Viv in a mood today, you only have to watch,
See the jaw grinding, he stabbing the pitch, back-lift big.
Look how he look down the wicket, spear in he eye,
He going to start sudden, violent, a thunder shock.
Man, this could be an innings! This could make life good.
* * * * *

Editorial:
Birth. Birth. Birth.
At Palabras Press the proliferation of poetry spills as fresh water from ancient rock, nourishing mind, soul, heart, unfreezing winter-locked longing.
The dance with words will not stop, and the kindred metaphors and succulent images take to inviting pages with joyous reverie. Articles, […]

frog men…frag-ment
if i smile @ U
it is not B-cause i luv yah.
it just may be that I am having a happy day
or had a great night.

God hear me is you I talking to
God you know you smart foh so
Man you is master of mamaguy
All this time I thinking you up there somewhere
sit down on yuh throne with yuh long white hair
watching down from the sky with yuh wisdom eye
I thinking you is fella born to live high
keeping company with […]

This is the dark time, my love,
All round the land brown beetles crawl about
The shining sun is hidden in the sky
Red flowers bend their heads in awful sorrow
This is the dark time, my love,
It is the season of oppression, dark metal, and tears.
It is the festival of guns, the carnival of misery
Everywhere the faces […]

Ol’ woman wid de wrinkled skin,
Leh de ol’ higue wuk begin.
Put on you fiery disguise,
Ol’ woman wid de weary eyes
Shed you swizzly skin.

We journeyed on to Ebini
A night upon the Berbice river
I wondered why not to Kwakwani
Another place of splendor
But since I embark on Ebini’s shore
Resplendent in its nature
More and more I adore
My blessed Guyana

Make us hear the new
Tone of your voice.
Force us to understand that you
Are not the shaped but the shaper.
Energize us with the fresh reform
Of your potent and ripe knowledge.
Drive us forward towards creativity.
Towards understanding our visions,
Our quest, our dreams.
Infuse us, not with trite polemics,
But with a swelling and dripping
Range of inspired zeal.
Noble intuition, spur […]

Dis is one recitation
one declarationdat ketch it riddum
from man empty belly drum
‘oman dry up bubbie.
Sufferation na come
in couplets
metaphor nor allegory
it lan’ by community
by family.

John Agard Excuse me
standing on one leg
I’m half-caste.
Explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when Picasso
mix red an green
is a half-caste canvas?
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste