Poems

 

 

Marcus and the Bleacher

 

Marcus Garvey raise last night

And addressed a Bleacher

"Why do you my black princess

Look like you come from China?"

'She sey, Bwoy Marcus, yu dead long time

Mi no answer to no preacher

I take all my instructions

Strictly from Adidjah

Look how mi brown and pretty

Look how mi trash and clean

Now nuff Uptown man a look mi

Can you see what a mean?'

"Up you mighty race

Accomplish what you will

But please my black beauty

Stop bleaching out your skin"

'Marcus mi get di house

Di satellite

Mi ambition looking far

An next week when mi get a money

Miago ten shades lighter

Fi di car

Mi stocking keep mi bright

So mi no suffer from di sun

And mi neprozone and curry

Meck mi look like mi still young'

"What can you accomplish

By bleaching out your skin?"

'It meck man throw down money

Mi dis closer to di ring

And how much black ooman

Yu see win Miss Universe?

Yendi brown, Christine brown

Yu no see black people curse?'

"Honey you can't look at your colour

As if it is a shame"

'Marcus mi naa stop bleach mi skin

Until dem change mi name.'

- Lisa Gaye Taylor

 

 

Supernatural Love

 

I miss your tenderness and your beautiful smile.

I cannot describe how painful it is to live without you.

How long will tears of sadness fall from my eyes?

My tears will fall until the day you come back to me.

The lonely years have not erased the memories,

And time increases the eagerness to repossess you.

You are in my thoughts every day and night.

Darling, you alone deserve my supernatural love.

I felt your affection from the moment you kissed me,

And I do not know how to stop loving you.

You broke up with me just when I found satisfaction,

And I have not seen anyone since that day.

I am certain that nobody can duplicate my love.

My supernatural love has no limitation.

No man could love a woman more than I love you.

I never take back my love when I give it to someone.

There is a supernatural love in my heart,

And it is burning like the heat of the meridian sun.

I cannot suppress the ardour inside me,

And nothing can put out the fire of my love.

It is impossible to forget you, my first inamorata,

So I have published this vers libre that I wrote for you.

Darling, I hope that someday you will read it,

And you will recall my promise to love you forever.

- Marlon Pitter