Poetry
Published:Sunday | July 8, 2012 | 12:00 AM
POEM OF THE WEEK
Blind Journey on the 16A
Eleven o' clock bus
Greater Portmore
to Cross Road
Blind man mounts
Somewhere above
Christian Pen
deaf mother
in animated conversation, infant in tow
Bus chugging along
something wrong
We have to switch at Half-Way Tree
True de rear-view mirror wants
Adjusting
Move to a 500
Vex how me have to stand up in this articulated
Lose mi seat
Deaf mother
Tries
Till awaiting
Some chivalry
gets
A seat
But to my surprise
De Bus have music
God changes the
Bus
to give you
A better ride on the inside
... Stevie Wonder? No Bob Marley
Guitar man tuning out
My pain
"Lord I want to be where you are ..."
Two blind men making music
And dem can sing
"... feasting at your table surrounded by your glory"
"Lord I lift your name
On high ..."
Red offering coin container
Become musical instrument
Passengers pleased
Old lady rocking
"Thanks, thanks, I give you
thanks
For all you've done ...
I am so blessed ... "
And so went the encore
Passing National bread
Biscuit and bun
Pedestrian crossing to
Balmoral
Singing still
"... And now let the weak Say I am
Strong,
Let the poor
Say I am rich
Because of what
The Lord has done
For us ... Give thanks "
One blind man
disembarks at
Cross Roads the
Other follows,
the one
with
one sorta can
see something
out of eye
- Helen-Ann Wilkinson
Teach me to be silent
Teach me to be silent, O lord for I have said enough.
Enough of nothing
Enough of something
Enough
Enough
Enough
If I remain silent I am uneasy in the brain
Remove the unease, O Lord
So that I may be content in silence
Listening more and talking less
For my talking has done very little to help.
Teach me to be silent, O Lord
For I have said enough.
- Corrie Cunningham-Brooks
Boom! Py! Py!
Boom! Py! Py!
Dat is di sound of bullets a fly!
Boom! Py! Py!
Man, ooman ah pikni a cry!
Boom! Py! Py!
Like animals di people dem a die!
Mi live eena Jamaican ghetto.
Dis a nuh Lebanon or Sowetto!
But we have gunman like soldiers from NATO!
Di gun dem too big fi carry eena dem pocket!
Di gunman dem tek di place an lock it!
Bullets a fly ova mi head like rocket!
Mi live eena wah likkle lane.
Mi tink seh di man dem insane!
Di man dem have bullets like rice grain!
Look like a new kine a Santa com fi destroy
Is like every big man an bwoy
Get som deadly assault rifle fi toy!
Boom! Py!Py! Blouse an skirt!
Di murdera dem at mi door!
Boom! Py! Py! Whoooy! Dem come fir murda some more!
Boom! Py! Py! Dem a kill aaf di rich!
Dem a kill aaf di poor!
Man wi kill man ova di bun ting!
But is like di gun ting
Has become a fun ting.
Night an day di man dem guh hunting!
Some come fi paralyse yu.
Some a dem com fi terrorise yu.
Addas come strikly fi 'duppy-rise' yu!
Boom Py! Py!
Mi fren guh kraas di wata
Fig gu chek a likkle dawta.
A him di man dem jus slawta!
Di murdera dem seh war!
Man a du drive by eena kaar!
Man get shot an ded eena di bar!
Boom! Py! Py!
Dem wikid son-af-a-gun!
Boom Py! Py! Di man dem a fya som big heleva gun!
Boom! Py! Py! Too much blood a run!
Boom! Py! Py! Mi wah di shootin fi dun!
- Anthony E. Morgan
I rise
Though sadness creeps upon me ...
I rise
Though I still remember the times we had ...
Though I still think of the you and it makes me sad ...
I rise
Though things have gone back the way they use to be ...
Before I met you, before you met me ...
I rise
I use to think of you and I ...
Forever
Even when we die...
Forever
I thought that we would fly in love.
Hand in hand
But now?
All that's left are memories
Constant voices of broken and empty promises you made to me
But guess what?
I rise
For you and I were never truly meant to be
If only my eyes were not so blind to see
The truth of your stealth and devious diversity ... of personality
And though my heart still feels this way ...
After it's been four months at bay ...
I will rise and leave those thoughts with yesterday
Peace be with you
For by myself I will stay and ...
Rise.
- Debra M. Mason
Anyone
Anyone can become enslaved if they work for nothing long enough
Anyone can be buried if they stay in one place long enough
Anyone can lose his way if he walks the wrong path long enough
Work for something!
Move!
Walk the right path!
- Corrie Cunningham-Brooks