Accompong: A nation within a nation
It’s Friday evening in Accompong, a small town nestled in the craggy hills of Cockpit Country, West Jamaica. We’re huddled around a flickering television screen in ‘Flashy’s Shop’ watching the evening news. The shop-come-bar is no more than four metres square, with empty shelves apart from a few bottles of Guinness and some tinned vegetables. […]
Father’s Day
From di day I was born yu neva loved meYu come call mi a jacket, attempting not to know meyet you run come gimme yu name-so why should I complain?!Mr. Henrick George Tucker…Jr?? Noooo man-CALL MI RICKY!Who cares if yu nev did dey deh fi teach mi sportsor cared enough to noticed only A’s from […]
The Mermaid
There she was with a baby in her arms on the bank of the river. There she sat in silence. Her thoughts were fixed on a place where ordinary people came together to make quilts for babies who were left on doorsteps. It was also a place where isolation became a long distance walk on […]
Motherland
From years gone back we were blackBut God gave us pride and our dignity we cannot hideThey packed us like tinsIn what seemed almost like garbage binsOur freedom we lost in the triangular crossMany died along the rideThose who lived now gave the tide. From our homeland of goldAnd plenteous riches untoldWe were captured as […]
Some Time Or Other Thought Come In My Heart
Some time or other thought come in my heartAs you are made for me, before this you were living on starsYou had invited on earth for meSome time or other thought come in my heartThe shadow of your silky hair is for meThis body & this looks are my trustSome time or other thought come […]
The Cosmic Life
Twinkle, twinkle yonder starsRuling planets, Neptune and MarsConstellations and Zodiac signsUnseen fate and future designs Kabbalah secrets and horoscopesMetaphysical and astrological hopesAs we put our faith in the UniverseWhere planets align and wisdom disperse In earnest we wish, upon falling starsIn hopes of changing who we areCompatible signs of love we inquireMagical solutions for our […]
Admirer
Girl, how you look suh good?Mi caan take mi eyes affa yuhYou are the epitome of beautyA truly special additionTo Almighty God’s creation I would like tuh knowIf tuh me yuh are attractedDat would surely helpTo fulfill some of mi desiresAnd further confirm, dat di Fada answers prayers If dis appens to be one-sidedNutten nuh […]
I Love A Woman
The man was therethe lady was there.Bare to bare, arms in arms.One for her, one for him.Love’s miraclelike love is love and love is allonce you find it. Once you find it, you defend ityou protect it, you share itand it never dies once you find it.Once it’s true you can die for it. It’s […]
My Sweet Gorilla
She went through my thingssearching searchingsearching for symbolssearchingfor no trustnot knowing the alphabetto read soul. Computer files violatedbytes read unexplainedwriting mixed with notesletters, thoughts, books to comean artist unexplained.Random disorganisationyet organised mosaic of life. She behaved to meas if she was shejealousy uncontrolledpossessiveness not lovecontrol not freedomno listening, no understandingcould not listen to herself.She knows.That’s […]
Immigrant life
Farren life nuh easyhear mi when mi sehif yuh tink yuh caa stan itstay whe yuh deh Family always tell yuhyuh can come an stay wid dembut if yuh stay more dan two weekstrust mi, is a big problem yuh nuh always get work dat yuh wantcaas it nuh suh easy fi findsuh yuh haffi […]