Ancestor Leroy Calliste & AFRIOETS PRESS

Ancestor Poet Teacher Leroy Calliste
was among main supporters of my efforts in 1974
I remember and pay tribute to his foresight 33 years later
other supporters were
SELWYN NEWTON
FRANK PORTER
PARKER NICHOLAS
KEDAR SHABAZZ
MICHELLE FRANCIS
ANSON GONZALEZ

SALAAM

(for Leroy Calliste 1943-1975)

SALAAM

am i to sit

and stare at these

wretched walls

and curse.....

with my memories of you....

poet....

messenger of this season

refuted by ignorant ones

or am i to laugh...ironically

to engulf the lamentations

within...benighting it from the public

can any of these moves

truly present themselves

as aid for your resurrection?

you have left us....

as babylon the whore

laughs...exclaiming conquest

in her lewd form of exaultation

and... mother weeps

with our daughters viewing her

expressing exasperation

i cannot speak of

a young warroir feeding the land

nor of spilt blood and green vines

curling about withered sticks

yet i am to yearn again

for pristine mornings

when we can meet each other

dancing the ancestral dance

through the glade like passage of ebony

where the chanting voices of

our mothers

sisters

and daughters

make tearful eyes

as we faintly remember

the weavers of the dust

salaam..... brother

what more can i wish?

may the memory of you

inspire the awakening flame

of distruction for babylon....

may the memory of you

enrich and nourish

the sensitivity of others

to follow us

salaam my brother

PEACE !!!!

New Voices Journal
No. 9 page42

Published 1977

Trinidad & Tobago
Caribbean