Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Poets of the Caribbean.


Thanks for your feedback and support throughout 2012. I am especially grateful to all the poets who took time out to grant interviews, share a guest post or granted permission to reprint their poetry on this blog.

I look forward to sharing the work of more Caribbean poets in 2013.


Best wishes,

Yasmin

The Island Review

In case you missed it on the Caribbean Book Blog, check out the call for submissions from a new online literary magazine, The Island Review.

By the way, a big shout out to the Caribbean Book Blog for linking to Poets of the Caribbean. Now that's what I call Caribbean synergy!

So, dust off those manuscripts that you have set aside and submit a poem or two. Best wishes.

 

Leonard Dabydeen

Glad to be back with you after a month-long break to take on the NaNoWriMo challenge, which I was happy to complete.

This month, I would like to highlight the work of poet, Leonard Dabydeen. Leonard has been a faithful supporter of my blog, especially with his thoughtful comments and encouragement. I hope that you will take some time to explore Leonard's poetry, and I am sure he would appreciate your feedback.

Leonard Dabydeen was born in Canje in Berbice County, Guyana, and now resides in Canada. He is a graduate of the University of Guyana, and contributed extensively to the teaching profession in Guyana as teacher, headmaster and lecturer. Leonard won the Freedom House Poetry Prize in Guyana for his early writings.

Watching You: A Collection of Tetractys Poems is his first collection. Here is a review of Leonard's book by Sathya Narayana.

I Won NaNoWriMo!

 

 

On November 1st, I started the 2012 NaNoWriMo challenge and promised you that I would keep you posted on my progress. Well, I am pleased as punch to let you know that I am a NaNoWriMo winner, and my novel, Kianda, was just validated.

Although it was difficult getting to the 50,000 words, this was an exciting and interesting challenge for me. It was my first NaNoWriMo, and it helped me to fulfill a lifelong dream: to write a novel.

Best wishes to all my fellow NaNoWriMo who are still trying to finish before November 30th. You can do it!!

A NaNoWriMo Update

As promised, I wanted to update you on my progess in this year's NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) competition. As of today, I am now at the 20,024 words mark, a little above the suggested 18,000 words at the end of week two of NaNoWriMo.

I am enjoying the challenge, and feel like my novel, Kianda, is taking shape. I am hoping to remain on target and am trying hard to be disciplined in order to reach the 50,000 words finish line.

I am looking forward to connecting with you again in December, and would love to hear from any NaNoWriMo competitors on how it's going for you (if you have any time to spare, of course :)).

A NanoWriMo Break for Poets of the Caribbean

Dear Poets of the Caribbean Readers,

I hope that you are all well and were not affected badly by Hurricane Sandy. This is just a quick note to let you know that Poets of the Caribbean will be on a break during the month of November, as I take on the challenge of writing my novel, Kianda, in thirty days, as a part of the National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo for short), competition. If time permits, I will keep you posted on my progress.

Congratulations to Randy Baker, who won a copy of Ishion Hutchinson's Far District last month in celebration of Poets of the Caribbean's two-year blogoversary. I hope you will enjoy the collection, Randy.

Join me in December as I share the work of another interesting Caribbean poet.

 

A Prayer for My Children, by Geoffrey Philp

I am sharing another Geoffrey Philp poem, "A Prayer for My Children" from his collection, DubWise (Peepal Tree Press) 2011. 

A Prayer for My Children

When you find yourself in a faraway land
surrounded by men, animals that mutter strange
sounds, do not be afraid: neither you, your parents,
nor your ancestors have ever been alone.
So trust the earth to bear you up, follow
the wind as it leads you through valleys
clustered with trees heavy with fruit –
some that seem familiar enough to eat,
but you still aren’t sure they are the same
 as the ones you left on the other side
of the river that you’ve now forgotten.

Eat. Feast on the bounty. Feed the fire
that burns away the knot in your stomach,
sets ablaze the horizon, all that your eyes
can see – that has been promised to you
since your cry pierced the morning air:
your parents bathed you with kisses,
baptized you with caresses,
swaddled you in care before you uttered
your first words to the moon, sun, stars,
wobbled your first steps into unknowing –
all the while rising into your inheritance.

And if you awaken under the branches of a cotton tree,
cradled in its roots, draw a circle around yourself
 and all those whom you love, cross
yourself three times before you step
over the threshold. Welcome the ancestors,
all the kindly spirits who have followed you,
your parents across many seas, oceans,
and deserts; entertain them with strong drink
and soft food: rice, yams, bananas, the ever
present rum to bless the hands that have lifted
you up, and sanctified the place you now call home.

Copyright 2011 Geoffrey Philp. Reprinted with author's permission.

A Chocolate Sonnet

My poem, A Chocolate Sonnet, placed third in Pen and Prosper's I'm Sweet on Chocolate Poetry Contest. I have always been such a chocoholic, so this contest was a lot of fun. Below are my two entries in the contest, A Chocolate Sonnet, and Chocoholic Me.

A Chocolate Sonnet

Wondering what the world would be like
if we just never had any chocolate.
Writers wouldn't have the creative spike
and remarkable characters we'd never get.
This sweet, irresistable taste,
food of the gods, and symbol of love;
eaten at leisure, or eaten in haste
endorphins unleashed, ideas fly like a dove.
Give us our chocolate, writers declare,
without it not a line we can write.
Unless we have it, we wallow in despair;
writer's block wins out, o what a fright!
Chocolate, o chocolate, you are the thing
whose praises writers everywhere sing.


Chocoholic Me

Chocoholic me, penning words
in between my must-have chocolate fix;
fixing commas, adding a line
while on glorious chocolate I dine.
Godiva
Ghirardeli
Hershey's
any one will do,
while I compose a poem or two.
My world would never be complete
without my chocolate, o so sweet
and I could never, never write
until I have had my first bite!

Copyright  2012 Yasmin Morais

Book Giveaway: Ishion Hutchinson's Far District

As promised, in celebration of Poets of the Caribbean's two-year blogoversary, I am giving away a copy of Ishion Hutchinson's Far District to the first person to post a comment here. Please remember to leave your email address or twitter handle so that I can make contact and arrange for delivery.

Stay tuned next week for another giveaway, as we wind down the October celebrations. In the meantime, please continue to check out the writings and advocacy of this month's poet, Geoffrey Philp.

 

Caribbean Literary Salon Interviews Geoffrey Philp

As we focus on Geoffrey Philp's work during October, I would like to share this interview that Geoffrey granted to Caribbean Literary Salon.

Stay tuned for book giveaways this week! 

Geoffrey Philp's Standpipe

There is a Jamaican community near Papine, in Kingston, called Standpipe. In the following poem, entitled "Standpipe", Geoffrey Philp reflects on that community.


Standpipe

Tonight rain comes like forgetting;
pine needles scrape against jalousies

like the recurrent dream that rouses conscience
from sleep, for the rain brings no relief,

but urges only flight: the need to forgive
or to be forgiven. Vain acts stalk the ghetto

like revolution, and the rain keeps falling.
Standpipe's children still live unsheltered,

and you keep wishing the rain will wash
their anguished tears away. No such luck.

Raging gullies remain unchanged.
Remembering only the vague pledge of fire

Repeated across the sky as zinc fences
shiver, and the water quietly flows.

(The Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse. Edited by Steward Brown & Mark McWatt. Oxford University Press, 2005)

Copyright Geoffrey Philp.
Reprinted with author's permission.

Geoffrey Philp

Geoffrey Philp is a Jamaica poet, novelist, playwright, and my definition of a cultural warrior, who tirelessly promotes Caribbean culture and heritage. Geoffrey holds a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Miami.

He is the author of novels, plays, short stories and several collectons of poetry. His work appears in many publications, including The Oxford Book of Caribbean Short Stories, The Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse, The Caribbean Writer, Small Axe, Asili, and Gulf Stream.

Geoffrey has been an Artist-in-Residence at the Seaside Institute, and has received James Michener fellowships and many other awards, including the Canute Brodhurst Prize.

Check out Geoffrey's blog and you can also connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook

Guess what, Geoffrey's also giving away Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories on Kindle until 10/6/12, so hop over to his blog for details!

Stay tuned during October for more on this amazing poet!

Poets of the Caribbean is Two Years Old

Happy blogoversary to Poets of the Caribbean!

Two years ago, I created this blog to promote Caribbean poets and poetry, and what an amazing experience it has been. I have interacted with so many outstanding Caribbean poets, read truly inspiring poetry, and learned a whole lot more about the rich and multilingual heritage of Caribbean poetry. To date, there have been over 18,000 page views from so many different countries. I have also created a list of Caribbean poets, in an effort to capture the many poets from the region, and it has been the most viewed post to date.

Join me during this month as I shine the spotlight on another interesting and talented poet, novelist, playwright and cultural warrior, Geoffrey Philp. Throughout October also, I will be sharing prizes and surprises as I celebrate my two-year blogoversary.

Thanks to all the poets who have graciously shared their works, guest-posted, granted interviews and shared their comments.

It has been such a worthwhile experience for me, and I thank you for your readership, your comments, and, I look forward to more interaction from you, as we celebrate the work of Caribbean poets.

Bluesman, by Pamela Mordecai

As we wind down September, I would like to share the poem, "Bluesman", by Pamela Mordecai, from her latest collection, Subversive Sonnets.

Bluesman*

It have all kind: Pushkin, Dumas, and, him same one

say so, Vincent Van Gogh. Him tell him bro, Theo

to smoke a pipe: “Is a good tonic for de blues,

which take me over, dese days, now and den.”

Him reason: “How you figure folks see me?

A ragamuffin… lowest of de low.”

Him say: “Painters come like a family,

a mix-up mix-up bad for all o we

for everybody fighting the next one.”

Him tell Christina, “No mind you’s a whore

from where I sit, you irie, evermore.”

Him recommend: “Don’t yield before the end . . . ”

Blowing him mind with a wild brush like Miles.

Like Don painting the scene with him trombone.

 

*Van Gogh’s words are slightly adapted from his letters in

Vincent by Himself . ed. Bruce Bernard (London: Time Warner), 2004.






Copyright 2012 Pamela Mordecai.
Reprinted with author's permission.

Subversive Sonnets - A Review

I enjoyed Pamela Mordecai's Subversive Sonnets so much, that I was motivated to write a review. Full disclosure here: I have never before written a formal book review, in print or online, so this is my first foray, and I hope I do justice to such a wonderful collection.

 

First off, I would like to offer sincere thanks to Pamela for sending me a pdf of the collection while I waited on my copy from Amazon. I had reached out to Pam, as my featured poet in September, to request permission to reprint some of her poems on Poets of the Caribbean and she graciously emailed me a copy of Subversive Sonnets.

 

Subversive Sonnets, published in September 2012 by TSAR Publications, is Pamela Mordecai’s fifth poetry collection, and it is a delightful read. At 96 pages, there are 32 long-form poems which span the early 20^th century to the present, touching on the forces of nature, environmental degradation, love, parenting, depression, class conflicts, race, survival, and the treachery human beings are capable of.

“Stone Soup”, the first poem in the collection, relates the experience of a survivor (a relative, perhaps ?) of the 1907 earthquake that devastated Kingston, and other parts of Jamaica. Then, "Family Story: Only Child's Version" speaks of the challenges of parenting, and of depression, and its impact not just on the depressed individual, but also family and the wider community.

 

A favorite of mine is the peripatetic "Reading at 4:00 a.m." which takes the reader on a global poetic journey, covering Walcott, Heaney, Louise Bennett, Larkin, Brand and Pope. Mordecai reflects on geography, migration and resulting miscegenation over centuries. The 4:00 a.m. reading also takes in the World Wide Web, and in a possible reference to global warming and environmental destruction, Mordecai writes:

 

"I read that animals can't fool themselves.

They know when they have fouled their habitats.

They know inside their breasts and blood and wings—

all animals that is but human beings.

It’s only us, the smartest of the lot,

who sit inside this slowly heating pot

like frogs saying the temperature’s the same.

Spring chickens spinning in a stewing sludge,

we sit and peck our corn and do not budge

we wriggle in our excrement and crow

our disavowal choosing not to know".

 

It was interesting to find out that "Reading at 4:00 a.m.", combined with "Litany on the Line" and "Trois hommes, un reve" was short-listed for the CBC Literary Awards in 2007. This, I think, speaks to the power of this emotive and interesting poem.

 

Then, there is the sensuous "Cockpit Country - A Tasting Tour" conjuring simultaneously the beauty of Jamaica's Cockpit Country, and the beauty of the physical expression of love.

"Poor Execution", a heart-wrenching and vivid poem, speaks to violence, and the wickedness of the human heart, with  haunting lines such as:

 

"Did they make you watch Julie’s screams purple

as she blew out her life with every breath

she drew to keep it in? Or was it that

as you begged to go last, hoping to hold

her as they sliced a smile into her throat,

he strummed his pick across your sanxian neck

and crimson burbled your reply under

your chin?"

Another favorite of mine in the collection is "Blooming in Barcelona", which was featured on this blog earlier this month and it was good for me to learn that "Blooming in Barcelona" was short-listed for The Bridgeport Prize (UK), in 2008.

Subversive Sonnets is a collection that every person interested in poetry in general, and Caribbean poetry in particular, should own. I give it five stars, and I am predicting many accolades for this powerful collection. Thank you, Pamela Mordecai, for providing us with a collection that further enriches Caribbean poetry.

 

Last Lines by Pamela Mordecai

I love this poem, Last Lines, by Pamela Mordecai. The poem speaks to personal responsibility, the limits of engagement and perhaps karma. What's your reaction to Last Lines?

Last Lines

This is the last line I draw.
Alright. Draw the last line.
But I tell you, yonder
is a next. No line ever last,
no death not forever.
You see this place? You see it?
All of it? Watch it good.
Not a jot nor a tittle
going lost. Every old
twist-up man you see,
every hang-breast woman,
every bang-belly pickney.
every young warrior
who head wrench
with weed, white powder,
black powder, or indeed
the very vile persuasion
of the devil - for him not
bedridden you know --
every small gal-turn woman
that you crucify on the
cross of your sex
before her little naseberry
start sweeten,
I swear to you,
every last one shall live.
Draw therefore, O governor,
prime minister, parson,
teacher, shopkeeper,
politician, lecturer,

resonant revolutionaries,
draw carefully
that last fine line
of your responsibility.

From the Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse. (edited by Stewart Brown & Mark McWatt). 2005

Copyright Pam Mordecai 2005.

Reprinted with author's permission.
 

Poet's World, by Pamela Mordecai

Sharing another Pam Mordecai poem, Poet's World.

Poet's World

Poems grow
in window boxes
or especial corners
of kitchens
where rats hide
or offices where men
above the street
desert their cyphers
of the market place
to track the clouds for rain
or ride the wind
guileless as gulls
oblivious of the girl
upon the desk
who proffers wilting breasts
for a fast lunch - Ah which of us
wants anything but love -

and first upon the hillside where bare feet
in a goat's wake avoiding small brown pebbles
know earth as it was made and men in fields
releasing cotton from the mother tree
milking tits heavy with white wholesomeness
or riding wave on wave of green cane till
the swell abates and the warm wind
finds only calm brown surfaces
thick with the juicy flotsam of the storm
make poems
and men who speak the drum
bembe dundun conga dudups cutter
or blow the brass or play the rhumba box
or lick croix-croix, marimba or tack tack
and women who record all this
making the tribe for start in blood
and sending it to school to factory
to sea to office, university to death
make poems

and we who write them down
make pictures intermittently
(sweet silhouettes, fine profiles,
a marked face) but the bright light
that makes these darknesses
moves always always beyond mastery
Griot older than time
on Zion hill
weaving a song into eternity.


From: Jamaica Woman: An Anthology of Poems. Heinemann Educational Books
Copyright 1980 Pamela Mordecai.
Reprinted with author's permission.
 

Pam Mordecai's Blooming in Barcelona

Happy to share "Blooming in Barcelona" from Pamela Mordecai's latest collection, Subversive Sonnets.

Blooming in Barcelona

 

Gaudi’s Park Güell is what we dreamed

in our back yard scavenging from the dust

bowl midden near the fence under a dull

green ackee tree. We searched for broken bits

of pottery to use as hopscotch taws

indigo emerald cerulean blue

and now and then the burgundy of dried

blood or salt-pork-and-beans in big tureens

flung by deserted wives their lives

splintering with the porcelain to serve

the simple pleasures of small boys

and giddy girls discerning history

in Delft or rare translucent bits

of chinaware or rude fat colours splotched

to make bright foreign fruit! And Gaudi on

a bare hillside looking out on a sea

the dust as dry the sky as blue

doing just what we did. Create

a medium pour water on the dirt

and mush it into mud then shape a wall

a house a curvy tower with a cross

and stick the shining bits and pieces in.

Raise up a town with paths and avenues

of candy coloured cobblestones as Antoni

of Catalan not long before gathered

his midden scraps to make a park

of mythic beasts what we scrawled in

our book of dirt blooming in Barcelona.


(From Subversive Sonnets. Copyright 2012 Pamela Mordecai)

Reprinted with author's permission.

Pamela Mordecai

I am thrilled to be focusing this month on Jamaican poet,  Pamela Mordecai. Pamela Mordecai has published extensively, and I hope to share her work with you throughout September.

To learn more about Pamela, check out her website. You can also view her blog, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

Her latest collection, Subversive Sonnets is hot off the press this week, and I am hoping to get my hands on a copy soon.

 

Pamela Mordecai

 

 

Poetry Promotion

I came across this interesting article on creative ways to promote your poetry in The Sunday Gleaner, written by Corine La Font.

Some very useful tips. If you haven't tried some of them, go for it, and let me know how successful you were. Sometimes, we have to mix things up a bit.

Self-Publishing Challenges

Thought I would share this New York Times article on the challenges of self-publishing. If you have self-published, what have been some of your frustrations, challenges or successes?

Merle Collins' Grenada

Grenada's nickname is the spice island, and it is the most southerly of the Windward Islands. 1983 was a year of upheaval for this tiny Caribbean Island, as a result of the Grenada Revolution, followed by the invasion of the United States.

The Grenada Revolution Online provides a comprehensive background and timeline on the Grenada Revolution.

Merle Collins' writings contain themes of the island's political and social struggles. Below is just a small sample of Grenada's beauty.

Grenada

I would love to hear from my Grenadian friends their reflections on Merle Collins' writings, or any other aspect of Grenadian life.


Photo source: Google Images

100 Years of Jamaican Poetry

Jamaican poet, Yasus Afari discusses the Jamaica Poetry Festival, taking place today, and poetry in Jamaica over the past 100 years, in this Sunday Gleaner  article.

If you can attend the festival, please let me know how the experience was for you. Good stuff, Yasus Afari!!!

What Only He Can Do (For Usain Bolt)

I just felt inspired to write the following poem in honor of Usain St. Leo Bolt for his amazing success at the London Olympics. Usain, you made me, Jamaica, and the whole world proud!!

What Only He Can Do

The critics jeered,

die-hard fans cheered.

A confident young man

playfully as only he can

drew his crossbow

and like the wind ran.

Respect was earned.

Nuff respect due.

Usain did

what only Usain can do.

Copyright 2012 Yasmin Morais

Merle Collins

Merle Collins, Grenadian poet and novelist



Merle Collins was born in Aruba in 1950 to Grenadian parents. She is the author of the following works:

• Because the Dawn Breaks (1985)
• Angel (1987)
• Rain Darling (1990)
• Rotten Pomerack (1992)
• The Colour of Forgetting (1995)
• The Ladies Are Upstairs (1911)

Merle attended the University of the West Indies (Mona) where she majored in English and Spanish. For more information on Merle, check out her author page at Peepal Tree Press.

H.D. Carberry, the Poet-Judge

Many persons are familiar with H.D. Carberry as the author of the poem, Nature.  However, his career in the legal field may not be as well-known. As I wind down our focus on Carberry, here are some facts on the distinguished career of this poet-judge.

• Carberry already had law in his DNA and was the son of Sir John Carberry, a Chief Justice of Jamaica.
• He attended St. Catherine College, Oxford University, and read law at Middle Temple
• Called to the Bar in 1951, he engaged in private practice in Jamaica for a while.
• From 1969-1978, Carberry was Clerk to the Houses of Parliament, and was also a member of the Parliamentary Association.
• H.D. Carberry was appointed Judge of the Jamaican Court of Appeal in 1978, and served in this position for approximately 10 years.

Winston Churchill and the Claude McKay Connection

Thought that I would share this interesting article on Claude McKay from the Jamaica Gleaner, entitled "Empire Turns to Subject".

Nature, by H.D. Carberry

The poem, Nature, is probably the best known poem by H.D. Carberry. For me, the poem brings back many pleasant memories of my primary school days, and reminds me of the beauty of my homeland, Jamaica. Many Jamaican school children had to learn and recite this poem, and perhaps it is still being taught in schools (at least I hope so).

Nature captures so beautifully the tropical paradise that Jamaica is, and speaks of its varied flora, and the way in which rain is experienced there. Enjoy!

Nature

We have neither summer nor winter
neither autumn nor spring.
We have instead the days
when the gold sun shines
on the lush canefields - magnificently.
The days when the rain beats
like bullets on the roofs
and there is no sound
but the swish of water in the gullies
and trees struggling in the high Jamaica winds.
Also there are the days
when leaves fade from off guango trees
and the reaped canefields
lie bare and fallow to the sun.
But best of all, there are the days
when the mango and the logwood blossom
When bushes are full of the sound of bees
and the scent of honey.
When the tall grass sways and shivers
to the slightest breath of air.
When the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow stars
and beauty comes suddenly, and the rains have gone.

Beautiful Fern Gully in St. Ann, Jamaica

Dub Poet, Jean Binta Breeze Awarded Order of the British Empire

Congratulations to Jamaican Dub Poet, Jean Binta-Breeze, who was recently made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Jean was the first poet to write and perform dub poetry. Read more about the award in an article from the Jamaica Sunday Gleaner.

H.D. Carberry

In this very sunny (and extremely hot) month of July, Poets of the Caribbean reflects on the life of Jamaican poet, Hugh Doston (H.D.) Carberry. Carberry, famous for his poem Nature, which I will re-print in another post, was actually born on July 12, 1921 in Montreal, Canada. He was the son of Sir John Carbery, a former Jamaican Chief Justice, and Lady Georgina Carberry, and was taken to Jamaica as an infant. He spent the rest of his life in Jamaica.

H.D. Carberry

Carberry attended Decarterett College in Mandeville, and Jamaica College in Kingston. He later read law at Oxford University. H.D. Carberry died in 1989.

More on Kei Miller

Below is a summary of Kei Miller's writings:

Short Stories:

Fear of Stones and Other Stories (2006). This was Kei Miller's first publication and it was short-listed for the Commonwealth Writer's Prize.

Poetry:

Kingdom of Empty Bellies (2006)

There is an Anger That Moves (2007)

A Light Song of Light (2010). This collection was short-listed for the 2010 John Llewellyn-Rhys Memorial Prize.

Novels:

The Same Earth (2008)

The Last Warner Woman (2012).

Kei Miller is also the editor of New Caribbean Poetry: An Anthology (2007)

Kei Miller

Kei Miller

Kei Miller is a Jamaican poet, novelist, and essayist who currently resides in Scotland. Stay tuned during this month as Kei and his works are highlighted. To learn more about Kei, check out the following:

• Kei's website
• Coffee House Press
• Wikipedia article

You can also catch up with Kei on Twitter (@Keimiller).

Letter from Christine - Calabash Festival 2012

I am excited to tell you about a new feature on Poets of the Caribbean. Christine Craig was featured as our poet for May, and she has graciously offered to guest post on the blog from time to time, in the form of letters. I am therefore pleased to share with you below, the first Letter from Christine, on her recent participation in the Calabash Literary Festival in beautiful St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.

I am sure Christine would love your feedback, so feel free to share.

Hi Yasmin

      I'm struggling to get back to earth after the heady experience of attending my first Calabash Festival. For me, a born and bred St. Elizabeth 'red chile'  it was so amazing to walk into the large white tent, facing the sea, and see hundreds of people, of all ages, gathered to listen to and share in a really rich experience of Caribbean literature. I read on Saturday morning with two beautiful poets: Loretta Collins - from Puerto Rico reading from her new book The Twelve Foot Neon Woman; and Shara McCallum, Jamaican poet, reading from her book - The Face of Water.

      Many of the readers throughout the weekend would say that Calabash was the most wonderful literary festival they had ever attended - and they had attended festivals all over the world. Apart from the stunning venue and the relaxed, easy vibe, the organizers, Justine Henzell and Kwame Dawes put on a fantastic, hitch-free event with crowds of people moving happily between poetry, prose, discussions, open mikes and a terrific musical 'wrap-up' with musicians including Seretse Small, Ibo Cooper and Wayne Armand playing a medley of Jamaican music through the past 50 years.

      The theme of the festival was - Jubilation - marking Jamaica's 50 years of Independence. Kwame Dawes put together and edited a fine festival publication called Jubilation that was published by Peepal Tree Press. For those not lucky enough to attend this Calabash, and for those lucky enough to have attended, the Jubilation Anthology is truly worth having.

One heart

Christine

For Isabel Allende by Christine Craig

Enjoy Christine Craig's poem, For Isabel Allende.

For Isabel Allende

I love your books
characters floating out
my room smells of winter
city streets and damp mountains,
apricots, smooth skin of lovers
and the sudden beauty of truth.

Guns in the street here
death in narrow lanes
crouched western style
behind zinc fences
and the children
watching
learning.

I hide away from it
lost in your world -
a fine art that to make
love in death.

Shaping here a story
but wordless for love
the fiction curls, dark moths
caught in scattered fires
flame briefly
float away in smoke
over the trembling city.

Copyright Christine Craig 2010.  All Things Bright & Quadrille for Tigers. Peepal Tree Press Ltd., UK

Reprinted with author's permission

Quadrille, for Tigers by Christine Craig

Quadrille, for Tigers

In all your straight lines
I curve trying to find
a little hollow
a gap under the window
through which to climb
into your friendship.

On the cool slope
of white hibiscus
a humming bird
shakes his emerald glow
and sits, small head tilted.
How easy his poise,
how sweet their stillness.

In the streets and broken houses
we put our thorns first.
Harsh words roll along the cracks,
harsher thoughts drip from reddened eyes
as every day we turn a knife
between our apathy and anger.

Between the noise and silence
we move in careful steps
each with too much past unsorted
for brisker measure. But I am weary
of this slow quadrille, for tigers
leap behind my clouded brain
spiders stretch their furry joints
ready to trip me out of step.

Copyright Christine Craig 2010

Reprinted with author's permission from All Things Bright & Quadrille for Tigers. Peepal Tree Press, Leeds, UK.

Christine Craig's Writings

Below are some of Christine Craig's books. Be sure to check them out if you have never read her works. Right now, I am enjoying the poems from her latest collection, All Things Bright & Quadrille for Tigers.

• Emanuel and His Parrot (children's story)

• Emanuel Goes to Market (children's story)

• Bird Gang (a novella for children)

• Quadrille for Tigers (first poetry collection, published in 1984)

• Mint Tea and Other Stories (short story collection, published in 1993)

• All Things Bright & Quadrille for Tigers (2010)

Ivory Beads by Christine Craig

I am pleased to share Christine Craig's Ivory Beads, from her latest collection, All Things Bright & Quadrille for Tigers

Ivory Beads

Creamy white curls of elephant tusks,
ivory beads from Ethiopia.
My father played the piano -
jazz, swing - it had a round, fat
rousing sound; the energy of it
stayed long after the notes fell silent.

As a prim adolescent I stumbled
over Bach, became overly delicate
with Mozart and, stroking the ivories
thought romance pure, abstract
flowing through time
remote from reality.

Cool spheres of white, the devout
roll their fingers caressing the
Hail Marys the Lord is with thee,
or hang them crucified on a nail
by the bed in one-room shacks
from Peru to Portugal, or rest them
gleamingly by bible and lace mantilla
in the perfumed homes
of the blessed rich.

Ivory beads from Ethiopia
children's teeth rot in the drought
mother's tears glitter among the flies;
the continent of all resources sends
precious trinkets to the West.
Thank you for the gift of ivory beads;
my conscience is troubled, they
slip so cool around my neck.

Copyright Christine Craig 2010

Poems. All Things Bright & Quadrille for Tigers. Peepal Tree Press Ltd. 2010.

Reprinted with author's permission.

Poetry Reading from Mommy and Daddy Are Soldiers

It was a pleasure for me to read to 3rd and 4th graders last week at Judith Resnik Elementary, from my book, Mommy and Daddy are Soldiers.

The children asked lots of interesting questions about poems, the poetry writing process, and my book. They also had very thoughtful comments on some of the poems. I had a lot of fun and was thrilled about their enthusiasm for poetry. It was a fitting end to poetry month. Great kids!!

Christine Craig

During May, Poets of the Caribbean will explore the writings of Jamaican poet, Christine Craig. Christine was born in Kingston, but grew up in St. Elizabeth. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, where she majored in English and Mass Communications.

She has taught at the University of the West Indies, Barry University, and Broward College. Christine was also the Miami Editor of The Jamaica Gleaner for approximately 8 years.

In addition to poetry, Christine Craig writes short stories and children's fiction.

It is my pleasure to highlight Christine Craig and her work/

More on Danielle

Learn more about multi-talented Danielle Boodoo-Fortune in this interview she granted a while back with Caribbean Literary Salon.

I hope you have enjoyed Danielle's poems that I have shared during poetry month. I know that we are going to be hearing so much more from her, and about her in the days ahead.

Way to go, Danielle!

Forres Park, By Danielle Boodoo-Fortune

Today, I am sharing Forres Park, another interesting poem by Danielle Boodoo-Fortune.

Forres Park
Your yellowing memories
are stacked in dusty corners
where they cannot be darkened
by the phantoms that lurk
between these lonely houses.

 
There must have been laughter once
somewhere between the cane and the hills.
There must have been children here
blowing puffs from the wildflowers
and running headfirst into the sun.

Now your belly is swollen with scars and ghosts,
and your thighs tremble with defeat.
There are metal corpses in your backyard,
skeletons slumped in the overgrown grass
taunting you with their slow decay.

The world beyond these cedar trees has abandoned you,
pretending to know nothing of old women
who were raped and beaten in their beds
while the owls mourned and the crickets wept.

At night you huddle in the slant of these walls
fearing the violent pummeling of the rain,
fearing God, the moon and your shadow.

On mornings you listen as the earth vomits,
heaves up all the blood, dirt and shame
they made her swallow in the dark.

5 Interesting Things About Caribbean Poetry

In celebration of poetry month, I would like to share 5 things I find interesting about Caribbean poetry:

• Its is multilingual. Caribbean poets write in English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Papiamento, as well as the creole of some of these languages. Did I miss any?

• We have Derek Walcott of Saint Lucia, Nobel Prize winner.

• Lorna Goodison's poem, Bedspread, for me, is perhaps one of the sexiest, while at the same time defiant poems I have ever read. The poem was written by Lorna as a tribute to the struggles of Nelson and Winnie Mandela under Apartheid. I remember hearing Lorna read this poem to the Mandelas during their visit to Jamaica, shortly after Nelson Mandela's release from prison.

• On the note of defiance, Claude McKay's If We Must Die, not only rallied African Americans in their struggles for civil rights, but Winston Churchill also recited it to encourage Britons in the face of Nazi aggression. Talk about Caribbean reach! We can probably forgive the world when they forget that McKay is a Caribbean son.

• Finally, there is Dub Poetry. There's nothing like dub-poetry to get you swaying, while absorbing conscious lyrics. Talented Dub poets include Cherry Natural, Mutabaruka, Michael Smith and many others.

Any thoughts? What else do you find interesting about Caribbean poetry?

Mother in the Morning, by Danielle Boodoo-Fortune

I trust that you have been enjoying the poems of the very talented Danielle Boodoo-Fortune. Now, enjoy another of her poems, entitled Mother in the Morning.

Mother in the Morning

Mother sips tea in her garden on mornings,

abandoning the kitchen that echoes with breakfast,

lunch kits, laces untied, and the dripping faucet.

She sits on a cracked footstool in complete silence

as the heat from the teacup rises up

whispering warm, comforting secrets

only she can understand.

There are sharp things in the ground

and her hands are soft

yet she never wears gloves.

She is not afraid of the damp, dark earth

with its shards of buried glass and crawling creatures.

She has planted hope with her own hands,

seen it grow tall, and bright with butterflies.

When my mother’s hands are in the dew- damp dirt

and she is fragile in the quiet morning light

I can see the shapes of sharp things buried in her.

I realize how the fluorescent kitchen light dims her,

hides that secret flower she is growing

That can only be seen in morning light,

and blooms only when she does.

Connect with Danielle Boodoo-Fortune

Check out Danielle's website for more on her art and poetry. Look out for more of Danielle's poetry throughout the rest of the month, and please, share your comments.

Chameleon Thoughts, by Danielle Boodoo-Fortune

Chameleon Thoughts is one of three poems Danielle chose to share with Poets of the Caribbean readers. I enjoyed reading this poem, and I hope you will too. As usual, I would love to have your feedback, so feel free to share your chameleon thoughts or experiences!

Chameleon Thoughts

I

I wear this chameleon around my neck

to keep myself from changing.

I go from fire to fire

with each new skin,

spin prophecy,

secrete visions,

shed my face again

with the turning of the moon.

This last incarnation

must not kill me yet.

I have a little luck

left.

 

II

I bought the chameleon pendant

from a man at Store Bay who

promised it was lucky.

I bought it on a morning when

I wasn’t quite sure who I

was trying to be,

found it underneath

one massive shark tooth,

stone phallus on a string

and rough clay terrapin.

The chameleon, trapped

on flat brown medallion,

could not change

as he wanted to

and at the moment

neither could I.

III

We fear chameleons too much,

want things to be just as they seem,

we, who sell raw heart meat

to strangers, burn bridges, use

God’s name without permission,

We want our small dragons

to stay green, pocket-sized,

always crushable in good conscience.

 

IV

 

Like a good chameleon,

I change when my skin

tastes danger.

Right now, I am not the one

you wanted. I am a shade alien,

I climb poisonous trees,

turn my open mouth

to the breeze.

I am not the one you

hoped to find when

you hatched me.

Perhaps you wanted

something softer, like

a pony or a butterfly.

But here I am: telescopic

eyes and all,  lizard

waiting for wings

under the trees’

leaving.

V

I don’t know if this pendant

will withstand the water,

but I wear it anyway.

In the hollow

of my collarbone

it rests, warm

brown stone,

for the moment

unchanging

like me

until I decide

to turn

again.

Copyright 2011 Danielle Boodoo-Fortune

Reprinted with author's permission.

Danielle Boodoo-Fortune

Poet and Artist, Danielle Boodoo-Fortune

I am excited to share with you an interview with April's poet, Danielle Boodoo-Fortune. Danielle is from the twin island republic of Trinidad & Tobago, and is a talented artist and poet. She was awarded the Charlotte and Isidor Paeiwonsky Prize for firt time publication by the Caribbean Writer in 2009, and in 2010, Danielle was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Added to that, she was shortlisted in 2011 for the Small Axe Literary Prize.


Below, Danielle shares some interesting details on her life and work. Stay tuned throughout April, as we shine the spotlight on Danielle.

Yasmin: As a poet and an artist, who and what are the sources of your inspiration?

Danielle: Increasingly, I find myself being inspired by simple, everyday things. I try to read as much as possible as well, and to keep myself surrounded with creativity.

Yasmin: You are so multi-talented. Are you currently working on any projects, and if yes, can you share a little about what those are?

Danielle: I am working on my first themed collection of paintings right now, and it’s one of the most fulfilling things I’ve undertaken yet. My first collection of poetry is also being edited for publication at the moment. I’m thrilled about that!

Yasmin:  Are there any particular writers or artists, Caribbean or otherwise, who have inspired you or influenced your work?

Danielle: I draw upon so many influences, it’s so hard to say. In terms of writing, I keep coming back to Jennifer Rahim’s poetry. I was lucky enough to be able to do a creative writing class under her guidance at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine a few years ago, and it has really left a significant imprint on the way I write, and the way I think about writing. There is something about the honesty of her poetry that really affects me, and inspires me.

Yasmin:   Did you set any writing goals for this year? If yes, what are they, and are you meeting these goals?

Danielle: This year, my approach has been to keep writing, to keep pushing further, and to continue developing my own voice and style. I'll see where it takes me! :)

Yasmin:  What are your thoughts on some of the positives that are impacting Caribbean creativity, as well as any challenges that Caribbean artistes face?

Danielle: So many interesting things are happening at the moment, in Caribbean literature and art. There is something happening which I cannot quite yet put my finger on, but which I think arts practitioners can sense, like coming rain. The main challenge, in my opinion, would be the way art is regarded as a hobby, or as mere entertainment. I feel that art in all its forms has such a remarkable capacity to enrich, to strengthen and to inspire. I believe that through these attitudes, we deny ourselves full access to this energy.

Yasmin:   Could you share two interesting things about you that readers would be surprised to know?

Danielle: People are always shocked to find out that I’m a video gamer. I find it incredibly therapeutic, and at times it even provides some interesting ideas! I also really enjoy being outdoors. I am never as contented, nor am I as creative, as when I am surrounded by green.

Yasmin: You were shortlisted for the 2011 Small Axe Literary Prize. How did you feel about that achievement.

Danielle: I was also shortlisted in 2009, and both times, I came away feeling incredibly humbled to be among such great writers.

Yasmin: Any other thoughts you would like to leave with readers?

Danielle: Nothing more than to thank them, and you! I keep much of my poetry, art and random musings at danielleboodoofortune.blogspot.com.

Yasmin: Thank you, Danielle for sharing on Poets of the Caribbean!