Poems

Celebrating miracles

That moment you wake up and you can see, feel, hear, taste and smell.

That’s a magnificent miracle to many people, can’t you tell?

Life flows through your body.

Your heart warms up with each beat of life.

The rhythm of life echoes through the atmosphere.

The brain lights up with each thought that is created.

The creator of life has sustained you throughout the challenges that congregated.

It took a miracle for the price he had to pay.

The many dangers that he shielded us from that came our way.

The job, business, home and clothing that he provided.

The food that filled the cupboards and

The healing that you prayed for and received.

It took a miracle, modern-day miracles are still happening.

Protection throughout a worldwide pandemic;

Now that miracle is epic.

And we cannot forget the miracles of ancient times.

Turning water into wine so that everyone at the wedding could dine.

Feeding five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish.

Resurrecting the dead, giving sight to the blind, healing the cripple

And parting the Red Sea.

Let’s celebrate the miracles of 2020, 2021 and 2022.

And declare 2022 as the year that many of our dreams and aspirations will come through.

Let’s celebrate the victory over a battle that you thought would never end.

Let’s celebrate the miracles that we don’t even comprehend.

The bills that were paid on time;

The debts that were mysteriously cleared;

The problems that were solved when no one supported you;

The blessing that came when you needed it the most;

The favour that you received when you felt rejected;

The success that you attained when no one believed you could.

It took a miracle; my God is a miracle-working God.

The strength, love, inner peace and joy that God installs within your heart.

Don’t forget that every day is a miracle,

A spectacle of God’s grace and mercy towards us.

- Erika Heslop Martin

Linstead – Linstead mawkit

Mi always ere the song

‘Carri mi ackee go a Linstead mawkit nat a quatty wot sell’

but mi neba even know whe Linstead, much less Linstead mawkit deh

So when mi job rosta read dat mi a fi go a Linstead

Mi did glad a neba mi one.

Di mawing a di journi, mi get up early and fel mi yard

Mi go pick up mi co-worker and set off fi Linstead town

Mi live a Jamrock, more years dan the rock independent

But mi was glad she was wid mi

Cause anybady weh know mi, know sey

Mi is one fi lose mi way, even if yu gi mi di map.

So wi on the journi

Mi neba chat much, cause mi was tinking bout di

Bridge whe dem call flat and

Di fog whe dem sey usually com dong ina di gorge

Mi was appy how mi drive ova the bridge, an nuh fog neba cum dong.

Mi co-worker was a good guide, an di bank did good too

Cause di sign ‘RBTT’ was along di way

Wi complete di journi an reach a Linstead town

An much to mi surprise, di bank was beside

Di Linstead mawkit.

Mi co-woker lef the office, sey she gone a di mawkit

An as a decide fi go meet har

A she dat mi si a com back

She did lef Linstead a loooong time ago

But mi dears, she tell mi sey eveybady memba har

Memba fram she Lillie bit, memba she ma, she pa

An the siblings dem

An to top it off, dem gi har likkle groung provisions

Cause har parents dem did a good smaddy.

So mi lef Linstead town dat dey day and neba si de mawkit

Months lata, mi was on a neda rosta fi go a Linstead

An mi determin dat mi a go ina di mawkit befoe mi lef the town

A mek a announcement, dat mi waan go a di mawkit

An Ms. Stewy tek di challenge and decide fi falla mi

But not before all in ear shot try explain to mi

Sey is di rong time a day, rong time a year

Put pon top a dat, rain set up fi fall.

So wi set off fi di mawkit

Ms. Stewy tek di lead, mi trying fi ole up di rear

Mi caan gi yu a before, a afta, only a now

Cause mi neba liv ina di time a quatty currency.

Mi dears, a go ina di mawkit

Every now an den she look back fi si if mi behine har

Mi tun roun an roun, mi lookin fi ackee

But instead, mi si boot, clothes, house tings

Whe di food stuff dey?

At last mi buck up pon some ackee

Di saying sey ‘fuss wata hog si, im jump ina it’

Mi was like hog

Mi si the ackee, mi ask the price

An decide sey mi a go change tings

Mi a go wok it like time tunnel.

So mi tek out mi monie, pay fi di ackee

An glad dat at least one smaddy will be appy a go ome tinight

Dat dem ackee neba get feel up feel up

An mo dan quatty wot sell.

- Norma Dixon