Poems

Be born in us

“Matches and razors! Who wants di matches ‘n razor?” shouts a female voice;

“500 fi di blouses. Ooman get ur blouse fi 500” said a male vendor.

“Jingle bells, jingle bells..” plays a passing van.

Along the sidewalks, with walls

washed in white; gungo peas in a bundle;

while sorrel, ginger waiting for rum to dance ‘n tumble.

In the streets, vendors block pedestrians,

as goods spread pon di pavement,

lurking, tempting and cajoling “buy supni from Mi!”

In the nights, pretty pretty lights

dazzle wi yeye and mek even pennie walli fright.

Closed shop buildings now adorned in overlays of hanging clothes,

make department stores look like dem nuh have no clothes.

“Jingle bells, jingle bells..” plays in the distance.

Everbodi a sell, but few buyers.

Sum sey nuh cash in a circulation, but outcircled the nation.

Around di corner, clad in red and white, sweet voices of children singing:

“Christmas comes and Christmas goes, yet pain and violence sadly grow.

We cry and hurt. When will it end?

Is there a saviour, a messiah whom you’ll send?

We pray in hope, please hear our cry, or is the story just a lie?

We need the child to show the way. Come now, be born in us today”

In my mind and heart, I now remember, It’s the season of the Savior’s birth;

Beyond the curious crowd, a message struggle to be rooted,

“Come now, be born in us today.”

That’s the reason for the season.

– Dudley McLean II

---

God, I am sorry

God, I am sorry for all the bad things I have done,

For I was blinded by sin and thought it was fun.

God, I am sorry for doing things I should not be doing,

For I knew they were wrong, even though you gave me a warning.

God, I am sorry for engaging in wrong,

For sin easily pressured me because I am young;

God, I am sorry that I am not wise,

For if I was, I would win the Nobel Prize of eternal life.

God, I am sorry for allowing sin to win.

But I promise that one day I will stand against sin.

– Kevin Williams