Colin X - The boatman waxes poetic

Paul H. Williams, Contributor

He was born Colin Beckford 46 years ago. Today, he's known as Ringo, who has a ring in his nose, a skilled boatman who has been taking visitors around Portland's San San Bay and Blue Lagoon.

But Beckford is no ordinary boatman, for whenever he's not attending to his gift shop or giving visitors a trip, he may just be writing and reciting his poems. And that's when he prefers to call himself Colin X.

It was a pleasant surprise for Arts and Education when Beckford revealed his alter ego after taking me for a trip recently. As soon as he jumped out of his boat, he went towards his collection of books on a table, and his own poems in a pile on a chair.

For whatever reason, he was moved to tell me about his books and poems. The Blue Lagoon trip was behind us. It was now a discourse about his interest in the black story of which he's a part. It wasn't just about the interest, but also about being an activist, about writing poems about Africa and black people.

And his flair for performance could not keep still, for without much egging, he closed his eyes and delved into one of his poems, and another, and another. It was like he was dying to delve into his repertoire, which he intends to publish as a collection.

In a second meeting with Beckford, it was really a powerful and poignant moment when 'Colin X' stood on a bobbing boat and recited one of his poems in the presence of some of his acquaintances, and a few visitors who clapped after his animated performance, pictures of which are printed on these pages.

Today, we also give an insight into the mind of Colin X, the poetic boatman, through two of his poems, O Africa Morning Glory, and The Mother Continent Africa.

O Africa Morning Glory

O Africa morning glory

I see the day when the sun rises her story

And Africa rise her story.

Across the cape her beam is so great

Your seeds so black and beautiful

Almighty your work shall be wonderful

O Africa morning glory.

For nature sings its morning song

While the people humbly respond

Give grace to the African Glory

It's an African story

O African morning glory.

She rises across the sky

To keep her people's ties

African redemption, our story

O, it is an African story.

For the most high created us to be what we are

The sun rises afar

Africans stand up proud

Let's shout it out loud

It is an African story

O Africa morning glory.

The Mother Continent Africa

Have passion my brothers and sisters

Of the mothers and fathers on the continent

Oh mother continent Africa.

The voices of the ancestors wail for freedom

'Oh Africa! What a beautiful redemption.'

East, West, North, South Africa

Rise to the mother continent Africa.

Fertilising the bottom of the ocean?

That was not fun

'Rather to die, than to be a slave'

'Oh! My bondage and my freedom'

'Oh! The mother continent Africa'

Flies across the mouth, you laugh

Take a different thought

Black we are

United we stand

Divided we fall

Oh the mother continent Africa

Africa! Africa! Africa!