To Maya Angelou

You gave us uncaged voices to sing the songs of righteousness,

and redemptions for generations to come.

Your melody so profound, speaks to every vein in our bodies.

No cage could ever silence your will.

Indeed the "word is mightier than the sword".

You inspired and gave us wings to soar the unthinkable heights.

Your journeys travelled well, your time well spent.

You remain our guiding light yesterday, today for generations.

- Newlyn (Neil) Seaton

For Maya ...

It took your dying

To make me wanna live,

It took your dying

To make me wanna give,

To Give of myself, completely.

To Live with myself, totally.

It took your dying

To make me wanna live,

It took your dying

To make we wanna give,

To Give, until giving, gives life.

To Live, until living, lives life.

It's in your dying, that you live to give life again.

- S.L. Gordon

Truth-Phobia

Is our Government

Going to sacrifice

Our people

On the altar of

US money

And US morals?

Are they going to

Let what is decent,

Clean and good

Be sacrificed

For a very few who

Are their own little gods?

Look at the EU too,

Look at the gathering

Storms - earthquakes

In the UK in winter

(January 2014) and now

Flooding in the Balkans.

What about the tornadoes

And the sinkholes?

Do these crazy demon

Inspired people think

That they can control

The All-Powerful One

With US or EU dollars?

Jamaica must not

Sacrifice its people!

Is our Government

Going to defend us?

Dear Peter, I prayed

So hard for you

When appointed as

Finance Minister and

God did help you and

This year 1.6% growth in

The economy - are you

Going to let Jamaica

Dangle on a string of

Spiritual bankruptcy?

Ms Portia, how I wept

With joy when you first

Were sworn-in as PM

At King's House, calling on

God, but now you are silent,

Surrounded by US and EU money

And a pack of wolves who

Do not know or love the

Sweet Friend I have known

All of sixty-seven years, for

Even from the womb

He was my God and so He

Always will be - but

Is our government

Going to sacrifice our people?

Is our government going

To sacrifice our children?

Sacrifice us for a little beef stew?

- Millie Grant-Smith

Serendipity

Life is fleeting

It's a race against time

We're here today, gone tomorrow

Don't make room for regret and sorrow

Yesterday is gone, the future is ahead

Live in the present instead

Unleash the day's trials and burdens

Every night before laying your head

To sleep like a baby when you go to bed

Be daring, discover your wild side

You'll be in for a wonderful surprise

Have fun, go out, play a game

Reignite the romantic flame

With the love who got away

Maybe it's not too late to start again

Let go of what hurts to remember

Focus on the happy season in December

Forgive, forget, start fresh

Say the magical words, 'I love you'

It makes a difference, that's true

Mend what's broken, heal the wounds

Learn from setbacks and misfortunes

Leave the door open for a new beginning

Do things that are challenging and fulfilling

Be grateful and appreciate the joy of living

- S. Dionne Phillips