OUR Indigenous ancestors were NEVER CANNIBALS

westindia

here is not west india
here is not west india
here is not west india

(refrain)


so how dare you
baptise our emerald isles,
Home to canabales...
these mountain tops of atlantis….
aquamarine basin of unclaimed
shipwrecked treasures, soothing
drunken dreams of criminals,
pirates, buccaneers an’ slave traders…

here still live
humming-bird,
bacchac
golden-frog,
manatee
cayman an’ agouti

look,
take back these identities
you gave my wind swept
Volcanic rocks

st croix…
st kitts,
st eustatius
st vincent
st thomas

these names of saints
made hallow by some
Christian praise… yet
who have never, ever trod
our shores, bitten by sand-flies
nor mosquitoes,
dem never even feel a hurricane
or even sucked mango or sugar-cane


look.., we reclaim
ataitij
xyamaca
ayay
wadadli,
liamaiga
aloi
yuluma
playground of julica
our rainbow….

anguilla, that eel
remains my sacred retreat…
malliouhana
with reverence to jocahu
in rainy season..
salouiga..
the salt of our tears...

get thee hence sint maarten
patron of tourism
spending us dollars
yet not half French
not half dutch
but plenty cruise ship

look. …Look..
look raleigh on fire,
cancer an’ legal hysteria
multi-national tobacconists
running for cover….

Oh tobago
aloubera
was never home
to man Friday
Or robinson crusoe…

neither can
la isla de la trinidad
replace my paradise
kairi
home of ya’ay’a

here is not west india
here is not west india

nor the taino
mistaken sarawak
Or dare you call the
Gallabi a carib

Warrahu an karfuna children
Still eating pone…

Ya’ay’a
ya’ay’a ya’ay’a


▲

westindia-© roi kwabena

y42k CD

IN SUPPORT OF THIS reported OUTRAGE!