Poems

Hurricane Beryl

People, batten down!

Beryl inna town

Shhhh! Listen how she sound!

When she start, yuh moan an groan

Everything flat, everything to di ground

Big heavyweight; a never pound fi pound

When Beryl did a come, she just belch an bark

Rip up an tear up anything inna har path

She cut an she chop just like a machete, knife or axe

What a tragedy!

Beryl come inna every category

Whether 1, 2, 3, 4, OR 5

Wi ha fi give thanks cause wi still alive.

Good ting seh Beryl pass fast

Cause more life an property would a did lost.

Wid di impact a Beryl, di price a tings go sky high

Like people house top.

Beryl mek wi barely coulda put on a pot

No fruit, no vegetable

She deal wid wi terrible

Beryl, mi ha fi talk to yu direct

Weh mek yu treat wi so wicked?

Yu come een like Bounty Killer

Angry an miserable

What a disaster!

Beryl, yu never have nutten betta than dat

Weh yu could a offer?

People house top tek off like helicopter

Memba wa Lovindeer did seh bout yu grandfather Gilbert?

“Di roof migrate without a visa.”

Situation like dis hard fi get over

Everybody feel it, just cyaahn believe it

Beryl, wi ha fi memba yu

Yu shoulda deh inna di hall of fame

Put ih inna di Guinness book, cause dis a history

No joke, no game!

Beryl, yu lef wi inna agony an pain

Wi so glad yu never remain

Because a woman like you

No man coulda never maintain.

Beryl, yu wasn’t no joke,

But now wi can laugh an badtalk yu

Behind yu back

– Glen di Taximan

# # #

Jamaica Nice, Protect Wi Paradise

All who have eyes an’can see seh Jamaica nice

Must act wise

To protect wi paradise

The beauty of our lan'

Is threatened by the actions of man

Our vehicles are a cause for methane and carbon dioxide emissions.

When we burn garbage, that's another one

All these lend to climate change impact

The harmful actions to the earth, we need to stop!

Climate change threatens everywhere

Hurricanes, floods and droughts seem to come with greater and greater scare

And yet, some of us show no care

In how we relate in our environment and to the atmosphere

I want to big up JABBEM

Unnuh caah tek away wi beach dem

It cannot just be about the big spen'

And all we hear is… it’s for tourism

We can't be an island an’the people can only access lan'

That nuh seem wrong?!

Yuh understand?!

Now, isn’t it time we ratify the Escazu’ Agreement

What’s holding up the consent

When the Government says, “We care about the environment!”

But in the mean time, to protect our paradise, there are things to do

Everyone of us; me and you

Stop burn your waste

Don't just throw them into our gullies; put plastics in their place

How about using the sun to dry your clothes

Instead of a machine dryer load

And going hybrid or full electric for our cars on the road

What about taking the solar loans

To restructure the energy of our homes

Use LED bulbs instead of the incandescent woes

Y’all stop overfishing and don’t destroy the mangroves

So all who have eyes an can see seh Jamaica nice

Must act wise

To protect wi paradise

– Garfield Goulbourne

# #

We Are in the Same Class

What is this thing that keeps wounding our hearts?

Is it a wall that is keeping us apart?

We are in the same class!

This cold, invisible presence,

That hangs over us like a dark cloud.

Hasn't it condensed yet?

We feel its dew; we must repent.

This thing called racism, erected like a monument,

Must now become irrelevant to our existence.

We were always in the same class.

The class of humans made by God,

Humbly on this road we must trod.

From dust we were made regardless of shade.

This dust defines our nature,

Made by God our perfect Creator.

Who told you, you were better than I?

Is it because of the colour of your eyes?

Who told you, you were the ultimate thing?

I hope it has nothing to do with the colour of the skin.

Whether we are high or whether we are low,

Don't you know we have room to grow?

We have so much in common, so much my friends.

We all have a beginning and an end.

We all shed tears when we are sad,

We also smile when we are glad.

Mothers all we bear our young,

Gently nursing daughters and sons.

Why can't we live in one accord?

Like the piano keys playing beautiful chords?

Till our journey ends, can't we be friends?

One colour we all shed,

This liquid red, like thread,

Sews us together like a quilt,

Hopefully removing every guilt.

This thing called life cuts us down to size,

Making us equal, creatively designed.

Yet still we remain creatures of time.

So, let's hold hands and walk on strong,

For to the class of humans we belong.

Let's tear down these stubborn walls of glass,

Because we are all in the same class.

– Kadecia Wilson