Poetry

Poem of the week


When Freedom Reigns

Freedom reigns when we get rid of tribalism

And abandon any form of barbarism.

When we are not pursued by our own

And exchanged or sold to those unknown.

When we are not forced to ride the ocean wide

And thrown over-board, 'midst the raging tide.

Freedom reigns when families are allowed to

stay together,

And not separated by any type of weather.

When disparity does not exist between workers

in the home and those in the field,

When equality and justice become the guide and shield.

Freedom reigns when the chains are broken and the

whips disappear,

And there is peace and quiet everywhere.

When our hearts are free towards our brother and sister

When we try to calm the nerve and heal the blister.

When spite and enmity, hatred and deception

Rear the heads but can find no reception.

When we are educated enough to differentiate between right

and wrong,

And participate in all that is healthy to move

us along.

So let's stand tall with our flag and raise it high,

As far as it can go up to the sky,

For freedom reigns when we uplift our nation

And participate in true liberation,

When hands and hearts are joined , when we

love and forgive,

And live as God really wants us to live.

- Nalda Taylor-Wright

Water Woes

The grass is brown, crisp and dry

Withered plants bring tears and a sigh

Crops are fighting the hot days of summer

With little or no water

The vegetation's thirst is barely quenched

It's survival of the fittest

Mastering the art of a bath from a bottle

We're still trying to operate at full throttle

Taking a shower is out of our hands now

For the moment, many have lost that power

Cars are now fashioned with dust

It's embarrassing for most of us

Let's hope this crisis will soon be over

Water has to be spared and conserved

For there isn't a lot in reserve

It's a dilemma in more ways than one

Rain, I pray for you to come

'Cause the water woes aren't welcome!

- S. Dionne Phillip

National Pride

What does it mean to have National Pride

When a man can kill the

mother of his child

What does it mean to have National Pride

When a father tells his daughter it is time

When our leaders sell us out for an IMF deal

When my freedom of speech is no longer free

What does it mean to have National Pride

When a man with a degree sits with a headset on,

Student Loan breathing down I man neck and

I still kyaan mek it right with JPS.

What does it mean to have National Pride

When a motherless child is forced to a life of crime

When a husband is forced to watch a man rape his wife

Then told it's your time.

When dem kick off yuh door, tek yuh from yuh bed

Tell yuh fi kneel and shoot yuh in the head.

Mama cries, tempers flare but nothing is done another unknown dead.

What does it mean to have National Pride

When my opinion no longer counts, my no's mean maybe,

My politicians are shady, selling, side-stepping

While our people waste away, no interest in our history

No foundation.

16 and kyaan read but no worries mommy knows somebody

Jamaica, Jamaica land of wood and water

Likkle but we talawa, pure trendsetters

Oh Jamaica land of beauty

What does it mean to have National Pride

What does it mean?

- Kimona Smith

Today I smiled

Today I smiled

At you

Frozen there

In the photograph

Left too long atop

Shelves collecting dust

Frame beginning to rust,

Oh I smiled.

I gave a low chuckle

Reflecting on you play

The role more

Skillfully than you

Did of that politician

You imitated in our

Final Year Play

Truthfully,

You were a better

Casanova than M.P.

I laughed loudly

As I took a close look at

Your eyes wide open

Clothed as a twinkle,

But shiny with deceit

Like that Old Serpent

Masked beneath lies,

And false promises,

Oh, those eyes!

I spoke

Softly at first,

Whispered in your ear

All the things I'd learned

Tricks of the trade

I'd only just discovered...

You bastard

Today I broke my

Silence.

- Laveta Mead