Jamdung dub

what a nice place to live

sweet jamdung

the only problem is….

di economy pop down

a pere blood a run

every man, gyal and dawg

a fear di knife and di gun

it’s a sad state of tings

when yuh pickney kyaa read

when yuh go a hospital,

an’ dem kyaa supply yuh need

wen di bigga heads dem

deal wid bias an greed

yuh all go a shop an kyaa afford chicken feed

kyaa buy di chicken back cuz tax a get nuffara

woe to di boss dem who ignore di suffara

tings a get tuffara

a bere likkle yout a tek up  anna gofara

gun anna knife

anna cuss anna fight

many kyaa read an write

an it jus kyaa be right

but “a so di ting set “

“a so di game mek “

yuh tink seh it bad

yuh nuh si nutten yet

a man unfulfilled

cuz him kyaa try fi buil’

any good type a skill

an’ haffi rob anna kill

fi him pickney belly fill

ago mek corpse like a mill

cuz food haffi buy

an him haffi pay di bill

unemployment outta han’

an’ it haad fi ovastan’

how di ting suh partisan

cuz di crime weh a mek

affeck every man

whe dem a plot anna plan

uppa Parliament place

govament feel dem can

come an box wi in wi face

wat a piece a disgrace

di ting bitter to di taste

dem haffi tek stock o di clock

and see di time wi a waste

wen dem ago learn

fi pay debt yuh haffi earn

an fi buil up di ting

yuh haffi tink long term

boo pon a blin’ man trying fi lead di way

in lieu ova diamond, quartz will neva pay

wi need innovation

a new paradigm

wi haffi change the nation

give vision to di blind

Jamrock a di baddest

indeed it a di best

real toppa norris

nuhbaddy kyaa test

wi likkle but wi tallawa

av worldwide follera

but crime is a cholera

wreaking havoc pon wi system

from baby to all granny

everybody is a victim

wi haffi bun out division

and make a decision

to make it our mission

to focus oh so badly bad

on futuristic vision.

——————————————–

*short glossary or terms

pickney = child

Jamdung/Jamrock = Jamaica

nuffara = nufferer = exorbitant

-> nuff = alot/plenty;

nuffer = more than alot;

nufferer = alot more than alot

tallawa = resilient

pere (pronounced pear) = alot

bere = pere = nuff = alot

(c) 2010 L. Ashwood

Merry Christmas to you!!

Season’s greetings to you and yours! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Happy Hanukkah! And Happy Kwanzaa!!! Be safe! And please know I haven’t forgotten you! I’ll have pieces for you none too soon! Keep checking back, I got u covered.

Don’t you just hate it?

Don’t you just hate it when
You can’t let go of them?
That he
That she
That it
That steals your heart
And locks it up
Just a little too safe?
Out of reach
Out of sight
The one that treats you just right
Except that one little thing?
…Or three ?
Whatever it may be
That keeps you separate
Apart
Together
Like blades of a scissors
Cutting through the fabric of life
Leaving holes
Rips
And tears
That remain even after all those years
Have passed
In between
After all the wisdom you’ve gleaned
All the things that you’ve seen
All the hurt you have caused
Cuz they put you on pause
Unknowingly
Or on purpose
Like some genius evil mastermind
Beautiful love
Of a singular kind
You just can’t shake them
Cuz they still make you laugh
As much as you’ve cried
Still make you smile
And act like a child
Still bring you back
When you’re way past dead
Brings you to earth
When you’re lost in your head
Holds you the tightest
When you’re falling apart
And when you feel lifeless
They restore your heart
They are the perfect
The best
And they are the most
The greatest there is
And the one that you chose
But you just can’t have them
And that’s the cruel fact
And more than anything really
You really hate that

(c) 2009 L. Ashwood

let’s pretend awhile

let’s not say goodbye

let’s pretend awhile

that these tears don’t exist

that we’ll stay just like this

praying once again that the sun stands still

and the moon stays put

and that the heavens will allow

this one exception to Change

let’s not say goodbye

let’s pretend awhile

that our bodies will never lose the warmth of this embrace

that our minds will not erase even a freckle from the memory of each face

that our arms will become welded inseparable from this place

of love

and happiness

let’s not say goodbye

let’s pretend a while

suspend belief

delay time

let each moment stretch

like a yoga pose:

downward facing dog-

“to build strength and flexibility

..and rest the heart”

put our minds at ease

bar the doors if you please

because I want to stay

as much as you deny my leave…

but i also want to go

more than you know

a desire I require

more than I show

let’s hold tight to our memories

as we let our grasps go

and plant ever more seeds of love

in hopes to reap what we sow

each tomorrow grows closer

in contempt of how we resist

we can’t grab each of its blessings

shaking clenched fists

love is itself

regardless of space

and of time

an exchange of hearts

i get yours

you take mine

and to prevent each from breaking

let’s not say goodbye

let’s pretend a while

that today is forever

and this hold will never end

and that in some tomorrow

some day

we’ll squeeze tight just right

just like this

one more time again.

(c) 2009 L. Ashwood

A Hard Climb

I climbed ladders

Atop chairs

Perched on tables

High on hilltop cliffs

Trying to get over you

Higher

Than the walls

I refused to build

To box me in

Safe but not sound

Higher

Than the esteem

I want to keep you in

Because hate isn’t worth it

I climbed

Trying to shake you

Trying to get over

So I wouldn’t go under

So we both could heal

So it wouldn’t hurt

So we could move on

And it seemed to work

And we seemed to heal

And it seemed to be ok

But every now and then

When your face is next to mine

I’m not high enough

And I’m not over you

And it hurts like hell

And seems time again

To start climbing more  ladders

Wedged atop chairs

Precariously perched on shaky tables

High in the sky on hilltop cliffs

Trying hard as rocks

Without becoming stone

To somehow get over you

(c) 2009 L. Ashwood

she swallows

her  pride

her will

her heart

she swallows

hard

his power

his rule with

iron fist

and lashing tongue

harsher than any whip

he beats her down

to nothing

till nothing

and no one

can save her

till she exhibits the proper behavior

till she fears him

more

than she can love

till her love

is the lie

that keeps her

afraid each day he’ll leave her

though she should leave

for a breather

at least.

he shaves and shears

at her humanity

he scathes and scares

her closer to insanity

removed her from all things familiar,

nothing of herself

he let her save

reprogrammed her mindset

and how she behaved

made her depend

so she couldn’t leave

any spark of free will

he had up his sleeve

some reason

some trick

some barrier

to her success

he wore the pants

and she was his mistress

or missus

or mrs.

however you please

he had her in distress

down on her knees

she was his “partner”

but she had to beg

to let him allow her

stretch out her legs

and learn how to walk again

remember how to talk again

to live

to love

to be

he says “i love you”

with hate in his eyes

he had a rough childhood

but that’s just his guise

to make her swallow

hard

his power

his rule with

iron fist

and lashing tongue

harsher than any whip

she is much stronger

than he lets her believe

if he hurts her much longer

she’ll have to leave

or her heart will be rendered useless

to their kin

she’s already broken

he’s underneath her skin

she hurts

so she hurts

it’s a cycle she must break

it’s only a matter

of how much more she can take

and how long she can swallow

hard

his power

his rule with

iron fist

and lashing tongue

harsher than any whip

she prays daily

asking for this cup to pass

plays joyous homemaker

should any choose ask

no bruises

no scars

from the hurt well placed

in locations where the pain

isn’t easily erased

buttons get bigger

easier pressed

waiting for the day

she is laid to rest

and all that remains is his will

in her body

where she just lies still

and swallows

hard

his power

his rule with

iron fist

and lashing tongue

harsher than any whip

when she breaks free

there is no if

her esteem will be

her greatest gift

and her legacy will say

she released her hate

and she left him to be

someone truly great

even if only

in the life of her son

for it is in his name

this battle must be won

for he should not learn to swallow

hard

his father’s power

and his rule with

iron fist

and lashing tongue

harsher than any whip

but

learn how to walk again

remember how to talk again

to live

to love

to be.

(c) 2009 L. Ashwood

Love: A Universal Language

Saranghe

Ou je pense que je t’aimais

Habibi habibti

Anata ga

Quelquefois

Obicham te

Un poco

Sonrisa del sol

Peine de mon coeur

Cherveno mnogo ti otiva

Ajmal

Anata no kotoba de katarimasu

En tu lengua, para ti

Parce que de temps en temps

Pienso que

Saranghe

—

I will add an audio file soon…my goal is a video.

This is a love poem and I think that regardless of language, emotions can be understood. I think if you hear this poem you will understand more than you think you do. Check back this week for the audio file and next week (hopefully) for the video.
Thank for reading!

swallowing steel

Trying to forget you
While you stand in front of me
Being the you
You are
Is like swallowing steel
In the presence of a strong magnet
Not realizing that the attraction
Goes beyond the surface of things
And the ingested metal
Cold to the taste
Rips insides
Rushing to the surface
In internal bleeding
Leaving eternal scars
Reminders
To never forget
And to never try
Revealing a hurt
That will never die
But should never have been made to live
Like pushing a millipede
Through a sieve
More rise up
Where one has fallen
Because forgetting
Means repeated mistakes
And many retakes
Of events better done never
And every time I try to forget
I imprint you in my mind
Where you’ll stay forever
Causing trouble
In my system.

the thing of it is….

thing of it is
our bodies refuse to lie
to each other
as we avert glances
and do these awkward dances
tiptoeing issues
staring us in the face
feigning facades
carefully constructed
concocted
and brewed
to be drunk
slow and easy
played
nice and slow
like songs of a heart
crooning
or bleeding
or both

and thing of it is
our lips refuse to tell truths
on air
vibrating in resonance
while telling all in kisses
well placed
to play innocent
while we sit and judge
each other guilty
playing with scarlet
we get A’s for effort
even if only in our minds
and we carry water
fresh from a well
never drying
even if only with our hands
we run miles
in opposite directions
only to meet at the starting line
coming full circle
gasping for air

and the thing of it is
as much as things change
we remain the same
fighting to be not
un-
in-
im-
an-
a-
prefixes to something
possibly perfect
hoping one day
to just be -

Only If You Let Me

Let me kiss your head
My muse
Your mind is beautiful to me
Your thoughts
Your words
Move me
To show utmost affection

Let me hold your hand
The boom di boom
Of your pulse
Another layer of rhythm
To the music in my head
At perfect pitch
Making my hairs stand at attention

Let me rub your shoulders
Strong and ready
To carry the world
Full of knots from the stress
The burdens weigh heavy
Doing my best
To relieve your tension

Let me stare
As long as I dare
Into mesmerizing eyes
That see more than is comfortable
So I never get complacent
And leave life in suspension

Let me hold you close
In a slow deliberate dance
To a song only we can hear
And only you can sing

Let me whisper
Soft
Into your ear
Smiley things
And wiley things
And remind you
Of all the things worth it