14/04/2019
I wrote this some time ago but as i feel CALLED to be back in Jamaica I feel to share it once more... Bless up!
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"Jamaica Bound"
A yearning arose that called me home
back to the place where I don't feel alone
The land of my birth a jewel in the sea
my island in the sun beckoned to me
So I booked my ticket and hoped on a plane
to find my wings, to be home again
The USA may be the "land of the free"
but Jamaica is where I can truly be ME
I sensed I was close when awaiting my flight
I was greeted with a joyful and familiar sight
Beautiful people of all shades of brown
smiling faces and laughter all round
Young and old with such grace and pride
dressed "to puss back foot" I knew I'd arrived
Welcoming rhythms of reggae pulsate
as the tropical sun beats down on my face
This warmth, these smells, that vibration I knew
these people, these places are home to me true
Through the hustle and bustle of Kingston we drove
passing donkey cart, uniformed schoolers, ghetto and palace
Somehow in this chaos, co-mingling of disparity
a pattern emerges that seems to bring clarity
Tap into the rhythm, go with the flow
raw open senses, sudden familiarity you know
Arriving at last at our house on the hill
there's a feeling of calm, deep peace that is still
A wrap around veranda with impeccable views
of the Caribbean's splendor in tropical hues
Caymanas Sugar Estates, verdant and vast
an agricultural reminder of our colonial past
The John Crow mountains, Bull Bay in the East
Sleepy Port Royal, Lime key, and Old Harbour fade West
As we sip on a Red Stripe and drink it all in
a long-tailed Doctor Bird alights and begins to sing
Such a rare sight is this, and never have I heard
a squeek or sound come from any humming bird!
He ruffled his feathers shimmering emerald in the light
and full of pride posed for pictures to our delight
Now I must admit that the thought occurred
that this host who received us was no ordinary bird...
The idea in my head brought a smile to my face
Perhaps my father, "Dr. B" has reincarnated in this case!
He showed such affection, so proud, and a voice
that my mind and my heart made this a logical choice.
Jamaica is truly such a magical place
Such beauty, such passion, such dignity and grace
Now marred by violence, corruption, and greed
It is perhaps a flower that bloomed and left no seed
Its people are resilient , hopeful and strong
full of faith, good humor, but for how long?
How long must we suffer from hardship and strife
when resources are bountiful, why such a hard life?
Despite decades of slavery and oppression
under Colonial powers
Our spirit is free, we have faith
the future is ours!
You see it in the faces, in music and song
in respect for our elders, morals aren't gone.
Hymns of praise in our churches, the words of wisdom we speak.
Try to slow us down, and world records we'll break!
Jamaica "likkle but tallawah!"
there's too much at stake...
It is no longer a place on a map
or a memory long past
For me this place is now, and a map to re-discovering myself
and my future at last
"Jamaica Bound" was not just a trip home
but a journey inside, reconnecting to what I came from
and what I' ve become...
I am an island of peace in a sea of compassion
I am radiance of sunlight on waters blue
The reflection of hope out of darkness
The memory of rebellion against oppression
The smell of cinnamon, nuttmeg and ginger
The taste of scottch bonnet, June plum and Julie
The durability of lignum vitae
The flexibility of Castleton bamboo
The cool of Hollywell mist
The pulsation of Roots Reggae
The celebration of Jueve morning
The abundance of Coronation market
The truth of "Out of many, One people"
The wisdom of Rastafari
The whisper of Christmas breeze
the curve in the road and wind of the Wagwater river snaking through Junction
I am the lush Rio Grand valley, Portland paradise!
Boston beach, Jerk pork and roast breadfruit
Starapple and sweet naisberry nectar
Frenchman's cove, Stanley and Miss Cherry,
Eden adventure, Ice cold Jelly
Hot fish tea, a kaleidoscope of colorful clothing choices
Up-full, proud, macho, tender, and strong!
I am full, I am whole, I am blessed
I am ...Jamaica bound...
Like the expansive banyan tree
firmly grounded with rope-like roots
like the spiraled tendrils of a jungle vine
clasping to something bigger, for safety and sustenance
Jamaica grounds me, sustains me, and embraces me.
I am bound ... and grateful.
by Nigel Benjamin
April 2010
