Abeng Dub Poetry: Kwayana’s Meditation
(The Wisdom of The Drum)
copyright 2015 K. Omodele @TheAbeng
“The Caribbean tradition, taken as a whole, is a revolutionary tradition. It is the stage on which acted Cudjoe and Cuffy, Accabreh and Accra, Toussaint, Quamina and Damon, Adoe and Araby.”* ~ Sidney King (Eusi Kwayana)
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| Eusi Kwayana #FreedomFighter |
Intro:
Yow! Dis meditation/Moves di nation/
ReVERBERATION…VERBeration
I feel de drum-min’ of yuh words,
rub-a-dubbin’ of yuh verbs,
yuh meditation is kinetic-
medication of de herb
levitates me like a bird-
yuh rebel riddim moves me
depose a titled king, go
liberate like Baba Eusi.
Asante rise up outta shanty,
proverbs, Broddah Anansi**,
yearnin’ for Kumasi***
Cuffy burn down half a Canje
Uncle Brian scribed we picture,
painted scripture, sketched the sound.
Uncle Walter woke the people,
lit the city; Tell de town!
(Bridge:)
Yeah Man. Don’t bother call dis no poetry/dis is kinetic flow-etry
Prophets are hardly recognized in their own lands
This rebelution forged by drum-ragin’, fire-blazin’ sound.
Seethin’ like Accra buss ‘e chain
want SParK field a-flame
Darke flicks-ing up the protest****
jukked an’ gutted from de frame
pickney***** scatter down de lane
Boy, u bet-ter run
policeman ah come
wid bad-mind and gun.
But the soundin’ of de gun
can’t drown de wisdom of the drum
grind a fool down with a pestle
can’t part de foolish from a dunce.
Kwayana’s wisdom may taste bitter
cure de sick, move de lame
N’Daiye couldn’t tame
cock she crown, lock she mane.
* Caribbean slave revolt/rebellion leaders. Quote from “Birth of Freedom,” New World Magazine, Special Independence Issue, 1966
**Anansi, or Anancy, is a spider, a trickster character from African oral tradition, that was
brought over by slaves to the West Indies/Caribbean and lives on in Caribbean
tradition and folk tales. (Akin to Brer Rabbit in the U.S. South)
***Kumasi is the chief city of the Asante/Ashanti, NW of Accra, Ghana
****Father Darke was a priest stabbed to death while photographing government
forces brutalizing anti-government protestors in Georgetown, Guyana
*****children
Fantastic poem – some of the phonetic spelling confused me a bit at first but once I got used to it I really got into the flow of the poem, thanks for sharing!
Give thanks, I am glad that you worked it out because I really love the flow of the first verse especially. Creating this poem was a joy…loved the creative process on this one. Thanks again for sharing.