Guyana, Venezuela, and Colonialism
Although the current lines dividing South America and the Caribbean were drawn by colonial powers and do not reflect the reality of the indigenous residents prior to colonisation, it is nevertheless important to recognise that the indigenous Caribbean people – in addition to the afro-Caribbean and indo-Caribbean people – living in the Essequibo region consider themselves Guyanese. This fact alone should warrant an end to the dispute.
This House is Not a Home
This house, is not a home.
Its given me more dark days, than light ones
More punishments, than rewards,
More anxiety, than happiness.
All I Know is Love
All I know is love
I grew up, drinking it by the gallons.
In this time of a pandemic and loads of panic…
Colour Me Black
Black child's mother says her ears gave it away
The hint of shame on an otherwise perfect face
Body Count
Because to me, it means nothing; it’s just a number
It gives me no validation nor brings me shame
The Weight of my Feminity
Heavy is the weight of my femininity,
But a weight I will bare until a change has come
Welcome To De Sarcophagus Ah Patriarkey
De day afta de Red Muddah shut-up shap
Darkness de covah de rims ah Guyana
Castin de plague ah shadows
Into de souls ah de eye-suh-late.
Depression
Stone-cold to the touch
Body like a slug, just drifting through life
Leaving behind a trail of darkness and pain
Music for 1
The soca song “Lucille” by Jestura was the anthem for Shilva especially around Carnival season.
GET IN YUH SECTION
I never really took part in Mash again, either as a participant or bystander, until University. You see, despite what the Wikipedia article on Mash says, the celebration was a very racially divided one. Sure, many ethnicities lined the parade route, although conservative families didn’t do even this, but the persons in the parade were largely Guyanese of African heritage
Purple Thyme: A Pantoum Poem
She wants to say something to him about how pretty the purple thyme grows this time of year.
Pretty Little Bird
Caged
Pretty little bird,
I adore your coiled feathers
Brown Oceans
Do oceans that aren’t
green or blue…
Dark Coffee
“Sadie you make me so mad. You skin too dark. You see this?” Sticking her hand in Sadie’s face for her to see she continued, “This is the color you supposed to get. A nice brown skin. Nice light brown skin. That’s what you supposed to get. Why you so black!?”, another tug of her hair, “Why? Black means poverty and light skin means wealth. You are nothing but a poor little unwanted child and I HATE you.”
The Rebellion
“This ana jus fa you!”
“Carnival ah fo arwe too!”