Adam Syde, Contributor

"Kiss me honey, honey, kiss me!" is a line from a famous song. In one version, Shirley Bassey exhorts her honey to thrill her. But, how would you have reacted - with shock, suspicion, awe - if you heard a Jamaican man singing this same line? You might never know.

Whatever your reaction, the man simply means he wants to be kissed. Because, contrary to a well-established myth that many Jamaican men are not kissers, there are many who kiss! And, it is not just a cursory 'chups' on the cheeks; it is the erotic kiss. Our women will tell you that, though the sugar is in our hips, the honey is in our lips.

Many Jamaican men give credence to the myth by frowning upon this most intimate act, which is as old as the dinosaurs. From the first kiss by cherubs in heaven to those that make news headlines around the world, the kiss has always been with us. It has been glorified and glamorised by writers and movie-makers. It awoke Sleeping Beauty from her slumber. Sculptors have immortalised it in stone, and dancers have incorporated it into their movements. And, what is a wedding without the kiss?

Symbol of unity

In the wedding ritual, the kiss, as are the wedding bands, is a symbol of unity, and we see many a Jamaican man tremble with fear when it is time for them to kiss their bride. They, and not the brides, blush! They are not used to this public demonstration of love. Some have to seek counselling to get their courage up. For the woman, the kiss is just like the icing on the cake.

Women generally regard the erotic kiss as a prelude to a certain activity. They find it blissful, and perform the act with such passion, well, most times. Some are offended if it is not proffered and/or returned.

For, despite the reluctance to kissing by some Jamaican men, kissing transcends race, culture, class, religion, age, politics and power.

The power of the kiss is in its intimacy as it lends itself to instant feedback. It allows the participants to detect taste, temperature, smell and movements - two persons, four lips, 10 nerves, 60 muscles, and a cocktail of chemical, and a million messages sent.

However, this oral exchange of bodily fluid is as dangerous as having unprotected sex. Therefore, health officials warn against kissing people whose lifestyle and habits are unknown and/or suspect. The lesson here is to know the persons with whom you lock lips and intertwine tongues.

Major factor in lovemaking

Still, the possible exposure to harmful viruses and bacteria does not deter those who find the act pleasurable. The erotic kiss is still a major factor in lovemaking for some people. But, why do we do it? It is natural; it can send millions of messages without a word spoken, and what better way to say goodbye than with a long lingering kiss

That's the kiss the well-attired young man gave his well-dressed woman at a stop light along Old Hope Road one Wednesday morning in October at 8:03. Three construction workers - two women and one man - who happened upon this early-morning demonstration of love could not help commenting on this rare sight in Jamaica.

The man mumbled something to himself. It was obviously negative. For, one of the women retorted, "Lef de people them alone, dem in love, wooieee!" and clapped her hands, tossed them between her legs and lunged off.

Whatever the man's reason for scoffing at the couple, it was a typical reaction. Obviously, he has not seen the photograph of the soldier kissing a nurse in the middle of Times Square, New York, to celebrate the end of World War 11. You would ,therefore, never hear him sing, "Kiss me, Putus, Putus kiss me!"

Birds do it; animals do it, fish do it; so, let's do it!

adam.syde@yahoo.com