Lost but not forgotten.......

The following poems are some of my earlier attempts some years ago which I am gradually finding again one by one. I thought I had lost all of them entirely when I deleted my web and Blog page one drunken evening. My attitude was more political and culturally fixed then. Others were just fun. I wrote them as part of the spoken word and they were performed orally in front of an audience. Much if not all of these first poems where devised with this in mind. In one or two, you will observe that I was quite angry. I was flabbergasted at what I had seen materialize as a culture in the Bahamas when I returned some years ago- the deterioration that had taken place and believe me the conditions were bad enough before. Many of our people seemed to be so abandoned and I was angry to see what was happening to many of our young black males in particular who seemed to be falling through the cracks. Our inner communities had become run down and the people forgotten. Years ago, I remember after the 92' election the great promises that were made to Bahamians regarding the advancement of all our peoples through education and not just an elite wealthy few. The American embassy was inundated with Bahamians wishing to start these progressive programs who could not get any support by the then PLP Government and the FNM party along with the Organization of American States waged a massive cultural front within our inner communities with the promise of their socio-economic advancement through Globalization. I met these people myself as I was also involved in some of these community development initiatives. Imagine my bewilderment when i returned to see these communities totally ghettoized and more impoverished. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer.What happened? I still feel this to be the case but have taken a different direction in my personal philosophies with regards to the healing I believe needs to take place. It must be a collective National effort with a sincere attempt to meet equality with opportunity - education being the key. I am now retired as I have done my work and I needed to heal as well after all of these wars. I still get angry at it all. I continue to evolve now as an artist and have included some of these earlier poems as an attempted to capture these changes in myself and style. I no longer perform these oral poems and particularly after rehab have sincerely attempted to tap into my inner reality - my more intimate feelings and who I am with greater honesty. Like my paintings, I threaten to become very abstract in some of my poems to extend the metaphors that I am using. I still need to risk this more. Others are right in your face. So here are a few of the older ones found again -lost but not forgotten...peace


A CHILDREN”S RHYME



INNIE, MEANIE, MINY, MO -

Catch a nigga by he toe.

If he holla - let him go ,

INNIE, MEANIE, MINY, MO -
Public lynchings,
particularly concerning Black men
are not so new to me.
Ask Martin or Malcolm
or Aristide or Stokely
or Michael or Nelson
or Manley or Steve
-And no more Joke..
'bout der Nigga man strung up
and life cut short
through Gun or coke...
Feet dangling in the air,
rope 'round neck .
To watch car crash,
and breakup in wreck .
SUCK TEET...
Black man hand against
Black man soul.
Dragging him up high
to see he body reel,
so you could look up monkey ass ,
and see how pig could squeal.
No more shoulders falling down,
No more soulful cry,
or rejoicing in the streets to watch
another brother die.
My spine stretched long , now
and back standing straight
After seeing the last time
how that nigga neck break.
Oh Lord, now look at this,
see how you watching me,
You scared that money
you bargaining with
really aint for free...
With ya Africa this
and how ya black about that,
but if I look hard and long enough,
you always the one
who leading the pack.
With the noose held up high
shakin' in your hand.
Or somebody's friend
or somebody's bagman.
Comin' to me with those empty slogans
telling me how ' they ' the only ones
to save me.
Like the first black man
with the first black hand
that sold me into slavery.
No time for blame, son
And ain't no time for shame.
Africa dancing hard now
to different times and beats
With no more African blood flooding
through these ancient streets.
As you play one against another,
then duck and dive
and run for cover.
Camera in hand
tryin' to keep us in fear,
playin' that ole game of
mis-information and smear.
SUCK TEET...
Ya gat ya 15mins of fame...
now so...
Cameras, rolling ...
Action, lights...ready, steady set and...go...
FREE YOUR MIND
AND YOUR ASS WILL FOLLOW -

"...Rasta Don't work for no C.I.A...



WHEN RAINBOWS SHINE IN THE LIGHT

when light shines on a rainbow
true colours are revealed
the colour hate splashed thick with blots

no nation's hue is preferred
no skin... glows prettier than the next

as it peels away from what lays hidden behind
tricks and games played to a fool's mind

envy and hate blocks rays from the Sun
reaches deep in the heart to touch everyone

money, greed ..are but fleeting illusions
all in this lusty game for power
Chief for the day or the man of the hour

guerrilla tactics fought by a destructive hand
anyway, any how...get it while you can
shut up, sit down so that you can relax ..
from the inconvenient 'truth' of hearing the facts ?

creating these artificial wars to look the hero
thought you hit a home run... buddy you batting zero ...

ladies and gentleman ... the circus is in town
the roar of the crowd gettin' bigger
laughin' out loud , jeering and proud
thinkin' how next to break down this nigga

buying cheap thrills packaged with a corporate brand
sellin' Pyrite for gold in a tinsel town

cheap fakes relying on cheap tricks
cheap flakes bought out at cheaper rates
behavin' like Orwel's pigs on the farm

How long to have waited at last for this day
to destroy everything that gets in the way

but what gain is a cost...
when the soul is lost?

the fool and the wise man will meet the same fate
this new road to 'freedom' carries an oppressive weight
...the stench from bloody hands

let those who cower hide in the night
behind a mask of mirrors
as a 'truer' reflection reveal clearer colours
when rainbows shine in the light....





SHALLA BOOM

shalla boom shalla boom
.... in the song
boom
boom boom
.... in the dance
SHIKKA SHAK, SHIKKA BOOM
boom boom
a room filled high
to a sonic beat
shakin' to the quake
of shuddering feet
fall into the flow
with a single note
fall into the flow
with a single note
break down the bass
augment the tone
pulsin' to the rhythm
pushed into the bone
tip, tap, tippin'
to a tempo clock
throbbin' to the music
with a steady rock
hands held up high
ears low to floor
reachin' down deep
to the crack of the core
whole back step beat
climbing measure to measure
singin' soft melody
to harmonic pleasure
sha, sha sha
...in the song
sha, sha sha
...in the dance
shalla boom shalla boom
sha sha
shalla boon, shalla boom
boom boom boom BOOM, BOOM!