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/