Poems

Children are at play

 

The children are at play.

Some are eating dirt.

Others are mudslinging.

Some are uprooting.

Others are sidestepping the mess.

 

It’s the nature of the game

To refute and shame,

To scandalize and rebuke,

To denounce and renounce

In the house!

 

And, as some of those quite

influential children play,

Frustrated, others spend both

night and day

Playing noise; plying pellets;

plying drugs;

And mass producing replicas of

themselves

Under the ambit of love!

 

The children are at play.

What’s wrong?

They play with gusto;

wild abandon!

They play forcefully,

passionately, calculatedly,

To please themselves and

those who cheer them on

From balconies, behind fences,

Within the shadows.

 

The children are at play.

They must stop, one day!

– Erica Brown Marriott

 

 

The Second Touch

Inspired by

Bishop Purcell N. Brown

Sermon – Chisleu 3, 2011

 

Touch,

Just a word….A simple action,

That has from the beginning of

time charged mankind

Provoking response,

effecting emotion……

A tool of temptation that broke

the perfect design….

‘Heed not the fruit of the tree in

the garden’s midst’

But so simple a touch was too

hard to resist.

 

It has written many a destinies

Steered many a paths, given

chances, healed many a hearts.

‘If I should but, His garment

touch, I’ll go and prophecy.’

‘Son of David have mercy on

me,’ was the blind man’s cry….

Defying reason, and usual

impulse –the way it’s often done

Jesus with spittle and one touch,

made right a physical wrong

Yet another was needed –one

didn’t do much

For his vision was still blurred,

he needed the second touch…..

 

The first is just the start, it sets

you on your way,

The second does the job and

guarantees a righteous pay

Water –washed, the soul remains

old, warring with the flesh

Spirit –filled it’s renewed; it has

died its carnal death.

At peace with itself and all men,

it boasts commitment

to the plan of salvation

The first touch, ‘Puts us into the

church, the second puts

the church into us,’ the words of

a wise man

Who with effortless conviction,

encouraged in his sermon…..

 

To be incomplete, we must

strive against…

For wholesomeness is the means

to the perfect end.

So, do not settle for the first,

it is not enough;

But just….

Reach out your hand and heed

the Second Touch.

– Tashanna Byfield

 

 

No race

No race none of that in this place

Ye that exalteth shall be abased

Some a dem think this is a mental

or physical or intellectual race

If the truth be told then you

will learn

Intellectuality is good but

knowledge with service to my

Lord is better

Because that’s the only way

the unionisation will happen

And that’s all of my father’s plan

Middle class expression

with first class potency

The journey begins and

education inspiration with

persuasive abilities

That’s the journey I’m on right

Righteousness exalteth

every man and woman

Knowledge has the keys to

fulfil our destinies

Read history forefather’s

prophecy and then the truth

will set/build your capacity

I’m going to clear the pathways,

be ready

The things you do the things you

say the company you keep

will tell who and what you are

Because some of you are some

falling star

But I know that those from the

flock that stray

In short time they shall find

their way

With principles and good practice

They shall find their way back

quick quick quick

The truth have to swim on top

Just like oil in water, so sayeth

me and my blessed father

My Lord taught me well,

and said,

Let your heart retain my words

and live,

Ye children of the Lord and

then you

Shall have enough to give,

remember my name is Poole

Swim, swim, swim

This is my analogy

– Dwight Poole

 

Jamaica 57

 

57 The lucky number of the year

for our island Jamaica

Let’s join hands together, share

and give thanks to our creator

Long and hard we have fought

to be

An island to be recognised

throughout the Caribbean Sea

And throughout the entire world

we’ve made a mark

Indelible it is thanks to those

who gave us our start

Many have wondered because

of our size

How a country so small still

manages to rise

We’ve been knocked down

and pushed aside

But we got up with strength

fuelled by our pride

 

For 57 years we have been

able to stand

On our own two feet we are

proud Jamaicans

And though small in size,

much bigger is our strength

We are rich in pride with our

people as our wealth

 

We have done it again,

another year of being

independent

Overcoming our fears and

eradicating every trace

of resentment.

Jamaica is paradise, our little

slice of heaven

Set the pace, lead the race and

celebrate 57.

– Herad Howell