Poetry Anthology

Calypso
Kamau Bratwaite

The stone had skidded arc'd and bloomed into islands:Cuba and San DomingoJamaica and Puerto RicoGrenada Guadeloupe Bonaire
curved stone hissed into reefwave teeth fanged into claywhite splash flashed into sprayBathsheba Montego Bay
bloom of the arcing summers...
The islands roared into green plantationsruled by silver sugar canesweat and profitcutlass profitislands ruled by sugar cane
And of course it was a wonderful timea profitable hospitable well-worth-you-timewhen captains carried receipts for ricesletters spices wigsopera glasses swaggering assesdebtors vices pigs
O it was a wonderful timean elegant benevolent redolent time--and young Mrs. P.'s quick irrelevant crineat four o'clock in the morning...
But what of black Samwith the big splayed toesand the shoe black shiny skin?
He carries bucketfulls of water'cause his Ma's just had another daughter.
And what of John with the European namewho went to school and dreamt of famehis boss one day called him a fooland the boss hadn't even been to school...
Steel drum steel drumhit the hot calypso dancinghot rum hot rumwho goin' stop this bacchanalling?
For we glance the banjoydance the limbogrow our crops by maljo
have loose moralsgather coralsfather out neighbour's quarrels
perhaps when they come with their cameras and strawhats: sacred pink tourists from the frozen Nawth
we should get down to thosewhite beacheswhere if we don't wear breeches
it becomes an island danceSome people doin' wellwhile others are catchin' hell
o the boss gave our Johnny the sackthough we beg him pleaseplease to take 'im back
so now the boy nigratin' overseas...

The Harbour
Derek Walcott
The fishermen rowing homeward in the dusk,Do not consider the stillness through which they move,So I, since feelings drown should no more askFor the safe twilight which your calm hands gave.And the night, urger of old liesWinked at by stars that sentry the humped hills,Should hear no secret faring-forth; time knowsThat bitter and sly sea, and love raises walls.Yet others who now watch my progress outwardOn a sea which is crueler than any wordOf love, may see in me the calm my passage makes,Braving new water in an antique hoax;And the secure from thinking may climb safe to linersHearing small rumours of paddlers drowned near stars.

Bend-Down Plaza
Lorna Goodison

The whole place is a market placethose inside sellingwhat dem outside higgleringonly outside you might get it for lessif you beat down the money-tillstored in her breasts.
Outside the temples of verygraciousness livingguardy guards with a dobermann's aida dog trained to bite to the bonesguardy well-trash in a pipe-up uniforma sleeping form'Dem shoulda give the dog the uniform'but guardy just a sleep and a dreambout a fine fat girl in a furrwhosee jeans.'So whappen if black people can'tadvertise demNobody no want see them, dem mustonly buy them.'And the dog throttles lowat the sharp-green smell of a passingnegro.
Bend down nice ladybend downbut try not to bend too deepfor Jah inna this plazedistributing diseasesand it look like God a sleep.

Gleanings
Lorna Goodison

Often it's field at darkwhere the hooded bowed outcastsgo, after reapers have passedcollecting then, the gleanings.
Sometimes after the harvest is inand the fields are lying spentthey still move in twilight foragingfor the seeds the birds have missed.
(What a hard time the post-harvest is!)
We glean outside the systemour candidate did not win.We glean outside our father's yardthe stewards are self-serving.
We glean outside the temples of fullnessfor charity dropped carelessfrom full sheaves above.It is time to come into the kingdom.

Get Flat
Jean Breeze

Wen storm comeyuh bawl'get flat'an watch mountainrub a dubtroo de seafrom Brixtonto Elleston Flats yuh can see de wukkin riddimben de people dem back

'haad wuk kean kill yuh, son'but Mansonkar im bosongawn a boneyardim sey a wouldn see imwen a reach back homean Aunt May gi mi a lettato de relative a Englan, seytime harderdan weh did mek yuh leftime hardan yuh people dem a fretde relative replya nuh forget we forgetbut yah so nuh no bettaa me three pickney nah wuk
two side a de oceande laughline sinklike de mercuryprior to de storm
two side a de oceande riddim jus a bawl'get flat, everybady get flat'
an ah see a whole seaa ben back

Revenge
Mutabaruka

i am a angry young man i'm on de run
yesterday i thief mi fada gun
i'm a angry young man
i'm on de run
a shot a police wid mi fada gun
ask me why
a tell u no lie
a pray years hopin dat dis police would die
as a child a can neva feget
dat face so ugly and sweat
yet a knew de day would com
wen a would have to kill im an run
now mi family will neva si mi again
through these years i have felt much pain
a nite mare all these years
so much pain so much tears

now it happen a long time aguh
right down there in de ghetto
mi mada was sittin aroun de shop counta
wen a man com in an start to beat har
mi fada was away dat day
neva knoo who to run to or wat to say
a stan up deh a neva meck a soun
de man push mi mada to de groun
a could'nt se a ting agen
but a knoo mi mada was feelin pain
wen im lef a hear har cry
a hear har seh "LARD LET ME DIE"

time and time a would hear mi fada seh
dat mi sista was not his . . . and a kne right aweh
dat de day would have to com
wen a would be a young man on de run

now a sit behind dis wall
dis wall suh tall
still hearin mi mada cry
still hearin har seh "LARD LET ME DIE"