THOUGHTS CAME RUSHING IN

Today I met a lovely lady at the super market Astaphans here in DA. She is a Dominican but lives somewhere else we engaged very intently on the education system in DA,South Africa and America and other social issues hat have black communities ticking, seeing we have been both exposed to all 3 places.

I had read a book on Regina Charlse the Iron Lady the first woman Prime Minister in Dominica and some how speaking to this woman felt like I was speaking to Lady Charles she awakened my imagination of how it would be to talk to Lady Charlse if she was still around.Voronica (the lady) is probably in her late 40 early 50's, truth is you can never tell cos I think the saying black dont crack came from the Caribbean there is a forever young fountain of water that women drink from because they look so young and beautiful and healthy. ANY WAY!!!....
This woman has passion for education, the kinda education that uplifts youth and people who under go this education process,looking at  how do we practicalise what we been learning in these institutions to apply it in our everyday life and this comes from the angle of the the amount of School drop outs.For there are many reasons why people may not be formaly educated BUT how do we empower ourselves outside the education system,can you make something of the nothing or little you have?kinda conversation.
She said that "there comes a point where this passion goes beyond yourself and it becomes about others and your well being,the magic of that comes from knowing yourself" and she  told me stories about when she was discriminated against because she was black and she is a woman but says the power and the peace comes from knowing who she is because identity plays a huge role in this cruel world.

She went on saying the "system will use those that don't know who they are,the power of knowing self is that it protects you from other peoples bullshit relating to insecurity and wanting to make you feel inferior.
So what if I am black so what if I am a woman it is my birth right tell me something I don't know.,I don't kiss ass I want my merit not credit" at this point I was besides myself with admiration.

For at that point I could relate with her,the passion for the youth and children,the remembrance of the communal feeling we grew up with.Sometimes I feel we where the last generation before parents gave up on children and schools went worse.Our conversation led us to conclude that no matter where you are the black situation is the same in terms of illiteracy,poverty,lack of employment and spiritually sick social structure and that the key lies with in education(balance of formal and informal) within its formal structure and traditional teaching from home active parents in the raising of their children side by side with the institutions.

We looked at identity,culture and language and their complexity in explanation,but who are we when we do not know where we from and where are we going as individuals as race and as human kind.The role of language in shaping our communities and society. For language especially English it is a father tongue it represents imperialist,colonialist,patriarchal dominant presence,it is a language that has to be disrupted so as to be able to articulate ourselves outside this control as a people communities,societies and individuals.

Maya Angelou's passing, like anything that has to do with the matters of the heart,had me thinking deeply added by the conversation with Veronica had me thinking greatly about purpose,intention and direction of my life and the well being of human kind.
It is almost 2 years since I left my homeland for the first time,and I am continuously learning and growing and like the women before me I confirm with no doubt or regret that life is for the living and knowing yourself and loving self will lead you to loving humankind and being an active part to the educating and edutainment people to take the path of seeking self and knowing your God for these days we living in times where others may feel embarrassed to  profess they know God/Jah/Ancestors because they think they are being judged or its not cool because our ideas of God has been distorted so we need to renew and find self to align self with intention,purpose and direction.

My experiances in the past year and months has left me feeling that we not ready for God here is a poem I wrote:

WE not ready

Save our souls

Sindisa uphefumulo wami

These are prayers whispered in darkness

Salvation

Look deep within only to find the only sin commited

Is forgetting self

The failure to see God when you look in the mirror

Who am i

Seeking redemption while singing songs of struggle

Redemption from choices made]fears accepted

Failing to accept our role in the script of living and loving

What is my purpose

Salvation has me thinking we not ready for God

Too many are dieng premature death aborted before labour

We are slaves to mans ego seeking salvation outside ourselves

We are not ready for God

Media normalises murder,promotes fear,breeds suspicious minds

And potraying love as a fairy tale

Where am I going

Have we lost  our calling

Have we forgotten we don’t walk alone

Ye cos we too busy seeking salvation

We are not ready for God

When there are minds wounded suffering from amnesia

Spirits confused  and morals devalued

Spiritual teachers are selling salvation

We are not ready for God

For we have forgotten what it means to

Give

We have forgotten what it means to

Care

We have forgotten what it means to love

We have forgotten our state of Godliness

Salvation

Our ancestors where forced to close their eyes

Bow their heads in prayer

(all the while they thinking what a strange God)

They taught our ancestors to say amen

Cos God just took their land and put yokes around their children

Yet we continue to seek salvation from the slave masters manual

Praying with our eyes closed and hands clasped together

We never saw the blessings come nor received the touch

With eyes closed blinded spirits cant see light

So absent mindedly we wait for a Christ

To set us free and while we wait 

we deny travellers amongst us water and bread

We gossip about strangers we do not know

and spread slander on a neighbour we know all our lives

We deny broken hearts a shoulder to cry

We deny tired souls rest

All the while we wait for Christ

We are not ready for God

For it seems we have forgotten how to love

How To accept being loved

Save our souls

Sindisa uphefumulo wami

These are prayers whispered in darkness

I am learning continuously from the children I work with and from the strangers that I meet that have become family and it feels they have always been family, that

life is  long and the one constant thing is love,self love will lead you to the right people and in my travels I have come to accept the feeling that comes with people who make you feel like they have been waiting for you all their lives.

Lately it seems in our majority  we living like we dont have a purpose nor plan and the people of old are remembering the goodness that came with the package of living life with a purpose,where are we going?what are we doing/what are we working towards? as a people and these are questions are for ourselves and our communities and the society we create collectively.a life of purpose

live the life you love and love the life you live...I am my sisters keeper I am my brothers keeper.

love and light

DAYS GONE BY AFRIKAN LIBERATION WEEK IN DOMINICA

8 months later I am still enjoying the nature island and observing the everyday realities of Island life.

Since my last blogg so much has taken place,African Liberation wek celebration,which was quite good for me opened some opportunities for my performance. I also got to meet students from Nigeria and Ghanna who are living here in DA...it felt like a wonderful reunion of Afrikan children.

Having to understand what Afrikan Liberation means to the children of the diaspora,the realities of identity,culture and tradition of Afrikan descendants.There is still so much to be done to restore the lost knowledge.

 the one thing I am observing as a traveller in the Caribbean one needs a healthy pocket for if you going to live like locals you will find your self in great discomfort,for if you cant sustain your self economicaly here you're in trouble even though you will get by because the locals will go out their way to help you and I have been very fortunate to meet kind hearted people.

The greatest honour is to have shared the stage with Nelly Stharre and Trevy they are the Roots Mahaut but both are well accredited artists…Trevy is the lead singer and guitarist of the original Boom Shaka.

We had a very nice show at ZamZam Café. Memories don’t live like people do…thank gwad  for that.

feeling blessed with a wealth of experience.defining and determining who I am in the scheme of things in this world of ours and I learn daily we as a people of the earth have more in common than what divides us.

TOUCH WITH SICKNESS/ILLNESS

hello family 

Its been awhile since I blogged So I have recovered from chick gunya(not sure I've spelt it right cos how it sounds make me think of amagwinya ) apparently its spread by mosquito which for me is hard to believe because it is a mosquito infested island but any way thats not the point...
I was in great joint pain from my toes to shoulders and could barely walk, thanks to a friend Nelly Stharre , Ras Homes and positive vibes from friends my recovery was looking good. in 4 days I felt I could walk as normal my knees not so bad but then I woke up on day 5 with a rash all over  (never had to drink so much bitter wood water in my life but then it helped!

Then by day 7 I was back to health and good spirits..the point of this is that in these 7 days of feeling the pain and worried about the rash that had taken over and the fact I am not home! I recovered, as though nothing had happened...

I was left in awe by the loving kindness that was showed on me BY LIFE for I recovered and I wondered how many people in the world have overcome great illnesses and tragic accidents....with all this may we/I never forget to be grateful for the life we/I live...gratitude I know it sounds clitche but for real..bulele umbomi bakho..be thankful for the little things and big things and life will constantly lead you, show you, protect you in every corner.love and light and I give thank for life health and strength   #lovelife#gratitudeiskey #reflect

In the past year I have had 2 illnesses in Barbados I had Denge Fever and here in Dominica I have had Chickungunya,at this point I hope 2 illnesses in the Caribbean is enough.