybody love and justice calls.

We should love each other with the fire of a thousands suns,

That is strong enough to burn 10,000 guns.

Let love wash us whiter than snow, I have you and there is no foe.

We want to see less babies dying,

Less ladies crying and less senseless wars fighting.

Restore love, restore peace, restore justice,

So that we can have joy, happiness, and bliss.

- Kadeem 'Sleepy' Golebourne

Let's love

Let's love, God love

There is no bad love

Let's love

Love to be good

Not bad

Love to make us happy,

Not sad

For such a gift

Everyone should be glad

Let's love forever and

Live together as one

Everlasting life is the Most High's

Plan for everyone who loves

To be good

Loves to be great

Love, for Heaven's sake

Let's love, the feeling

Love is a healing

Love the only meaning

Life has

Let's love the beauty of nature

Let's love for a better future

Let's love for all life

Let's love to make it right

Let's love the birds and the bees, the animals

The creatures

Fishes in the sea

Love for all humanity

- Trevor McKenzie

I knelt with my fingers writing in the sand

Of all the experiences I've had

Of all the valleys crossed and the hills I have climbed

I walked on the mountain tops and soared with eagles in the highs of the sky

But I couldn't stay there no matter how hard I tried

For these are all we leave behind

When we are taken by death's sure tides

Our footprints on the sands of time

Some of us leave footprints too big to fill

For we dazzled the world with our style and skill

Some of us barely broke the sand

For we never had to courage to take a stand

But when death comes and I have served my time

You will remember me by the footprints I leave behind

- Seon Lewis

Love me enough

Love me, baby, but not more than enough.

Just love me any way you can.

Don't ever feel obligated to me because I treat you like an empress.

I'm not asking back for too much.

Complete devotion is not what I want from you.

Just a small portion of your love would bring me a satisfactory feeling.

You don't have to spend much time with me each day.

A few minutes of your attention would be all right.

There's no need to give me all of your love.

Baby, just love me enough to keep us together.

I have an inimitable love for you.

So I don't expect you to love me the way I love you.

Just love me enough and that will do.

- Marlon Pitter

'Love ... ?' on Valentine's Day

It's here again, Valentine's Day

Roses are red, violets are blue, on Valentine's Day

Sugar is sweet and so are you, this Valentine's Day

Champagne chilling, cute birdies singing, your cuddling, on Valentine's Day

Best chocolates, Swiss chocolates, your chocolate

Chocolates sweet, chocolates cheap, that chocolate is too expensive,

On Valentine's Day

Greeting cards flying by, impressing your partner you may try,

This Valentine's Day

Love is in the air

Flowers here, there and everywhere, on Valentine's Day

I hope Cupid's arrows remember how to steer this Valentine's Day

Consider your heart, this Valentine's Day

Because there should be no cardiac arrest on Valentine's Day

Love is like a bed of roses on Valentine's Day

What, really, does love mean on Valentine's Day?

God is unconditional love to all, this Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day, I just wish every day was Valentine's Day

Even when its not Valentine's Day

- Roshain R. Greensword

Please be my valentine

I have been thinking about you lately

And you've impressed me greatly

You are intelligent, smart and witty

You are delightful, charming and pretty.

I admire you much more than words can tell

Your charm has bound me like a spell

I would like to take you to a place where

We can chill

Like Dunn's River, Bath Fountain or Strawberry Hill.

I want you near.

Please be my darling dear.

I've sent you a love line.

Please be my Valentine.

- Anthony E. Morgan



Sweetie pie ... Di apple a mi eye!

Lis'n an yu wi hear mi calling.

Stop an mek mi waak wid yu darling.

Mi cyaan help it! In love wid yu mi is falling!

Mi git up evy day.

Fi yu sexy baddy mi a pray.

Nuh leave baby! Mi wah yu fi stay!

Mi wi wuk fi yu even widout pay!

Yu lips dem pretty like ripe cherry an sweet like ice cream!

Yu mek mi siddung an' a day dream!

Cah yu sexy baddy a let aaf nuff nuff steam!

Wed'n bells fi yu eena mi heart keep ringing.

Nuff love song fi yu mi keep singing.

Mi wah fi hole yu eena mi arms an neva stop clinging!

Sweetie pie ...

Yu a di apple a mi eye!

If mi cyaan hav yu, mi go die!

Neva leave mi. Neva say goodbye!

Baaby, mi luv yu su much!

Mi wah fi feel yu tenda touch.

Come home, mi sweet likkle bunny, an live eena mi hutch.

Mi luv yu style an' fashion!

Yu is like food wen it deh pah ration!

Ooman, mi luv yu wid a passion!

Mi sweet likkle cutie.

Wen mi look pah yu sexiness an beauty,

Twenty four-sevens mi wah fi stay pan duty!

- Anthony E. Morgan