poetic commissions

for the Ancestor Clive Bradley's earthday

2007-11-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

The New York Times acknowledged that "Mr. Bradley was one of the most skillful and admired practitioners of a longstanding Carnival tradition".

Clive Bradley

Veteran Steelband Arranger

1936-2005

ogun lives on (for clive bradley)

was up spring flow road

we met and it was raining

sxango was peeling. So

we sheltered under a mango tree

discussing heritage issues

both adamant of the need

to protect the arts for prosperity

he agreed with a sparkle in his eyes

reminding me of struggle for pan

plus where it was today

i countered i was a writer

and he smiled at me suggesting

that one day too i would stand sheltering

from yemanja here

to yet tell a youth

just as he was doing same

i queried whether he understood

power of Orishas

protecting our PAN

he accepted ...

so today i shout:

Ogun lives on...

as i pour libations for this the general...

whose music

and company i am proud

to announce i had

pleasure to enjoy

ashe

poem published as tribute
on panonthenet

well

2007-11-06T04:57:00.000-08:00

choices made... worry not
taps remain dry and dey rejoice
no beds in de hospital
dey rejoice

crime rampant
dey rejoice

dem made a choice albeit not a popular one

orange revolution-Trinidad & Tobago voting

2007-11-05T03:07:00.000-08:00

sober with silence
orderly out their homes
seasoned an' virgin devotees
cherishing right to
cast hopes
an' dreams in a booth
evidenced by a stained index finger

were the pollsters correct?
did the marginals suffice?
would the masses be set free?

shall our voices be raised victorious in the streets?

tis' revolution of colour promised

roi kwabena

international poetry day 2007

2007-10-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

SURE REDS

so it is -if yuh aint red

yuh considered dead

me fadder say is victory an’ strength

like we flag unfurled;

ah hear from young : red woman badd

so only eat julie mango if it red

orisha flag red

red as akoko blood fuh sacrificed libation

kalenda man bois tie wid red cloth tuh

fuh de spirits to bust nuff head

jammette does also dress up in red

to giddy man head more dan babash

spiritual baptist mudder red headtie prophesy

ringing bells on de corner

black power red

vast demonstrating power tuh de people

soldiers mutiny an’ de hills ran red

wen coast guard guns bombarded

til’ false amnesty teken fuh granted

as ah muslim in Trinidad

yuh wont be caught dead wearin’ red

except on Hosay midnight

as a flag bearing Shiite

or fasting devotee dancing ah heavy red sun

buh some extremist consider red sin full…

djab colour full ah sexual passions

like bacchanal red for j’ouvert in de blistering early sun

angry protestors marched around de embassy in red jersey

“hands off Grenada! Hands off Cuba!”

til’ sadly.. leadership crisis reared ah ugly head

proletariat blood flowed red in de streets from Fort Rupert

as Maurice like a moor now bishop violently deposed

plus USA wid self appointed red acolytes invaded

dat bloody sad October month in Grenada

was really hot! red hot in dem days

communist…PRG member or Rasta Socialist Marxist Leninist

haunted from door tuh door

soon too red house parliament was invaded for ah coup

an’ dis time de streets ah Port of Spain flowed red wid blood

like wen Ineri rub down red wid roucou

tuh massacre umpteen espanol in sangre grande

or wen nuff rioters pelt big stone

at ah stained glass tuh honour Columbus statue

inna de same red house

fuh Governor Moloney tun red in anger

buh now wen is Hindu Holi time

in mount gay abandon we wood be awash in abeer

singing parang fuh christmas in red

or holier dan thou follow katholic procession

in red fuh la divina pastora

den came de real football fever days

all de way from Port of Spain tuh Nuremburg

fuh de world cup

oui boys in red : soca warriors

de place was awash in red

over a million painted up in red

till de English man pull oui player in red locks

we lose de game

red wid disappointment

so we wine widout cryin’ an’ paint the town red

2007-elections ‘round de corner

politricks in red

oui red again

PNM in red supporters vowing victory befor’ voting

wyle CoP split from UNC shouting

dem rally go be de real RED

even mandey in ah red beret

see reds, sometimes ah does see red

knowin’ me patrimony siphoned abroad

in ah rich hydrocarbon producin’ country

before it red in de sky foredey morn

many still hav tuh watchman standpipe fuh water

if yuh aint red?

“it may not last as long as de red house fire”

© ROI KWABENA

ELECTIONS 2007 Trinidad & Tobago

2007-09-30T01:40:00.001-07:00

no smell

new(s) ‘tory
like zandolee
travels fast
murder
comess
spells
new party

concerted robberies
in congested daytime traffic
perplexed motorists
and apparently deranged local residents
casting roles of parasite and prey
via the internet

exploding vehicle windscreens
ramped occupants staring helplessly
screams of protests aside
mental illness and lost of property

who comes at my door
offering poll cards, brazen smiles
usual t-shirts.. regular ten days
scented breath begging consent
of my index finger

oblivious to
poverty
breeding crime

as if rotting dogs don’t smell

▲

rePUBLIC DAY 2007 : Trinidad & Tobago

2007-09-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

provocation

beads of perspiration
anticipating exhalation, harbouring
incessant cramps. Pervading rancid
aroma of rotting cabbage
curdling calabash enthrals. So
minister protest price of flour
racist hairstyle exclusion, induced
weather patterns wreck my islands. Please
arrest this provocation

Mechanised imported wigs unable to protect
robbed and beaten retired heads of states, impounded
BE- oh-ac/dc leased planes, airport bomb threats, frozen
bank accounts, criminal deportees, luxury flats,
wire-tapping. Charges, arrests
and more charges. Please
arrest this provocation

stew sour tamarind innocence banished
leh go beast on the loose
school boys running like mad from police
untreated violent behaviour, feeding trauma
stranger, unfamiliar faced passenger
friend or maxi taxi driver
victim to a high-tech villain
without identification. Please
arrest this provocation

murders, gang-warfare, common assault
of prisoners or mps . Violent pop
concerts linked to aggressive
behaviour shot up by police. Testing
entrance examinations. Forgotten
communities where fear reigns. Please
arrest this provocation

government officials pray with feuding gang-leaders
robberies, drive-by shootings, kidnapping,
slain police officers families at funerals
blazing road blocks rubbished. Terrified
shot up bystanders as
as if escaped from saint anns
with messages. Please
arrest this provocation

venerable small business proprietors
their kidnapped siblings
chorale beseeching prime security minister
for gun licences. Ongoing arguments over constitution,
extraditions, regulations , crime legislations. Assassinations
acquisitions, accusations. Please
arrest this provocation

cabildo without spanish expatriates
disrespected douglas, afrikans an' east indians,
legal appointments, consultants, foreign archbishop,
voter padding, ransom payments, hustling q-cees,
drugs washed ashore, victims of crime
innocent without redress. Please
arrest this provocation

gun running syndicates, another olympian
promised an accommodation. Stolen chalice
of communion, daylight police shooting
civilians an' bandits, coup rumours
missing army hardware, stolen uniforms
uzis ablaze mayhem, terror senseless
parrying with death. Please
arrest this provocation

insinuations of criminals in
almost every home. Venal politicians,
sellers of cloth exposed. Faulty nuts
causing caroni explosions. Please
arrest this provocation

vows neglected

"...Oh land of fairest beauty
we vow our lives to duty
and vow this day
and vow this day to serve thee..."

trembling beneath our feet
gazing lovingly
our new fluttering flag
unaware our unborn not free
of post-modern terror

lingering ailment
scourge of inequality
manifests
such vulgarity not bashful

descendants of Columbus
dictated the voyage forward
we still draw water and
tend to massa's venal estates

we pledged our lives
to serve a nation
now limping along
bearing scars of unnecessary trials

this is my mother trinago
here poui still blooms
manatee in seclusion
as leather-backs lay eggs
crabs run at full moon
caiman there about

land of fairest beauty
where/here slain innocents
are accepted

still the poor folks
defending rubbished road blocks
or rummaging
at la basse
neglecting public health
polluting environment
as ink dries on signed contracts with foreign concerns
for further pillage of resources

=

for one who truly cared

2007-09-21T00:36:00.001-07:00



when

inputs

      are shared

without

reservations

and language is

        but a task-unnecessary

          enter

      gumma

oz

      dabbar

for omega has departed from

                  alpha's chamber

                  with out music [ muse]

Trinidad Guardian celebrates Roi Kwabena poetry

2007-09-05T13:36:00.001-07:00

Anson reports on Roi Kwabena's inclusion to Black Achievers List

2007-09-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

Trinis on list of history's black achievers
By Anson Gonzalez

Roi Kwabena is greatly pleased to be included in the list of history's
greatest black achievers. The International Slavery Museum opened its
doors in Liverpool, England in mid-August with an exhibition of
history's black achievers. Some are household names, others are barely
known. All are extraordinary.

Kwabena's years of work in his homeland, where he began as a youth,
and his travels through the Caribbean, north Africa, and the United
Kingdon have certainly made an impression as an activist and artist
in the field of Black consciousness. He has produced several books and
other publications, and has lectured and performed widely. He has
earned a formal Doctor of Philosophy degree, and on two occasions was
Poet Laureate of the city of Birmingham.

The other great Trinidadians included on the list include:

Stokely Carmichael - Civil rights activist, 1941-98
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Carmichael moved to Harlem at 11. He was
leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, bringing
black students together to protest against segregation. One of the
first activists to use the term " Black Power".

Learie Constantine - Cricketer, politician, lawyer, 1901-71
One of the finest all-rounders in cricket, Constantine moved to
England from the West Indies to play professionally. He became
involved in politics, fighting discrimination. He was the first black
Governor of the BBC and the first black life peer.

Roi Ankhkara Kwabena - Cultural anthropologist, born 1956
Born in Trinidad, Kwabena – who calls himself a "cultural activist" –
produces art on a variety of platforms, addressing issues such as
racism and immigration. He is a poet, musician, storyteller, historian
and publisher, and has performed around the world.

George Padmore - Scholar, activist, 1902-59
Padmore is seen as one of the 20th century's greatest social theorists
and played a large role in the decolonisation of the Caribbean and
Africa. A prominent Pan-Africanist, he inspired many black leaders and
established the Internatio nal African Service Bureau.

George Padmore - Scholar, activist, 1902-59
Padmore is seen as one of the 20th century's greatest social theorists
and played a large role in the decolonisation of the Caribbean and
Africa. A prominent Pan-Africanist, he inspired many black leaders and
established the Internatio nal African Service Bureau.

CLR James - Writer, socialist theorist, 1901-89
James is famous for seminal writings both on cricket and colonialism,
most notably his book The Black Jacobins. He campaigned for African
and West Indian independence, and wrote the first novel by a Caribbean
author to be published in the UK.

Trevor McDonald - Journalist, born 1939
The first black news anchor in the UK, Trinidad-born McDonald is one
of the most popular figures on TV. Starting his career on the BBC
World Service, in 1999 he was given the Bafta Richard Dimbleby Award
for Outstanding Contribution to Television.

Ancestor Leroy Calliste & AFRIOETS PRESS

2007-07-22T02:19:00.000-07:00

Ancestor Poet Teacher Leroy Calliste
was among main supporters of my efforts in 1974
I remember and pay tribute to his foresight 33 years later
other supporters were
SELWYN NEWTON
FRANK PORTER
PARKER NICHOLAS
KEDAR SHABAZZ
MICHELLE FRANCIS
ANSON GONZALEZ

SALAAM

(for Leroy Calliste 1943-1975)

SALAAM

am i to sit

and stare at these

wretched walls

and curse.....

with my memories of you....

poet....

messenger of this season

refuted by ignorant ones

or am i to laugh...ironically

to engulf the lamentations

within...benighting it from the public

can any of these moves

truly present themselves

as aid for your resurrection?

you have left us....

as babylon the whore

laughs...exclaiming conquest

in her lewd form of exaultation

and... mother weeps

with our daughters viewing her

expressing exasperation

i cannot speak of

a young warroir feeding the land

nor of spilt blood and green vines

curling about withered sticks

yet i am to yearn again

for pristine mornings

when we can meet each other

dancing the ancestral dance

through the glade like passage of ebony

where the chanting voices of

our mothers

sisters

and daughters

make tearful eyes

as we faintly remember

the weavers of the dust

salaam..... brother

what more can i wish?

may the memory of you

inspire the awakening flame

of distruction for babylon....

may the memory of you

enrich and nourish

the sensitivity of others

to follow us

salaam my brother

PEACE !!!!

New Voices Journal
No. 9 page42

Published 1977

Trinidad & Tobago
Caribbean

cul de sac

2007-06-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

sandale cul de sac

one time spring flowing crystal streams
concrete expansion of saynt lucien's blue
ranged madness, slapdash trenches
school friend kenny gill destined tragic
mud burial working
unstable sewer pipes
near much too large to modernise
burglar proofed bungalows
surrounded by tended feral gardens,
here beggorat's decision still induces fear
agitating chattel descendants. Covigne river
like waterfalls of rich plain, polluting factories in marriage
congo village near diamond vale, no more lettuce
cabbage bedded, zangee an' cayman,
or green pool,for wooden shacks
vehicles with brick houses jostle
for space, edging a walled rubbished
blue basin river wandering toward high brow
west ghetto moorings under
view of an afrikan built british citadel
"call dat george.."
an' make gulf reclaim mangrove
placate clamour for change
ritualise those deemed criminal deportees'
exterminate immoral commerce

excerpt from JUNCTURE

AS LONG AS

hangman

2007-05-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

A JOB FOR THE HANGMAN

...now take your responsibility seriously....
hang with expediency
hang this legislation for its impropriety
hang the legacy of slavery an’ indentureship
hang high the ruling parasitic oligarchy
hang until dead the injustice of being
incarcerated for two decades awaiting execution...
hang the plan to abolish the privy council
hang (sic) the plan to empower the sterile
legal vultures of these plantation economies....
hang the archaic state of prisons,
be it trinidad, jamaica or grenada
hang quickly the temptation to ignore
amnesty international...
hang the truth up high that the issue
is not only the death penalty but human rights...
accept the reality that the causes of crime
must be addressed
for the homeless, poverty-stricken, naked an’ hungry
cannot be overlooked...
hang the inability to protect the fishing industry...
execute immediately the notion of nationals
(whether trini or guyanese)
have the right to pollute the orinoco delta
with their drug an’ gun runnin’ activity,,,

hang until dead this system of neo-colonialism
.....now take your responsibility seriously....
then we can begin to discuss
NATIONAL UNITY....

LETTER FROM SEA LOTS

river rea post card series

2007-04-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

Under the Wholesale Markets

this waterway without guild
on principle
of non-association; unrestrained
diligent craftsmen,
muck women and men
entire families afloat
horse-drawn boats whose restless spirits
still haunt

brummagem a la Rea
junto al rio
Rea Rea mai
rea del fiume
quddus el Rea

waters nourished revolutions
of industry an’ independence
at home an’ abroad. Yet
still today Rea
flows uncelebrated

only concrete defined
waters edge
attended by devoted insects, flora
guarded above by the birds

Roi Kwabena

Birmingham's Sixth Poet Laureate

full post card series

car-goes

2007-03-28T01:57:00.000-07:00

This poem was written in commemoration of International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition August 23, 2002 - As the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is being worldwide celebrated today, UNESCO continuous implementing its Memory of the World Slave Trade Archives project, one of its many initiatives related to the slave trade. I tried to show the links between the nexus of the human condition...

in Birmingham

on the rea banks

ambitious dissenters, zealots,

an’ metal workers

set to work without guild

near a ring

where bull deer

were reared

generations, centuries later

came Austin

wherever the car[here] goes

migrant workers never forget

bajan, kittian, Jamaican toiling

at longbridge…

nor scottish,welsh, english, polish, asian

irish peoples plying their trades

in the wake of the birth of an industrial heritage

is was and still is

going to B

uk’s first black city

taylor,sturge, wesley

would smile at lloyds

brindley’s glittering canals

more miles than Venice

never forget though

the nameless orphans

some offsprings of despised

canal-boat dwellers

except for those smuggled

to Canada for adoption

black country furnaces

ports of Bristol, Liverpool

cities like Manchester and London

unto guinea coast and

port royal xymaca

(2)

cargoes

sugar coffee tobacco

rum molasses cotton

gold and ‘staple’ humans

shackled; 90% of this

trade orchestrated by mercantile

giants in Liverpool, Bristol

where also slavers, buccaneers and even privateers

recruited openly sometimes

in deception of those hired

there…everywhere

watts’ steam engines transferring

more than technology, trade

with

ever attendant greed

never before since cargoes

virgin vistas witnessed such

wanton pillage

man made flames

blood-letting

of innocent and guilty parties

on

all sides

slate from mountain tops of wales

ferried along worcester carnal

to trade with ‘de indans’

restraining irons…groating pudding

maize cutlery..pottery…

finery for the mistresses

nails, pig iron, coal, blankets

to trade with ‘de bandits’

paid for

by god fearing enterprising

forward thinking philanthropic scientists

who dared to query..

as albion Jacobins…lunar friends

Unitarian dreamers toying and fermenting

Sugar chocolate coated oats

Bullets, medals, coins

etal supporting far away

Harriet Tudman; listening

To discourses on

Equality, Dignity,

A human’s right to

liberty;

The likes of Equiano

Francis Barber

Peter Stanford- Methodist Minister

Isolating oxygen…colour spectrums

Hosting Jefferson an’ Small

Priestly’s timely hurried departure

To Pennsylvania heralded by

Loyalist riotous mobs on broad street

to ole’ moseley lands

----

[B] Descendants of CAR- goes

cargoes of edgewood carriages with

Birmingham flint guns blasting

american wars… asante kingdom. apache, Chaka zulu,

fuzzie wazzie, nubian, karifuna,tasmanian, boer an’ biafraian

franklin, wesley and day

understood

abolition of this precious trade

and the consequences

Are these humans capable of “ higher thought ? “

Among themselves these learnt men

Owners themselves of such chattel

Aware the booming “noble” slavery trade

of Boston & Maryland. Yankee slavers

plying their trade from Brunswick, New England

to Zanzibar despite

abolition decades prior

Cargoes

wanted posters proclaim

irish, welsh, english Scottish

indentured labourers…fellow Christians

albeit protestants, objectors and some catholics

on the run with afrikan slaves,,,

today in Moseley

handsworth, newtown (not guinea coast) an’ Aston

live multi racial

decendants drive cars

their famillar surnames

occupying

dwelling houses

whose facades have not changed…

roi kwabena

no hearts

2007-03-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

No Hearts

gone
are the days
of puppets,
robots
and bionic-men

these tales
are of nations
ruled by ones
who appear as
humans with considerable
intelligence, yet show
no emotions...

being manipulated
from afar by some
who feign compassion
with plans for further destruction...

my son enjoys these comics.

darfur

2007-02-27T06:12:00.000-08:00

mugran based

armed legislated relatives as predators
astride camels haunt wounded ass riding
famished sudanese broods
el fasher to nyala, kassala to juba: protracted
bloody bicker of bluewhite niles. Assumed
hydrocarbons deposits fuel calculated
genocide recognised or hidden
blameless generations dignity stripped
petrified an' naked woolly heads
keeping silence at these junctures

seeking external conflict resolution
awaiting precarious western compassion
guised as sky falling victuals

Roi Kwabena

excerpt of easthaverfordwest

from the collection

"AS LONG AS"

neglected vows

2007-01-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

poem from "ORISHA SONGS FOR CELINA"

for modibo who reconnected

2007-01-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

for modibo who reconnected

after years we
were
a-part

separ-
rated

but never lost o(-)r un
-connected to the
vine
torns an’ leaves
may have ignored
our aging... happy
that fateful
machete of fragility
came near us not

i have spoken your names

over meals...
on hills, valleys
swollen river banks
at universities...on ether waves
classrooms
in the silence of my ajoupa
on streets
where uncaring is acceptable

sacred memories of
strewn almonds
as carpet at our feet

the longest days pass every year
men no longer sing
an’ i miss your counsel

wise words of encouragement
all you shared
with that brash youngster armed with exercise book an’ ballpoint pen
is proven
truth

© rk ▲

published in DIALOGUE journal for Cultural Literacy

no1/vol.3

salaam (for Leroy Calliste 1943-1975)

2006-12-08T02:56:00.000-08:00

SALAAM

am i to sit

and stare at these

wretched walls

and curse.....

with my memories of you....

poet....

messenger of this season

refuted by ignorant ones

or am i to laugh...ironically

to engulf the lamentations

within...benighting it from the public

can any of these moves

truly present themselves

as aid for your resurrection?

you have left us....

as babylon the whore

laughs...exclaiming conquest

in her lewd form of exaultation

and... mother weeps

with our daughters viewing her

expressing exasperation

i cannot speak of

a young warroir feeding the land

nor of spilt blood and green vines

curling about withered sticks

yet i am to yearn again

for pristine mornings

when we can meet each other

dancing the ancestral dance

through the glade like passage of ebony

where the chanting voices of

our mothers

sisters

and daughters

make tearful eyes

as we faintly remember

the weavers of the dust

salaam..... brother

what more can i wish?

may the memory of you

inspire the awakening flame

of distruction for babylon....

may the memory of you

enrich and nourish

the sensitivity of others

to follow us

salaam my brother

PEACE !!!!

Published 1977 New Voices Journal No. 9 page 42

41 Trinidadian Poets in The New Voices

2006-12-08T02:50:00.000-08:00

41 Trinidadian Poets in the New Voices
1973-1993

Selected by Anson Gonzalez

Published 2006- NEW VOICES

Journal for the promotion of Creative Writing

Republic of Trinidad & Tobago

Caribbean

great reference in canada

2006-11-07T23:22:00.000-08:00

Seeing beyond the specs

Many thanks to the author: laughing Gull for an excellent reference to my poem that still makes a valid point years after composition.

no smell

2006-10-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

no smell

new(s) ‘tory
like zandolee
travels fast
murder
comess
spells
new party

concerted robberies
in congested daytime traffic
perplexed motorists
and apparently deranged local residents
casting roles of parasite and prey
via the internet

exploding vehicle windscreens
ramped occupants staring helplessly
screams of protests aside
mental illness and lost of property

who comes at my door
offering poll cards, brazen smiles
usual t-shirts.. regular ten days
scented breath begging consent
of my index finger

oblivious to
poverty
breeding crime

as if rotting dogs don’t smell

▲
excerpt from whether or not

Birmingham's Poet Laureates-10 years

2006-10-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

poetry selections

2006-09-30T02:36:00.000-07:00

selected poetry and responses by critics

provocation-CRIME in Trinidad & Tobago

2006-09-30T01:18:00.000-07:00

a warning from mother earth

2006-09-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

Julica

rainbows as promised
after the storm

How many will accept that
tact an’ diplomacy with patience
are the keys to our social progress ?

consultation
understanding
forgiveness
acceptance

with official acknowledgement
for the selfless efforts of our predecessors

(including those of the first nations)

●
excerpt from as long as

guarding the botanic

2006-09-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

guarding botanic gardens

Grey haired Ali worked hard
as a police, not a real one- an estate warden
attached to the Ministry of Agriculture
Land and Fisheries. Guarding adjacent
Governor General’s stone house
the Botanic Gardens. Here on Sundays

Supt. Fitzroy Prospect since
graduating in England conducted
the police band. Classic renditions
in Victorian bandstand. Shadowed
by Ali, in his worn but neatly pressed
khaki uniform. Propping up the old
iron gate, his trousers was long
unlike normal police, his hat like a captain
a strange badge with the queen’s
crown. Polite was he

pleasant disposition.

Never knew at an early age,
his Arabic name meant
“ of high station” so we teased
his sons at our school. Jeering
poverty of their home. Two jobs

selling us curry and guarding
botanic gardens astride
Government’s Raleigh bicycle…
Only in adulthood understanding
he was a widower an’ single father
to seven

●

T&T flag

2006-08-31T01:33:00.000-07:00

in DEPENDENCE

2006-08-31T01:13:00.000-07:00

mutually ah mas

my lips
part to spit out
a poison promised
to me as sustenance

awake! i dare
say you dreamers
on marine square
never was declared independence,
dancing star-filled night
beneath painted
ornate street-lights
were but, one of
many delusions. Antics
of a trained prankster
many centuries reared
on corrugated blood
with powdered face

new era or
error

a fish that don’t swim
●

great divide

remains

like the dug out lands by the private land developers

lethal floods –so blame instead the residents
who dispose of their refuge
without wherewithal

as sins of the past accumulate
remain unchallenged
have we forgotten
the struggles of our predecessors?

why must the ole guard remain ?

as uneasiness an’ fear reigns

demolish… obliterate
class barriers
discrimination

legislate equal opportunity
to fill the

great divide

●

Lunacy

In-stalled
aggressive waves
thumping maracas
las cuevas to matleot
even paria gulf at 25feet. Plus

debris explosion in st james. Innocent’s
blood bathing the land

Criminals playing eternal jouvert
privileged macabre ballet
clad as politriks galore

minus ahead

●

poems selected from "As Long As"

published in commemoration of

Trinidad & Tobago's declared

Independence from Britain

31st August 1962

hurrican katrina

2006-08-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

http://roikwapoetry.blogspot.com/2006/08/in-memory-of-victims-of-katrina.html

in memory of victims of katrina

2006-08-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Big Ease Back

big ease back
riding out the storm as
dead multitudes
float idly by

like lice replace
tongues of fish
no more new orleans
louisiana has lost her pearl

bourbon street grime
washed away by rumoured
imploded levees giving way

here glittering madre gras
memories fade
of wining or losses
at la masions de casinos
no more threaten provocateur de las vegas

survival especially
subsidised milk anointed
self heated meals
deny com-forT-V
sad as nineleven

personnel not available/dispatched
to induce violence abroad
as televised democratised
humans may agonise
constitution as daily benediction blood
of innocents make safe
wretched poverty

flying bombers dare
dare you there
dear you
as daring weathered mercenaries
with flying metallic crafts
convey whatever else
with determined intent to
injure eye of deity
hurrican
many times christened
now immortalised as katrina

nature has become
a stranger demanding
due respect with honour

live with her
not against her
conflict begets not harmony

nature's divine science

indigenous nations know
when she comes
hence, seasonal migrations
as buffalo once roamed

magical voice of
now ancestor jazzy mae
framed by piano, trombone,
trumpet an' base trembling
drumset at rear

hot frenzied dancing
cannot fill stupidless-lee
smokey sleasey bars
now submerged
by torrents liberated

did they call my name?
did they find my sister?
who will take care of us now?
i lost everything
they dont care about us...

how to love me/between the news
ole man river
spawns tad-poles
reported as finding
food an' water
an’ looting food in the
deluge
same place.
Same Time

catfish , squid, crabs or lobsters, snapper
oyster de extraordinaire
drowned slave bones
ritual assembly
river boat missionaries entertained
canoes of antiquity silt wrecked
primordial instincts
of fellow beings. Entangled

seaweed to mangrove
shark bait caught
cayman skin wrapped tight plaid cloth linen

Levilee jeans, dvd player
kitchen-master
20'' plasma tv, hair dryer
Toaster, nylon negligee...
20''freezer,
we need insulin
smellin' salts, drinking water

acess over this fly-over

f.e.m.a.

Fuming/Engulfed/Mainland / amerikkka

a coasting slick of black gold
mississippi day-mare
though devoted
black elected mayor
lamented disgrace…..commanding
sitting arses to
ass-ist. Roamin' knuckle-

heads' marooned seeked
ease in hospitals, bars, churches,
convenience stores, pharmacies an' laundries

any port to
contain/onload urges
bush cant fix chronic addiction
nothing could. Weapons
ruled by strong flaming discontent raging over
five days of mayhem

five suns to experience
t'is impromptu baccanal /carnivoire
macrbre dance without mask
jazzed up ridicule of
dispossessed. Innocent

tears shall confound
vile blatant attempts
to erase these folk

infirm and elderly victims
idly float by
as we ride out this storm

washpan, fish-lines
make-up kit, stove
an' vacum on
mud soaked mattress
fried chicken,
floating pizzas harvested
cotton, tractor, moped, van, car
an' dump truck
piled high as traditional
black-eye peas and rice

oui
flaming factories where
purid brews
of chemicals cook
screaming anguish

feudal gifts of
un trauma de grande
offshore rigs awol
spilled gallions of southern comfort .Trolleys
of recycled booty ferry
shoot to kill polite

on site orders/
inept response
as human culling
pursued under
pretex of duress
incompetence
riding out in storm

conspiracy ?
genocide?
thousands remain unaccounted

leave the politics for later
rescue crafts under fire
we want to save you
roaming marauding desperate survivors
armed to the teeth

remand prisoners wallow in cages
overcome with faecaliën broth
refugees in their own land: cited psyche
ferociously assaulted
majority afrikan- amerikan
poor for here comes iron fist
sound bites
photographic opportunities
shaking sweaty hypocritical palms of who
did not evactuate
failed to prepare
thus prepared to fail
multitudes
riding out the first storm
of the season

some say a catastrophe waiting to happen

again
●

poem

published in the collection:

AS LONG AS

Caribbean Poet's celebrates

2006-08-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

Selected commissioned poems from Birmingham's Poet Laureate (2001-2002), celebrating the diversity and culture of England's second city. Includes an appreciation of the epic poem-"location:RE".

These works have received international acclaim establishing Trinidadian born Roi Kwabena as a new vibrant voice of Post-Colonial Literature in Britain.

departures

2006-08-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

departures

no sadness along pathways
upon which we are destined
only opportunities for growth
an’ experience

opening our hearts
to change
we reveal our strengths
trusting in universal laws
supporting us as always
from the womb

the secret
is acceptance of fragility
alike the creatures be assured
of the precious moment
a gift known as the present
celebrate therefore your life
hopes and dreams
understanding
that all that
you seek will surely find you
▲

an excerpt from "in the moment"

平和

2006-07-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

平和

No Hearts

gone

are the days of puppets, robots

and bionic-men

these tales

are of nations ruled by

ones who appear as humans

with considerable intelligence,

yet show no emotions...

being manipulated from afar

by some who feign compassion

with plans for further destruction...

my son enjoys these comics.

an excerpt from as long as

Happy 50th Birthday

2006-07-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

born 23rd July 1956

from your family and friends

AFROETS PRESS 1974-2006

2006-07-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

1973- Publication of the anthology : " Four Hundred Years of Pain and Suffering" by Leroy Calliste and Selwyn Newton.

1974 - Launch of "Lament of the Soul" ; First book review by Anson Gonzalez in the Trinidad Guardian: " Young Poet steps boldly into print" First poetry reading session: featuring Leroy Calliste, Fitzroy Cook Jnr. , Peter Smart and Michael Als at Oilfields Workers Trade Union's Port of Spain Office. Several other readings staged at a commercial bank and church parish halls and community centres across the country.

1975 - Publication of "INSIGHT" ; Members actively advocate adoption of International Copyright conventions by Government. Memorable stage production of "BLACK FIRE" in sister isle Tobago. Leroy Calliste concludes a performance tour in U.S.A.

1976 - Tragic death of poet-teacher Leroy Calliste ; Afforded ISBN by Caribbean Agency; also Owusa Babatunde appointed AP Editor Publisher. Numerous readings across the country.

1977 - AP presents lecture by poet / artist Leroy Clarke. Media fuels controversy over " AP Poets" with their unusual style. Roi Kwabena delivers lecture on local literature to local Teachers Training College; Founding of BEMBE PRODUCTIONS ; Famous AP lecture by Dr. Victor Questel -"Nobody is coming to theatre, because it has nothing to say "

1978 - FUNDISHA cultural exposition in Diego Martin commands national media attention; "Redemptive Season" a literary event with music successfully promoted outside capital.

1979- Two young poets: Peggy Heather Hull and Helen Williams launch a season of new female writers. Veteran lyricist- Iacoob Ibn Abbass and community worker Omataa Ojungi joins Bembe. Productions.

1980 - In Other Words enjoys successful run at The THEATRE in Belmont, Port of Spain. Several performances staged in discotheques around the capital. These events blended popular youth culture with local performance poetry supported with percussion. At this time the artform RAPSO pioneered by fellow writer Bro Resistance of the Network Riddum Band also gained more popularity.

1981 - Publication of Seko Tafari's: In Memory ; Christian Action for Development in the Caribbean supports our activities with a grant. Lecture on Women, Labour and struggle in the Caribbean by Dr. Rhoda Reddock; Cacique Publications a local publishing company seeks partnership and appoints Roi Kwabena an associate editor. Works published during this period included:- Is Slavery Again- Labour History and Bandit Garden- Pickers and Flowers- an anthology of poetry by . AP gains Membership in the Writers Union of Trinidad & Tobago.

1982 - Several exhibitions and readings across the country featuring many writers and artists. Three dinner performances featuring vocalist-poet Amalla Sayida, Sapodilla, Roi Kwabena and Ateba Keneyatta successfully staged.

1983 - Publication of C.U.R.E. (Community Upliftment & Rehabilitation Exercises ) a journal of Good health. Bembe participates in a national exhibition promoting culture in Port of Spain.

1984 - Publication of C.U.R.E. , presentation of Manifestations art exhibition; Tragic passing of poet /artist Jamakie TUT Oyoyo and Dr. Victor Questel; Anthony Weeks appointed AP Editor-Publisher.

1985 - Our founder embarks on a Performance / Lecture Tour: Belgium, U.K., France, Netherlands, West Germany and Bulgaria. Links forged with international publishers writers and artists.

1986 - Publication of poetry and other works in joint co-operation with UK ( Coventry based ) TAMARA PRODUCTIONS. Including CHALLENGE- a newspaper serving the Afro-Caribbean communities in the West Midlands founded.

1987 - During a extended sojourn in East Afrika, Kwabena is accorded the distinguished title of Al ANSAARI in the Sudan. AWARE Publications Imprint launched in T&T.

1988 - Khadija Saliyma is appointed AP Editor publisher.

1989 - Lectures and workshops for schools and libraries across Trinidad & Tobago by Christopher Grey and Roi Kwabena. Exhibition on antiquity of KUSH presented in joint co-operation of the Insititute For Cultural Co-Operation of the Venezuelan Embassy in Trinidad. This multi-media display also tours other venues across the country with support of the Division of culture-Trinidad & Tobago Gov't.

1990 - Caribbean tour by Roi Kwabena , several titles published by AWARE . Plus Kwabena Trinidad Public Library in recognition of the U.N. Declaration of International Year of Literacy. 1991 - North American and Japanese tour by Christopher Grey, who also receives several national and international awards for his community work.

1992 - Roi Kwabena appointed Senator of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. He also supports RAPSO week and the T&T Government's hosting of CARIFESTA . YOUTH VOICE journal also invites him to address their third anniversary celebrations. He addressed the formal opening of the NIA Arts Centre in Manchester UK.

1993 - AWARE publishes two more titles edited by Christopher Grey .

1994 - Valerie Griffith appointed AP Editor-Publisher; AP also presents Ghanaian historian: Dr. Kwaku Sennah's lecture on the Afrikan Diaspora. Afrikan History Month celebrations staged at the University of the West Indies ( St. Augustine Campus- Trinidad ) and other venues. Aware

1995- PROFILE a cultural journal published by AP launched and Awards ceremony held. Roi Kwabena embarks on another tour of Europe. Third Edition of About The Caribbean published in Germany, plus the anthology: Manifestations through joint co-operation of AP and the University of Augsburg - Bavaria

1996 - AP publishes KUSH RECLAIMED and the fourth edition of About The Caribbean ; RAKANubian Saints Of Christianity; Further editions of above mentioned plus other titles released. Two Exhibitions- "Gathering Power I & II " featuring Midland based artists presented in Birmingham, UK .

1997 - About The Caribbean 5th Revised Edition published, also " A JOB FOR THE HANGMAN" - a controversial collection of poems by Kwabena. An official online presence on the worldwide web established.

1998 - Two titles of poetry by U.K. based poets published by RAKA Pubs.:- "Poetic Revelations" by Sakinah Reynolds & "Nelson Mandela's Dream as a Boy " by Leon Blades. The Multi-media exhibition "Glory of KUSH" is open to view for twenty four weeks in London jointly hosted by the University of the Diaspora & Centerprise Trust Ltd. . The UK Dept. of Employment & Education commissioned Kwabena to launch the National Year of Reading. He also accepted an invitation from the Birmingham City Council to deliver the inaugural lecture: "MOCKING SHADOWS" for Black History Month celebrations.

1999 - An International and UK Tour by Kwabena performing selections from the Cd:Y42K "FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS" & "WHETHER OR NOT". The itinerary includes cities across Britian and Wales, Nigeria, Ghana, New Zealand, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, USA, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Canada.

2000- Trinidad Circle of Poets honour our Founder at a poetry session at the National Museum and Art Gallery in Port of Spain.Prizes sponsored by RAKA Books were distributed for a locally organised Poetry competition. Numerous workshops and lectures across UK, including a national extended tour of "GLORY OF KUSH" " multi-media exhibition. Hosted launch of BLUE magazine RAKA also hosts performances by numerous artistes, poets and writers...including CARIFOLK SINGERS (from Jamaica)KAALAMU ya SALAAMU ( Veteran Poet New Orleans), Goldie the Poet (California), Historian Runoko Rashidi and acclaimed playwright-Lennox Raphael.

2001- Celebration of our Anniversary. Publication of a new work by Dorrette Hanson: "HANDSWORTH THROUGH MY EYES" Our founder is appionted Birmingham's POET LAUREATE for the period 2001-2002. WRITERS WITHOUT BORDERS co-founded by Roi Kwabena. RAKA publishes "NEVER TROUBLE, TROUBLE" an anthology for young readers .

2002-Numerous commissions by our Founder poet including a poem to celebrate the British Monarch's Golden Jubilee and Birmingham's European Capital of Cultures Bid. RAKA publishes "My Will of Freedom" an anthology of poems by Bangladeshi poet Mishu Buara.

2003-
2004-
2005- PASSING OF OUR COLLEAGUE DR KUNIJWOK KWAWANG
2006-

another tongue

2006-07-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

A unique collection of selected translated poetry by this acclaimed Caribbean writer. Languages include: Dutch, Greek, Turkish, French, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Hungarian, Italian, German & Swedish.

in the moment

2006-07-04T05:59:00.000-07:00

Selected commissioned poems from Birmingham's Poet Laureate (2001-2002), celebrating the diversity and culture of England's second city. Includes an appreciation of the epic poem-"location:RE"by Reyhan King. These works have received international acclaim establishing Roi Kwabena as a new vibrant voice of post colonial literature in Britain.

Printed: 52 pages,

6.00" x 9.00",

jacket-hardcover binding,

50# interior paper,

black and white interior ink ,

100# exterior paper,

full-color exterior ink

CASCADURA

2006-07-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

CASCADURA

so though i didn’t relish
the mountain-dew
when laced with scorpion an’ centipede
nor tasted the cayman
singh did cook for mei did enjoy the cascadura
an' yes I wish in Trinidad to end my days
if i may

Refrain:
curry cascadu,
ah really love meh cascadura,
stew cascaduah really love meh cascadu

best village competition
tapia yard in st augustine
hosay nor ramleela
wont be banned, if i have my wayRefrain
staring at island homes
nelson, carrera
an chacacahacare
in this way..
pepper sauce on the highway
soft coconut water round the queen's park savannah
hot doubles in san juan
traffic in the croissee

Refrain

mincing fresh chive from sant d’eau
black mud in moruga, parang in
santa cruz or lopinotdivali in palo seco,
a lime in the north standfor panorama,
breadfruit oil-down
with saltfish in diego..
a curry cookup at caura or camelita

Refrain

steel drums hammered in point a pierre
downtown carnival parade
bottle ‘n spoon in snake valley, laventille
elderly indian women in
carapichima secretly teaching
a bride how to wine

Refrain

politicians exposed in the mirror
muslim brothers guarding their border
liming on harris promenade
a dip in blue-basin or
la brea sulphur springs
me pelting mangoes in the mang…
shark n bake down chagville
a rude male breeze in
the middle of town, blowing up
sandra’s pretty dress

Refrain

no one supports
stealing leather-back turtle eggs

LISTEN

track taken from Y42K CD

poem taken from "WHETHER OR NOT"

Χωρίς αισθήματα

2006-05-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

Χωρίς αισθήματα

Πέρασαν
Οι μέρες
Των μαριονετών, των ρομπότ
Και των βιονικών ανθρώπων

Αυτές οι ιστορίες
Προέρχονται από έθνη που κυβερνούνται
Από κάποιους που εμφανίζονται ανθρώπινοι
Με αξιόλογη ευφυΐα
Χωρίς όμως να εκδηλώνουν τα αισθήματά τους

Ενώ χειραγωγούνται
Από άλλους που προσποιούνται συμπάθεια
Με σχέδια όμως για περαιτέρω καταστροφή

Ο γιος μου απολαμβάνει
Αυτές τις κωμικές ιστορίες.

" HEARTS" -© Roi Kwabena

Translated by Efi Antoniou

Greek translation of new poetry

2006-05-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

AS LONG AS
in translation

Greek translations of selected poetry by Roi Kwabena.

This authorised edition is translated

by greek poet-teacher

Ms. EFI ANTONIOU

50 pages, 6.14" x 9.21",

saddle-stitch binding,

black and white interior ink

"orisha songs for celina" PUBLISHED

2006-04-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

"ORISHA SONGS FOR CELINA"

U are not latino

u are not latino

revoke papal bull

remember ancestors

gave pitch

so raleigh could repair

his leaking ships

after his failing

to locate

a city of gold

up de orinico

instead he got tobacco

smoked in bath

so his servant

doused him with agua

she thought he was on fire

u are not latino

ancestors shared

with all

maize

pineapple

tomato

papaya

potato

cassava

cotton

cocoa/chocolate

u r not latino

recognise roman domination

reject heresy & colonisation

columbus day

forced un cat-holistic conversion

u are not a cannibal people

rich diverse heritage

noble sophisticated cultures

u are indigenous

you are first nations

cultured long before

conquistadors’ bloody

occupations
pour libations

consult piyeman
u are indigenous

u are indigenous

hiya hiya ho hiya
ayeaye oui oui
woooopw

simon bolivar

zapatista

che guevera

tupac

pedro campos

zapotec

yocahu

dioarima casaripo

mucurapo calls

tulec/aztec/mayan/incas/waiwai/

warahu/taino/gallabi/karifuna

first nations

arise as condor

call as coqui

trod as ocelot

bite as caiman

walk as tapir

dance like blue crab

slide like a coral snake

wade as anaconda

hide as a chameleon

hunt as leopard

dig deep as an anteater

swim deeper as manatee

run like agouti

hide like opossum

levitate as kolbriu

are not alatin/sic/american INDIAN

U ARE FIRST NATION

here comes hurrikan

yaya'a

roi kwabena (from Orisha songs for Celina)

as long as available on amazon

2006-03-03T03:08:00.000-08:00

AS LONG AS

ROI KWABENA

Poetry/ with selected translations
With an Introduction by Lennox Raphael
& an After-word by Dr. Eric Doumerc
ISBN: 1-4116-7410-3
PBK 88 pp
Dimensions: 228.6 mm X 152.4 mm

B&W pgs - -
Full Colour Cover
Cover Design: Oil painting by Oscar Pimienta

Availability: Distribution Rights: World Wide

Global Distribution
Special rates in USA/Canada/ Caribbean/Africa/New Zealand / Australia /
Wholesale prices available on request

Available on AMAZON

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1411674103/102-5721197-7908106?n=283155

------

so pure

2006-02-19T12:37:00.000-08:00

so pure

whenever i stop to take notice

parody is easy to relish

nevertheless

another late train departs as i

remain fastened to this bench on platform 6

wondering if the spiralling price of oil

will affect living standards for

the poor in my oil rich isles
relatives complain they are unable

to protect themselves any more

a former prime minister proclaims time

for each man to own a gun

lawyers protest the conditions

on remand yard

queen's counsel retained

at enormous state expense

for the scoring of political advantage

engineered class conflict

incorrectly identified as racial conflict

how pure is bottled pure spring water?

roi kwabena

from collection: as long as

online video available

2006-02-04T06:19:00.000-08:00

unfolding lingua

reading RE:VISION

re-VISION

2006-01-29T11:04:00.000-08:00

RE:VISION

unfoldin' lingua within/without

hesitation. Inspiring concentration,

stirring curiosity,

exciting senses of all. Unexplored

the vistas. Welcome

all candidates come devotees

to seasons of abundant

opportunities

at the temples

trepidation diminishes

on acquisition of dexterity

confidence grows

for wonders never cease

through disciplined immersion,

only our nurtured

inhibitions constrain

learners' journeys

at quantum speed

to an eternally evolving

landscape of over-standing. Life-long

learning be critical

necessity,

prerequisite for success

everywhere on terra

openly dipping in and out

is legitimate

Essential for clients deemed

'Uninitiated'..?

Not ILPs, codes, targets

mottled policies but
Good practice: Luxury

of time, space,

a listening ear

advice

patience and support

to comfortably

swim as infant turtles

in an un-charted ocean

requires confidence. Fulfilling

advance to master

crucial skills for effective

relocation. As sheer bliss

of awareness

all have experienced

to diverse degrees

more times calculated

in a lifetime of determined

poise and control. Circumstances

motion endowed agility

as toilers balance

daunting integers. So
literacy: nascent dynamic

functional

political

social

cultural

In essence
erudition is vital

for mutual survival

of the species

in post modern times. As multitudes

are still denied

unfettered access to

growth-nee competence

Roi Kwabena

click image to order free poster

OBEAHMAN

2006-01-05T16:22:00.000-08:00

OBEAH MAN

i wish i was an obeah man

better than papa niza or even shadow

to light a big mauve candle

and throw light on evils

throughout the ‘global village’

i wish i was a obeah man

to write the wrongs

but not for a noble prize, only

to feed the hungry children an’ poor people...

i wish i was a obeah man

to enable sight through the lies an’ chase

away the flies of broken promises

i wish i was a obeah man

to decide an end to austerity measures

establish a ‘real’ world order destroying racism..

and political debauchery

i wish i was a obeah man

an’ run foreign conglomerates

who exact profits in a new wave of deception....

i wish i was a obeah man

to obliterate nepotism

while at the same time licking up drug barons

who pose as legitimate merchants

i wish i was an obeah man

to manifest and distribute spirit blows

as deals are secretly made

to devour the wealth of our people...

i wish i was an obeah man

to manifest de over due national theatre
i wish i was an obeah man

and stabilize the T&T dollar ...depose the plantocracy

to empower the landless...

i wish i was an obeah man

an’ stop police brutality
i wish i was an obeah man

an wok some true- true obeah

but it is difficult to be an obeah practitioner

when even the patrons are fakes

while the deserving are

chased away by bureaucracy....

as some very important people

seek me out in the dead of night.....

.......

OBEAHMAN

re-ah-just

2006-01-02T23:51:00.000-08:00

re-ah-just

Why should grannies
abandon children in their care?

A budget is for people to live comfortably

So less arms…less munitions
from Israel
camouflage uniforms

instead

re-ah-just
deliver food clothing
education, health an’ shelter

people can't eat arms
fortified vehicles nor night vision helicopters

nor can they quench thirsts with liquefied gas
rather empower communities
so they may grow stronger

less security and more humanity

re-ah-just

© Roi Kwabena
●

easthaverfordwest

2005-12-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

2. easthaverfordwest

austere female wardens shut

on time access to castells or caers

two ends of a forked spectrum

afon cleddau from east an' west

recalls picton, williams, newton

an' carew clan/destined trails with or

without cricket starving southern

colonies high tide equanimity

bold misadventure anywhere fish dread

hungry aggressive seagulls. Stalking

crossable bridges and rusty rail dreams of brunel

connecting regenerated walled towns

spanning ports. Here tourists ponder

bargains seeking fleeting pleasures

hoping repatriated alternative prices

remedies for swollen ripened discontent

or relief of weather near ole'

borders. Cambrian peaks frame shooting

stars that hover with drenched cardigan's amazement

by one luna's rainfall measure in an hour

flooding summer news, blood of the innocents,

parents beseeching "get our boys back home"

so no tears- armed serving daughters

rumours of impeachment abound

excerpt from juncture

latest collection available

2005-12-29T03:10:00.000-08:00

AS LONG AS

my latest publication

Readers be informed that my latest book is now available internationally.

Selected new poetry by Caribbean Poet and writer Dr Roi Kwabena. Introduced by Lennox Raphael and an Afterword by Dr Eric Doumerc. Includes selected translated poems in Hungarian, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, German, Turkish & Greek.

Happy and incisive reading.

Orders: CLICK ON IMAGE

Költségvetés milliárdokból (Magyar/Hungarian)

2005-12-29T02:48:00.000-08:00

Költségvetés milliárdokból (Magyar/Hungarian)

bár továbbra sincs nemzeti színház
nincs kultúrpolitika
sem elektromosság
nincs vezetékes víz
nincs biztonság
bőséges a rendőri brutalitás
égő szemét útakadályok
és illegális bányarobbanások
halál a törvényes fogdában
hajléktalanság
önkényes kisajátítás
hiányos orvosi felszerelések
szegényes oktatás
döntésképtelenség
rémült rabok rettegnek a folytatástól
a rasszizmus erőteljesen emlékeztet
nincs bizottság az egyenlő esélyekért
nincs egység
reménytelenség a csalódott választóknak
méltatlanul elfelejtett elődök és munkatársak
és a három rabszolgakereskedőhajó jelképe
a távolba vész...
mint az éhes nemzet várakozása a sorsdöntő változásra

●

BUDGET OF BILLIONS © Roi Kwabena
Hungurian Translation by Julianna Várnai

Χωρίς αισθήματα (No Hearts) GREEK

2005-12-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

" HEARTS" -© Roi Kwabena

Translated by Efi Antoniou

Budget of Billions

2005-12-18T02:44:00.000-08:00

Budget av miljarder (svensk/swedish)

fast fortfarande inte finns national teater
finns inte kulturpolitik
inte heller elektricitet
inte rinnande vatten
ingen säkerhet
men gott om polisbrutalitet
brinnande skräp blockerar gator
och illegala gruvexplosioner
död i legal arrest
hemlöshet
ockupationer
bristfälliga läkarutrustningar
fattig utbildning
ingen konfliktlösning
så de skrämda fångarna är rädda för övningarna
rasism påminner starkt
ingen jämställdshetskommité
ingen enhetlighet
hopplöshet för de besvikna väljare
förfäder och kamrater glömda utan ära
och emblemen för de tre pirat/slavskeppshandlarna
är borta ...
liksom den hungriga nationens förväntningar av ödets förändring

●

BUDGET OF BILLIONS © Roi Kwabena

Swedish Translation by Julianna Várnai

new poetry in translation

2005-12-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

in other tongues

In recent years, I have had the privilege of having my efforts translated in various languages. It in tribute to these ardent readers and linguists that I will over the next few days reproduce their labours.

----------------------------------------

il tempo e` essenziale
(commissionata dall'Arts Council of England per ' Waiting Rooms ')

il tempo e` essenziale

la speranza e` frutto della pazienza,

difficile venire a un compromesso

ma e` facile pensarlo

allora a che scopo affrettarsi tanto?

Roi Kwabena

(Italian)
Translation by Emmanuela Righetti

Re:Vision

2005-12-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

"unfoldin' lingua within/without......"

Re: vision

commissioned poem on LITERACY & LIFE LONG LEARNING

anti slavery

2005-12-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

[A] CAR- GOES with descendants

This poem was written in commemoration of International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition August 23, 2002 - As the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition was recently celebrated worldwide , UNESCO continuous implementing its Memory of the World Slave Trade Archives project, one of its many initiatives related to the slave trade. I tried to show the links between the nexus of the human condition...

going to B
uk’s first black city
taylor,sturge, wesley
would smile at lloyds
brindley’s glittering canals
more miles than Venice
never forget though
the nameless orphans
some offsprings of despised
canal-boat dwellers
except for those smuggled
to Canada for adoption
black country furnaces
ports of Bristol, Liverpool
cities like Manchester and London
unto guinea coast and
port royal xyamaca

(2)
cargoes
sugar coffee tobacco
rum molasses cotton
gold and ‘staple’ humans
shackled; 90% of this
trade orchestrated by mercantile
giants in Liverpool, Bristol
where also slavers, buccaneers and even privateers
recruited openly sometimes
in deception of those hired
there…everywhere
watts’ steam engines transferring
more than technology, trade

with
ever attendant greed
never before since cargoes
virgin vistas witnessed such
wanton pillage
man made flames
blood-letting
of innocent and guilty parties
on
all sides
slate from mountain tops of wales
ferried along worcester carnal
to trade with ‘de indans’
restraining irons…groating pudding
maize cutlery..pottery…
finery for the mistresses
nails, pig iron, coal, blankets
to trade with ‘de bandits’
paid for
by god fearing enterprising
forward thinking philanthropic scientists
who dared to query..

as albion Jacobins…lunar friends
Unitarian dreamers toying and fermenting
Sugar chocolate coated oats
Bullets, medals, coins
etal supporting far away
Harriet Tudman; listening
To discourses on
Equality, Dignity,
A human’s right to
liberty;
The likes of Equiano
Francis Barber
Peter Stanford- Methodist Minister
Isolating oxygen…colour spectrums
Hosting Jefferson an’ Small
Priestly’s timely hurried departure
To Pennsylvania heralded by
Loyalist riotous mobs on broad street
to ole’ moseley lands

----
[B] Descendants of CAR- goes
cargoes of edgewood carriages with
Birmingham flint guns blasting
american wars… asante kingdom. apache, chaka zulu,
fuzzie wazzie, nubian, karifuna,tasmanian, boer an’ biafrian
franklin, wesley and day
understood
abolition of this precious trade
and the consequences

Are these humans capable of “higher thought ? “
Among themselves these learnt men
Owners themselves of such chattel
Aware the booming “noble” slavery trade
of Boston & Maryland. Yankee slavers
plying their trade from Brunswick, New England
to Zanzibar despite
abolition decades prior
Cargoes
wanted posters proclaim
irish, welsh, english Scottish
indentured labourers…fellow Christians
albeit protestants, objectors and some catholics
on the run with afrikan slaves,,,
today in Moseley
handsworth, newtown (not guinea coast) an’ Aston
live multi racial
descendants drive cars
their familiar surnames
occupying
dwelling houses
whose facades have not changed…

© roi kwabena

for nefer

2005-12-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

"For Nefer "

when it comes
unafraid
as the night. Dark

happiness
commanding new vistas. Places
untamed
trees grow
in spaces filled
with departures.

roi kwabena

daydream

2005-11-28T12:04:00.000-08:00

the daydream

motionless
fashioned ties
grow apart

supported by caring bonds
never neglected. Dreams

bloom as expected .When

we celebrate

possibilities
awake as we daydream

© roi kwabena

ogun lives on (for clive bradley)

2005-11-26T17:18:00.000-08:00

Clive Bradley

Veteran Steelband Arranger

1936-2005

was up spring flow road

we met and it was raining

sxango was peeling. So

we sheltered under a mango tree

discussing heritage issues

both adamant of the need

to protect the arts for prosperity

he agreed with a sparkle in his eyes

reminding me of struggle for pan

plus where it was today

i countered i was a writer

and he smiled at me suggesting

that one day too i would stand sheltering

from yemanja here

to yet tell a youth

just as he was doing same

i queried whether he understood

power of Orishas

protecting our PAN

he accepted ...

so today i shout:

Ogun lives on...

as i pour libations for this the general...

whose music

and company i am proud

to announce i had

pleasure to enjoy

ashe

for DR. KUNIJWOK GWADO AYOKER (1943-2005)

2005-11-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

“…..force these foods down
the throats of Africans…

the human-well being is not considered

when some are out to make money... "

Dr Kunijwok Kwawang on Genetic Foods

“KOKIWEI”

for DR. KUNIJWOK GWADO AYOKER KWAWANG 1943- 2005

unarrived victuals
tabloid nor satellite intelligence
disguise plunder

kokiwei:

“paying for life”
in dafur to tunga. Cattle

may never govern themselves
Tell nyala queen of justice
signed accord negated

cut akoc
we still drink

of niyl water

tell again volataire an’ garang
limbs be amutated
tounges remain truss

chattel be humans
sorely. Missing your analysis

hearing (for Amyrl Johnson-late Poet)

2005-11-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

hearing

for Amyrl johnson ( 1946-2001)

"can you hear me?
big big commess in town"

Amyrl Johnson 2000 "..Calling"

hearing
yes hearing
the calling
your proclamation
so silent and carefully
the way you courageously
advised some
to tread in paradise.

i have buried too many
not only
little islands kill

hearing this calling. Emergency !
the cathedral on fire
strange metallic plants have sprouted
behind lady herbert's garden
an' naked godiva's ass-u-me grave
disturbed by tourism. Unrepentant

secrets no more you share.Anxiously

it was an email from london
hotspotwriters
alerting me to your
departure
not by train as always our
chance meetings no more
at larkin's hated destination

it was a fellow writer
nevertheless a black female scribe..

hearing quarry stones being
blasted ears ringing
trying to understand
this message. Blunt

torn in flesh
for sucking kiskadee
nestled on lagley, gathering
many ways. Coven-

-try
spirit undaunted
towering
fluttering before
like them blue-genes
on aripo plains...your
return home privately remains
good anytime
to pass away..as predicted..
today might not be a good day...

dead house silence unlike
humid nights at lookout from
lady chancellor's hill pass saint clair
your spoken-written lavway
nourishing inspired readers,
rapsoians will offer
deafening voices trembling
real orisha spirits
possessing temples...
inducing a call
to hear your calling

understand their own calling

for fresh fish price
hasn't changed; the little things
gorgons bol'faced gossip:
targarigua savannah
orange grove sugarcane
five rivers arouca mango
still falling baptist woman
praying manicoo still runnin';
macocious bad tongue geh mal yeux
humming birds contemplating
your eternal call. Geezan ages

cunumunu etal appreciating
ah good kankalang
dese days gyul... Tonnay !
born cobeaux to fight over carcass
though la basse privatised

tell Claudia jones now
i contradict als 'cause
nah only we uncaring islands
kill dem poets. Callin'

we still hearin'
your
calling

never to give in
forsakin'
we tongue

our heritage

●

for roger

2005-11-25T20:35:00.000-08:00

for roger davies

We disregard
Splendour from which we came to this place
here we experience ache and discontent
Shallow spells of woven memories we ferry

Care
Attention
Respect
Conversation
Laughter
Smiles
Disparity
Tears

Silence
We can share
As we go halves free will

In time

our own theatre
Acting with resolve an’ option

Enter exit when prompted

What is the lesson?
Our mortality
Our fragility
Our strengths
Our destiny

Flowers wither and seeds again sprout
Forever assuring as seasons change

Immortality of our faces, dreams and ways

Roi Kwabena
2005-04-14

2005-11-25T20:31:00.000-08:00

poet as one year old

lovenote4

2005-11-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

LOVE NOTE4

soul mates
finding
each other. Gives
courage

so others may

find their own.Path

forward on this journey....

rk
in response to a marriage announcement

Time Is of the Essence

2005-11-25T07:08:00.000-08:00

Time is of the Essence

Time is of the Essence
hope the fruit of patience
compromise may be difficult
But thinking is easy....
So why be in a hurry?

Arts Council of England

commissioned for "Waiting Rooms" project

making a poetic point

2005-11-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

keeping tradition alive

2005-11-20T05:40:00.000-08:00

Enlightenment and Dissent

2005-11-18T07:08:00.000-08:00

nullo discrimine

recent ancestors

have enjoyed carbonated beverages

soda water for flatulence

tonic water for the gin

rum and cola wars still pervade

moments of silence…

rather reflection

will fill this poem

in humility to the all

as priestley would prefer

as we yet in our current mad haste

traditionally post modernist

to redress, reinterpret, revise

re-invent the now rusted wheel

as it is ……… (silence)

let us celebrate

this legacy

as we gather in Birmingham

city of trades

where industry married art

bearing prosperity

this revolutionary one

was here …

for many moons(silence)

for enlightenment and dissent

reviled exiled his works publicly burnt

the mob relentless

destroyed his places of worship and work,

even his home hounded

by the press of London

caricatured as the priestly politician

or the political pries

this ideas as still ahead of our time

scientific pursuits for useless wars we still toil

terror occupies the survival space

of so many this is how we use chemistry

have we learnt any lessons1773-2004

cities besieged…nations in turmoil

disorder hunger an’ disease

ancestor priestley once

you too with your family were

refugees to America

as many today to the north

from the south the east and west

in search of a utopian sanctuary

their homes and families rent as

under

innocence maimed,

dismembered

sacred trusts trampled by religious bigotry

electricity is not global

but a commodity to the highest bidder

science is viewed in many quarters

with not covert suspicion

we still ferry as in horse-drawn fly boats

corroded dreams along silent canals

discarded machines survive

as forgotten ghosts

in the glare of neon lights

still empty warehouses

an overgrown silence

inviting vandals and addicts

productivity replaced by

determined vandalism

for carbon monoxide reigns

predominant now

forget the love of liberty

being a Jacobean

look today at Haiti

from where else America sourced the guns

just like those manufactured in Birmingham

to fight numerous wars an’ revolutions

but still the resilient priestley advises

restraint,

tolerance

in spite of adversity,

temperance

understanding

for the originators of civilisation

the fathers and mothers of the once

wretched slaves

for they too are humans

hence his work on the history

of the corruption of Christianity

is this humanity’s fate

should we like that mob

who burnt his book

prod along as the old Birmingham

groping in the shadow of Soho house

neglecting lessons of the past

on a full moon

as the gun revisits us in Aston

forgive galton we still eat chocolate

drink coffee,

smoke tobacco

fair traded or not

we, especially those of us

who can afford it

even contribute our daily share

of carbon monoxide

even our love for vegetation

has waned

yet priestley promised us a window

in this crisis

with suitable humility the success

we so crave can be attained

reconnecting us to a calm

that we have long forgotten

flowers still bloom,

hybrid or genetically modified

preachers and politicians still bray

as an intelligent young girl of 12

from Handsworth,

whose parents hail from Leeds,

visits the Science museum

dreaming to be a nuclear physicist....

Learning Day

2005-11-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

Learning Day 2002

A child awakes

sense of scent tested

with breakfast

carefully or not prepared

Funny how we

humans

stake for granted

our memories

Every moment like a child

we grow

like time never old

always new

Learning is a process

We acquire…as order

of the universe

so too our senses

of taste

touch , feel

an’ need to know

skills

languages

skills

concepts

values

habits

instruments

in and out of institutions

(2)

hail Birmingham

home of the industrial revolution

from luna society to friends

here science and art

engaged genius

here we possess great resources

for centuries to come

we understand our precious resource

is the people not the buildings…

for this human source

proves more valuable

than megalithic structures

we erectmonuments

we neglectday of learning

in this human city living non-smoking

breathing diversity

kalidescope of colours

amazing soundstastes

feels and smells

hub of the midlands

where multilinguals

proclaim

victory over ignorance

accepting new experiences

as a child

never too old or proud

to feel smell taste

touch and know

and out of

virtual in reality

Holocaust Day

2005-11-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

In silence

let us reflect on

past vile mistakes

grave errors of judgement

that still evoke pain

senseless violence against innocent souls.

In hope let us now

never allow differences to cloud

our lucid vision of

better seasons when

hope an' prayer

turns into peaceful bliss.

Never

will we direct our

anger against humanity ...

for our future

on this planet ... our survival.

As long as

there be understanding

let reality of purpose

be our collective focus.

Sensitive plants

have sprouted

where flames once scorched earth

tears of joy replace

hapless fear

we are again

entrusted with new responsibilities

this day. As long

we keep on this journey

with understanding for energy

bearing gifts of diversity

to celebrate

unity equality

DIALOGUE instead of FORCE

as we ferry memories still

of those who strove and fell

this silence

commands us to appreciate

divinity within each other

for their memories are sacred

their cries will never go unheard

and

our children

will rememberso today - PEACE

understanding

patience in harmony

we bequeath

RK 2002

Birmingham City's Commemoration

of Holocaust day Memorial Day

forgive us our debts

2005-11-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Forgive Us Our Debts

........wish we had a father

not only in heaven

but also on earth.

we would forgive our debtors

and all those who

trespassed against us

the genocides...

the chattel slavery.....

the indentureship.....

the religious conversion....

the plunder of our antiquities....

the economic deprivation....

the scientific exclusion....

could we expect

our debts to be forgiven

so that we may feed our people

we wont be led into military aggression
we will uphold

the ideals of

tolerance and equality

we will fair trade all commodities
we will promote sustainable development

and protect the earth's environment

oh! can we expect our debts

to be forgiven as

we adhere to principles

that will be beneficial to all of humanity

we the rich-but considered

poor nations of the southern hemisphere.....

1998

(dedicated to the Jubilee2000 cancel the Debt campaign)

Birmingham: Capital of Culture

2005-11-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

Birmingham - Capital of Culture

This is no mirage

glittering canals engage Industry alongside

Genius exporting commerce and determination

of humans in waves with precious

resources settledin pursuit of excellence...

here a river flows directly

connected to many cities,

some bear her name begrudgingly

imitating her ingenuity feigning success

an' green men guardlike the sphinxes

promise of a sustainable future

with learning elders and youth multilingual

proclaiming victories

open spaces to breathe

alongside basins of promise

near where postmodernist world

leaders have quenched their thirst

minted coins...fashioned precious stones jostle

aromas of once exotic now only tempting

cuisines galore

carnivals in the shadow of public art

an entire district dedicated to balti

Luna society of scientific enquiryAston hall

where royalty dined

Abolitionists, friends and metal smiths

confer as harvested chocolate is still prepared

sporting arenas and automobile engines fine tuned

female advocacy...trade unionism

justice, equality and liberty

Rupert sacked but never conquered

soho house resonates charm

Be immersed in her

diversity without effort

celebrate the many

who gave in principle

to follow

forward

52º north

See now hear (feel) in the dark

2005-11-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

So see now hear (in the dark) feel

"...was blind, but now I see"

John Newton : "Amazing Grace"

See now hear feel

Feel now,

hear sea Here

now feel see,

now feel hear an'

see in the dark (refrain)

buckra...guineas dosh...massaare

they who plunder an' rob

any different than those

who trade inhuman cargoes?

Lock, stock an? barrel

Eternal triangle retraced

from Whitehaven, Liverpool,

Bristol, Gloucester, Cardiff,

Birmingham an' London

a few prospered

so cups

may be filled

with rhum?

Raleigh ensured tobacco may

smoke first in Devon

Asphalt still pave roads

of trade, Commerce, banking with insurance

established pirates, buccaneers,

cow killers, privateers

Slavers out to sea, religious zealots

Archaic laws of eighteenth

(which) century?

Gold, emeralds, diamonds,

bauxite

cocoa, guns, shackles,

sugar, cottonpineapples, papayas, timber,

coffee, tomatoes, chocolate

filthy as mined coal

brandy parties,

St Giles' stinking drunken stupor

nursing gentlemen's

trade of wretched human cargo

Even locals pressed-ganged as crew

Spirited chimney boys, convicts,

those indebt, screaming kidnapped

daughters condemned as accomplices

for this trade starved on sail to

gold coast

Precious kidnapped cargoes

albeit humans

Chained afraid are some/none

on atlantic separated fading

memories of baobab denied

rights of passage or kinbeaten,

shackled in irons

Never to return!

so accept the sacrifice of Quamina

feel words of saved Rushton at this shrine...

as familiar names survive,

histories so entangled

Global deceit, new millennia

will but forced emancipation

did not end chattel slavery

as today showcases and brochures

brag post modern conveniences

dependant on supply of shackled labour in afrika,

asia unto lawless jungles of americas

Even in the kitchens of europe and middle east

pathetic excuses of abominable existence

before european's arrival

then legal, so no compensation

to daten benefactors pay no reparations

drinking blood like milk

Feel here now,

see now

hear /here

feel

Failed safe if only one is in captivity

None is free!

No dignity without equality!

No humanity

Without justice and liberty!

roi kwabena

2004/09/06

Commissioned by Braunarts for

the Birmingham launch of The Dark Exhibition 01.09.2004

in the moment

2005-11-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

For the opening of the Buddhist Pogata in Birmingham UK

IN THE MOMENT

fleeting pasts・ we consider
remember or forget

present in process
we bear witness
accept or reject

approaching future
naked aspirations or unfounded fears
we embrace or resist

however we calculate
our length of days on this plane
regard for this moment :
time an・destiny
like circles without end or begining
and what of divine order ?
deemed possession of all power?

a s time stays not still
ever rousing・nascent・changing
effecting triumph・displeasure
satisfaction ・indifference・amusement

accept
power of thought
words, actions
manifest
as the golden disc of our skies
illuminating our seasons
or far away stars
stimulating our minds

meditation guides our lives......
there is no beginning
no end

By popular demand: Commissioned Poetry

2005-11-14T05:06:00.000-08:00

Warm Greetings Readers

I have been requested by many readers to display/publish my commissioned poems.It is with great pleasure that I began this blog to share with all the results on my efforts in response to requests most times from official circles but there are also requests from ordinary people who choose this "accessible language" to commemorate personal events.
happy and incisive reading.

Be aware if you too, are interested in having me write a poem to serve your special need, do feel free to contact me.

peace love & harmony.

<<<Long Live freedom of POETIC EXPRESSION>>>

may my hand be guided by the eternal deity THEUTI...