Mourning Ground

(Bloody Bay, Tobago West Indies 1996)

be there

shanty roads

Charlotteville fêtes on Saturdays

pink blue purple houses

dressed in pelou and black cake

bottle tree prayers

and the sting of bird pepper

in the Horse’s eye

the Mourning Ground has gone awry

pan man somewhere practicing for next week

i hear this in between the bell rhythm

buried

i am in my grave

a 6/8 bell pattern

a Mother’s church bell

a boy and his staff

Massembo, DRC

blind and deaf

am i here or here?

who battles inside the House?

the white of the eye sees this

what has happened

what will come to pass

draw it out on the sea-grape leaves

here is your chalk.

only 

where are you now?

some ask

to and fro 

to and fro

jumping banana boats toward a home

we are red orphans so tiny in the sea

we loved though imperfect