Mary has a baby boy
Well next thing you know,
de Roman emperor name Caesar
Augustus send out a instruction
dem must count all-o-we!
Dat time in Syria, one man name
Quirinius was governor.
Dem send orders dat every man jack
must find himself back to de town
where him born to write him name
down into a book. So Joseph
set off from Nazareth town where him live
in Galilee country and go to de city of David
what dem call Bethlehem, for is where
him family come from. Him take me
wid him, no mind me big wid baby,
for him say is him response for de two of we.
We leave Judith and Sarah
wid my ma and pa.
At de self same time when we reach
to Bethlehem, dis baby
decide him coming too.
Joseph ask for a room at de inn
but de place pack up right to de brim,
not one likl corner nor crack leave over.
Me sorry for Joseph! Him look high,
him look low till him fi nd a stable and is dere
me born Jesus, wrap him in warm clothes,
give him a first taste of my breast,
and like how we never have no crib, settle him
in de dumb animal feeding box.
***
de Book of Mary is now available @ Amazon:
de Book of Mary is an epic poem in Jamaican Creole based on the Biblical story of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The first book of a trilogy, Pamela Mordecai's de Book of Mary covers Mary's life from her early years, through the arrival of the Archangel Gabriel and the birth of Yeshua, to her death.
A Chorus of male and female voices provides an accompanying commentary. This exciting Canadian-Jamaican retelling, profound and tragic, yet told with humour and gusto, is a major event, continuing Mordecai's project of hybridizing one of the most significant cultural-religious phenomena in world history. The last book of the trilogy, de Man, about the crucifixion of Jesus, was published by Sister Vision Press in 1995 and is now out of print. The poet is currently working on de book of Joseph, second book of the trilogy.
About Pamela Mordecai
Pamela ('Pam') Mordecai’s previous collections of poetry include Journey Poem (1989); de Man, a performance poem (1995); Certifiable (2001); The True Blue of Islands (2005), and Subversive Sonnets(2012). de book of Mary, from which “Jesus Takes Leave of Mary and Goes into the Desert” comes, will appear in fall, 2015. In 2006 she published Pink Icing, a collection of short stories; her first novel, Red Jacket, appeared in February, 2015. She has edited and co-edited ground-breaking anthologies of Caribbean writing including Jamaica Woman (1980, 1985, with Mervyn Morris); From Our Yard: Jamaican Poetry since Independence (1987); Her True-True Name: An Anthology of Women's Writing from the Caribbean (1989, with Betty Wilson) and Calling Cards: New Poetry from Caribbean/ Canadian Women(2005). Her play, El Numero Uno had its world premiere at the Loraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People in Toronto in 2010. In spring 2014, she was a fellow at the prestigious Yaddo artists' community in upstate New York yaddo.org. Pam and her family immigrated to Canada in 1994. She lives with her husband, Martin, in Kitchener, Ontario.
JESUS TAKES LEAVE OF MARY AND GOES INTO THE DESERTPlenty hard to believe my son turnthirty dis winter season just gone!Not dat me never watchevery minute, each day, as him grow.But is like you see and you don’t notice,and den, all of a sudden dis bigsomebody hold you face in him handkiss you on you forehead,say, “Mums, I going now.”Never mind how much timeI protest and ask why him must gooff alone to a place wid no water, no food,not a green thing to lift him spirit...“Mums,” him say “why I wouldleave dis house, you and Gran, best cook foodin dis town, my sistren and bredren,and de whole family, plus de woodworking, too,all I love, if it was up to me?”I breathe deep, gaze on himfrom him head to him toe, one last time.“See three loaf of new bread I just bakein dat bag, and a wineskin your gransend wid Judith daughter dis morning.She say, send, tell her when you going.“I going stop by de yardas I leaving, to tell Gran goodbye.Big thanks for de eats and de drink,but you know my food in de wildgoing be fasting and prayer, my Mums.I sure you don’t want my Papa up so...”and him turn him eye up to de sky,“to vex wid me right as I start out?”“Why you can’t pray here, son?I will keep food and drink far from you.I will honour your fast. Is a thing I do forJoseph plenty times when him was still wid us.”Him bend down and kiss me,say, “Mums, dis not de worst.Me must get ready for some dread things.”When I go to answer, him put one finger onmy lip. “Hush, Mums,” him repeat,“believe me, if de choosing was mineI would stay.”And him look round de room,touch de big water jug, scuff de rugwid him foot, take him staffand walk through de door –never turn him head round to look back.
From de book of Mary
About Pamela Mordecai
Pamela ('Pam') Mordecai’s previous collections of poetry include Journey Poem (1989); de Man, a performance poem (1995); Certifiable (2001); The True Blue of Islands (2005), and Subversive Sonnets (2012). de book of Mary, from which “Jesus Takes Leave of Mary and Goes into the Desert” comes, will appear in fall, 2015. In 2006 she published Pink Icing, a collection of short stories; her first novel, Red Jacket, appeared in February, 2015. She has edited and co-edited ground-breaking anthologies of Caribbean writing including Jamaica Woman (1980, 1985, with Mervyn Morris); From Our Yard: Jamaican Poetry since Independence (1987); Her True-True Name: An Anthology of Women's Writing from the Caribbean (1989, with Betty Wilson) and Calling Cards: New Poetry from Caribbean/ Canadian Women (2005). Her play, El Numero Uno had its world premiere at the Loraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People in Toronto in 2010. In spring 2014, she was a fellow at the prestigious Yaddo artists' community in upstate New York yaddo.org. Pam and her family immigrated to Canada in 1994. She lives with her husband, Martin, in Kitchener, Ontario.
Dear Kamau,
Opal and I wanted to give you something for your birthday, so we decided to do something that we hope you will like. I have done a podcast of one of your earliest poems from the Caedemon (did I spell it right?) recordings--one of the poems that I liked from the first time I heard it, you know the one. Yes, "Francina."
And Opal has livicated a poem for your birthday. We have done this tribute because in your poems and life, you have given us an example of how a life should be lived--on its own terms. You have always written how you felt the poem could only be written, and you have taken a lot of criticism over the years for doing that. But where are the critics now? You are still creating, new vibrant poems and you are still leading the way for us.
Give thanks, Kamau.Here is Opal's poem:
reinscribing
love is not an ideal
but power to render
truth in the present
daily
despite dismay
and hopelessness
gallantry is not going
into battle shielded
by armor
rather refusing to submit
or be silenced
by corruption
or narrow religious zeal
insisting
that the flamboyant tree
will flame red in july
taking the anvil to words
hammering away like ogun
being the voice
echoing
repetitive
perpetual
you i´ve been loving
long before face and voice
brushed my ears
will be loving you
long after
the feel of your hands
have dissipated
one love
walk good
happy birthday, kamau
opal palmer adisa
***
First published 5/11/07
