Poems

 

Your Mother's Prayer

 

 

In the cradle of your mother's womb, you fought for life;

So life, and health, and strength to you were given.

Though she had no strength to fight,

And though the labour took her life,

You burst, from death and darkness, into life and light;

A metaphoric indication of God's plan for your life;

In response to your dying mother's prayer!

Like Abraham of old,

You took your father's name and made it great.

The mystery of your mother's name was never solved;

Yet in the life you lived, there was resolve,

To build your life upon

Your mother's prayer!

Your adventures as a youth need not be told;

For men have erred, but God's grace overflows:

Except to say that you, with wisdom chose

A woman who would love you and uphold

Your life, guided by

Your mother's prayer!

Like an architect, designing a master plan;

You focused on your family, blueprints in hand:

Then built ten walls of steel, with diamond studs;

Embedded in the rock of God's benevolent hand,

As you carved your life upon

Your mother's prayer!

And now, the reciprocating influence of God's grace;

Which took you humble man, and made you great;

When, in retrospect, your life's perused;

May in one melodious symphony conclude:

You have fulfilled the plan of God indeed;

Now may God's blessings be upon your seed:

Because your life was guided by the God who answers prayer

Your Mother's Prayer!

Hyacinth Burgess-Gregory

(in honour of my father, Ronald Burgess)

 

Miss Jamaica Doll

 

 

Mommy, I want a pretty, white dolly

Dis one dat look like Rapunzel

Or dis likkle Barbie

Why not di Black one

Har hair too picky picky

Mi want a Miss Jamaica Doll

Wid hair tall and pretty

The Black one is pretty as a book

No Mom, I want one

Wid di Miss Jamaica look

No you sey Brownings

Wuck in Bank

While Black people tun Crook

Den yu tell Aunt Nook

To cream out my nappy look

Is di Black one yu can afford

Well doan worry yaa Mommy

Yu an' Aunt Nook

Have nuff Harpic and Curry

How mi know bout dat?

Cause yu join di Michael Jackson World

From a pretty, black boy

To a changed White World

In any case

Di Black one way too fat

And Dolly doan start happen

Till collar bone start crack

The aim is to look

Like a Somalian Sprat

But I can give har Immunogizer

And trim down dat

So Mommy if I cyaa get a white one

A Brown one just as pretty

Wha dat yu sey bout Marcus Garvey

Philosophy?

Oh Mommy, I know all about

My Black History

Is yua did waan change

Why I was being so tricky

So Mommy, please buy dat

Pretty, Black Dolly

The one dat look like Davina

Afro- Bold and Frizzy

White not di only

Standard of beauty

Is di message

I am preaching

Beauty is now Afro-centric

Since Davina do di teaching.

Lisa Gaye Taylor

A Tribute to Miss Lou

 

Wat a joyful news Miss Mattie

 

 

Yuh neva did hear

Seh dem a unveil Miss Lou statue

Inna Gordon Town square

Wat a fitting gift an piece a history

Fi unveil a statue in har honour

Fi commemorate di 99 birthday anniversary

Ah di place weh she grow up wid har mother

Mi feel proud and excited suh till

Mi feel elated cause is a well-deserved

tribute still

Miss Lou a wi cultural icon

Wi leading comedienne an patois beacon

Miss Lou bring wi dialect tu life

And wuz Eric Coverley "Chalk Talk" wife

Although patois wuz frowned upon by some intellectuals inna 1962

Yuh neva meck dat badda yuh

Yuh persevere till yuh put patois pon di map

Miss Lou wuz Jamaica Cultural Ambassador

at Large

A she seh "Patois and Bandana tu di wurl!"

Nung bandana an patois teck charge

Miss Lou is wi folklorist, linguist, poet an writa

Activist, radio an television personality an educata

Miss Lou iz mi inspiraata, mi influensa

She iz wurl renown an mi patois menta

"Aunty Roachy" seh tenky tu di Cultural Minister an di Govt a Jamaica fi honour her on har 99 birthday wid dis statue

Miss Lou says "Unnu walk good an meck good duppy follow unnu"

Happy birthday Miss Lou!

Sharon Johnson-Wright