From the future's eyes
published:
Sunday | July 27, 2008
Appeared before us in the shadow
of the sun
An ancient son of Adam saying
I am an old man from the future come
To prophesy of the things I've done
In the hopes that you'll stop me while I'm young
And before I become what I was
He warned us of actions
That we'd said never ever again to,
Committed by and done to
The masses misled into terror and oblivion.
My gods he sounded so sincere
When wiping away a tear he sighed and said
I pray that by the time I return to my time
I find that I've been long dead.
A while after this silver lining had lost its shining
We came upon a toddling child smiling
And wondered why in all that unelapsed time
The shade never told us his name.
He had remembered his life without himself
As he spoke to us from his death bed
In the last blink of his darkening eyes
Trying to undo himself and untell his lies.
- Phillip André Baker
Displacement
The crowd cheers in frenzied expectation as their object of interest mounts the stage.
Privileged girls from the upper echelons of society are standing Beyond the VIP barrier holding mixed drink concoctions and watching the fascinating entrance of this dancehall legend of a man.
My gaze flickers to the other portion
of the mass - the side where there
is unanimous agreement.
With the deejay's wail of
eradicating informers from their communities,
Refusing to form amiable alliances with 'Babylon',
and wholeheartedly loving life in the 'Gully'.
Why then does this entertainer
peel off his mask and drive home to those hills far away?
Away from the reality of
turf wars, and misguided youths committing brutal crimes as a means of survival?
Doesn't his well-worn facade boast of
Their reality being his also?
- Laveta Mead
'Victory'
Trying to free myself of mental shackles
I and mortal belief fought a very great battle.
Therefore, the Lord I sought
In the middle of the night.
When I and mortal belief
Staged this great fight.
For a moment I thought
I would not get any relief
But I did not comment;
And my mind did not stray
For all I did was pray.
Then I began to falter
But there came the Saviour
For the Lord, my God sent
Spiritual Truth to save me.
Mortal belief He did rend,
With Truth's Mighty sword
Causing me to go forth
Proclaiming the Word
That unites us both.
Oh Lord! I thank thee!
For saving a sinner like me.
- Paul Lambert
Lover boy
(Inspired by the movie: Loverboy)
Child of my loins.
Son of my blood.
The baby of my womb.
The one I call son.
You'll never understand
Why I tried to take you away.
Take you away from the
outside decay.
I tried my best lover boy,
really I did.
And when it was no longer
Enough I tried to take you
To the other side with me.
But I failed.
I failed you loverboy,
I failed you badly.
But never forget, I loved you madly.
My sweet sweet loverboy.
- Sheena-kay Graham
In my dreams I see Jamaica
In my dreams I see Jamaica so sweet and pure
I skip in fields of flowers, pink, white, red, yellow
All the colours I adore.
My senses fill with the scent of naseberries, mangoes and sweetsop
I climb big-limbed trees, going all the way to the top
Oh, the lovely singing of the birds that just won't stop!
I look around and there are rushing waters and giggling children having fun
I hear my ancestors call my name but I see not a single one.
Then, I awake, rush to the window and look around
There are giant mounds of white snow covering the flat, black ground
And once again I ask myself why I left my sweet Jamaica home
