Work
Okay, Okay, I know what you will say I am too tired and weary at the end of the day But suppose you were to look at it this way If I don’t work, how will I get payed? Alright, Alright, but before you sigh Think of all that your paycheck can buy Yes, I […]
Jamaica Bawling
Jamaica from distant shores I can hear youBawling…. so loud snow fell in summerYour wailing sadness, I taste your tears From so far, your belly burning, I feel itOh! what happened, what mourning retched doomBecome your soulLike no sadness I’ve knownLike no other……….you moanMy Jamaica, my Jamaica, O my JamaicaHow can I bring comfort Tell […]
Militancy In The Pursuit Of Freedom
Militancy not passiveness Will set the people free It is known to every Oppress That has proclaimed liberty Militancy not passiveness A difference you will see One stands for prompt action The other you sing, "we shall overcome" Militancy not passiveness Then captives will be free From savage and oppression rule To justice and equality […]
A Love Letter to Jamaica
For a week or two we’ll fall in love againI will bathe in your richesMake passionate love to your sunshineDetoxify my soul and thaw my bonesI will be home, Jamaica, for yet a little whileTo be impregnated again with a permanent smileYour clean breath on my face, rejuvenates my every cellFor one more year, until […]
My Beloved
Today I stand beside you and declareTo family and friends that you areMy BelovedYou are the one my heart lovesYou are the one He chose for meWhen you walked into my lifeAll the shadows fled awayAnd the sunlight flooded in Your kisses are sweeter than jackfruitSofter than ripe mangoesYour arms are a shelter from the […]
This World Or That World
Now let it be this world or that worldWhy should I pray to dieWhy should I wish to liveNow let it be this world or that worldNow who would wish to live in the world Copyright 2003 Shakir Nizam Khan
SONJI
With oriental eyes and a Jamaican smilespeaks like a Londonerbut she is much more.There is a smileit comes from inside.She plays with your hand and the skin is fresh.You caress her foot and that’s enough.She lives inside me nowSomeday we should live togetherShe worried about colourbut we are all out of Africa!Does soul have a […]
The Picture
All I got is a pictureJamaican smileJamaican childrenOne bigger, one smaller.A Jamaican motherTwo Jamaican daughtersSmiles as good as her’s can beSitting still, posing happyDisneyland in France.How close to WoolwichHow far from Jamaica land of birth. All I got is a pictureIt came once by mailWhen all was wellAnd it stays with meIt gave me lifeIt […]
Independence
Independence come every yearAnd we celebrate with lots of cheersCome one and all get ready to cheerIts independence once again. We celebrate Independence day every yearIt dosn’t matter what the dateIt always the first Monday in August so youwon’t forget the date. Cheer up Jamaicans everywhere ,we too have independence once a yearpack you bag […]
In Search Of gods
brown sugarJamaican gals/soaked by memoriesdancing mythically songs of emotions/lostsweet afro-caribbean gals weeping/living/searchingfor their gods/mystically false/dead dreams/hopes/endlessly in oblivion black women with so many rivers to cross/sooften wet/so often bleeding/so often…black gals/street walkers/back breakers/food providers/seekerscomfort givers/pleasure/ black galsblack galsblack gals in African colors/traditionally cane dyedbanana stained/mango wet/papaya bled/cassava starchedto colonize a generation misled by hunger/philosophy/angergone/in years […]