Poems

The Pain

I feel your pain when you were raped and your attacker showed no remorse as he stared into your eyes and pumped bullets into your fragile body

I feel your pain as he took your virginity then treated you like a tramp when you told him that you were carrying his child

I feel your pain when you had to do things that you would not have ordinarily done

I feel your pain as you suffer in the cold, cold foreign land

No one to lend a hand

I feel your pain as your parent hurled insults at you

I feel your pain when you cried because the man you love lied to you as he slept with a woman he called his friend

I feel your pain as you grieve the loss of your only child

I feel your pain as your loved one succumbs to the debilitating illness

I feel your pain as you yearn for the love of your dad or mom who never finds time for you

I feel your pain as you long for a friend to share your worries

I feel your pain as you gave up Christianity to be with the man you love

I feel your pain as you squander your possessions

And you have moved from riches to rags

I feel your pain as you struggle with the acceptance of yourself

I feel your pain as you go through your divorce

I feel your pain as you cannot recall who you are or what you used to do.

You have lost your identity

I feel your pain as you no longer remember your humble beginnings

You are trapped in the world of materialism

I feel your pain as you try to cope with the challenges of school life, challenges of life

I feel your pain

I feel your pain your pain your pain.

I feel your pain

- Charmaine E. Gooden Monteith

Emotions to Ink

Crushed papers, watery eyes

Every line begins with a tear

Hurt, pain, sadness, demise

All words describing her deepest fear

Futile thoughts of green pastures

As she tries to put her emotions to ink

But the sorrows of life masks the faint laughters

That she tried relentlessly to in sync

The tenth paper hits the floor with a sigh of frustration

She gave up and turned to God's creation

In the whispers of the wind laid inspiration

The chirps of the birds screamed relaxation

She could hear the footsteps of silence

As nature felt her divine presence

Her emotions seeped through her pores

While endless lyrics walked through sealed doors.

- Shuancie Barrett

Secret Admirer

Years you kept appearing before me

I never saw you

With your eyes, you spoke to me

I never heard you

Busy chasing butterfly dreams

I mistook infatuation for love

Became Mrs So and So

And shattered my heart

Ripped my soul apart

Swore I would never love again

There was no emotion I would feel

I shielded my heart

Now Mrs Ice and steel

Away from your circle I moved

You no longer appeared before me

I kept seeing you

I kept hearing the messages of your eyes

I began to melt as when the sun's rays

caress the snow

Determined my heart I kept on shielding

Through the voices of two strangers

You spoke

Expressing your feelings

Hope in me invoked

It proved to be the smelter's furnace that

removed my shield

Once more you appeared before me

I saw you

You spoke to me with your eyes

I heard you

My heart you mended

My soul you healed

But how could you love me?

I am worn

How could you love me?

I am tattered

Am I dreaming again?

Tell me with your lips you've always loved me

- Veronica Y. Anderson

The Church is weeping

The Church is weeping for her children

Boys, now changed to twisted men

Unable to accept themselves

Because of what others did to them.

The Church is weeping for her children

Girls, turned into confused women

Unable to even love themselves

Because of what others did to them.

The message of hope that Mother Church doth bear

Is mixed with bitterness and fear

Fear for the trusting ones in cloistered hands,

Who through subterfuge,

Are annihilated by those very hands.

The message of love that Mother Church doth preach

Oft transforms itself into a carnal beast

Which bites and growls in spirited delight

As it wriggles its immoral self into unsuspecting lives.

The Church is weeping without restraint

Bemoaning the freewill

Through which her people have dodged kindness

To endorse the ills.

But, their tears will flow tomorrow

As they stand before themselves

Harnessed by a stoic conscience And forced to reap the consequence!

- Erica Brown Marriott

Blood Country

Seet deh again, it's blood!

Yuh look pon di news, it's blood!

TV itta a run wid blood!

Newspaper write up inna blood!

Dem seh di word is love

But the work is blood,

Boy 13 inna blood!

All di madda dem a scream, no love!

All di caring an di hug, dem a tugs

All the families a cry, man a die,

Caaw man nuh tek death from nuh guy.

When yuh tink it's peace, a more grief,

Man a fall pon di street like leaf

When tink it's calm, more storm,

In di middle a di night more gawn

Seet deh again, more death!

It deh-deh pon di news like heck!

Guy a sen death threat

Have girlfriend a fret

Man hear bout it anna step

Man a call man bluff have nedda man a puff,

Man steppin pon di cut wid machine gun up

See deh again more grief,

When yuh tink it's peace, zinc fence itta leak,

Itaa drip down red, mom a hol har head,

When you think a di end more dead

New names pon di fence

Cause one a tek him revenge

Numbers write pon di wall

Fi all di belly ache weh a gwaan!

If you look pon a man, iz blood!

If you walk like a dawg, graveyard!

Yeah one more name inna blood,

While di minister a shout fi di love

One more death have many a sweat,

New families a fret,

Some send death threat

A guy hear it anna step.

Seet deh again, more blood!

- Homer Sylvester

Devaluate Me!

Devaluate me all you want.

Though I am disabled,

I never tell myself I can't.

I will show you what I can do,

I can do as much as you.

Devaluate me and I will embrace you,

No matter what you plan to do.

Do all what you want,

Because I am blessed,

And your action cannot cause me to stress.

I am so happy and stress free,

Serving the Lord is a part of my degree,

Do your best and do it now,

As long as to the Lord I made my vow.

Just do some more and don't you stop,

One day you will end up in the Lord's trap.

Why stop now,

Don't be afraid,

because your pay is already made.

Thank you very much,

I enjoy what you do,

I wish to God you could do something new,

What you did to me makes me so happy,

And that cannot break my Christianity.

- Richard Henry