These two pieces – ‘Black’ and ‘Dat’ – from the Wadadli Pen Open Mic series are written by series host Glen Toussaint:
This Gemma Hazelwood photo of Glen Toussaint was actually taken at August Rush's Expressions ... yep, he's a regular there, too.
Black
I must not
I cannot
I shall not
I will not
I refuse to shed tears
I will make an example of
you
Will become the example to
allay all fears
I must not bend or break
The film is gone from my
eyes and I can see you
Smaller, weaker, slower,
fragile
I will be that light
Your weapons do not
impress me
Whips, chains, guns
I break them all, my will
is MY weapon
I cannot bend or break
My mind is focused
My thoughts are my own
The fool is dead and so is
the monkey and the jester
Dats how we’s do good right
massa?
My mind is clear, take
your fog and your haze
Set to blaze, I possess a
purpose
I shall not bend or break
My bones are iron
My flesh is rock
Skin like obsidian quilt
Hair like whip cord
Evolved into something not
born
This is what I’ve become
The end result of your
psychological sodomy
Your spiritual alchemy
LOOK at me
I will not bleed
I refuse to cry
I reject pain
I will not die
My heart has known fire
My heart is on fire
My heart owns fire
Call on the gods ancient
and new
I rebuke you
All that was me, lay dead
and ashen
All that is me has awoken
My will is my weapon, I
will live for freedom’s sake
I will not bend or break
Glen Toussaint 2011 ©
DAT
You feel dat…?
You doh feel dat garca????
(chups)
Tell me you can hear dat den.
What you mean hear what?
(chups)
Well at least you can see dat, right?
WHAT!?
Garca ou ka fet blag, garca
You joking if you tell me you doh feel dat
BOODOOM BOO-DOOM
DOOM,
BADAM BA-DAM
You foolin if you can tell me you doh hear dat
PIDDING PI-DING
DING
PIDDING PI-DING
Garca, you mad if you tell me you kya see dat
RADANG BADANG BANG
RADANG RADAW!
Aye…!
Padna, is feel you feeling dat long before you hear dat,
you know
You really mean you don’t know what ‘dat’ is
Padna
It’s the lapou-kabwit, the steel pan, the iron band
It’s the Nyabinghi, the Cannoes, the Conch shell
Well
More than that,
It’s the earth, and the sea
It’s the wind, rain, sun, heat
Shaleh, garcon, from your feet go up
Shaleh, garcon, when your woman get hot
But
Its still more than that
Its movement and years
It’s the rhythm, the riddim
The ebb and flow
Of life, of colour, of vibe, of contrasts
Between distinct and indistinct
You hear dat boy! Hai sah, you hear me little while
Dat – make me sound like a poet chile’
Like I educated and ting
But wait…
Aha you starting to feel it
Yes watch your face, man, is dat
Yes man, chain break, you feel it
In your ches’ right dere, you feel it
Hai…it sweet not true
Dats de ting man,
Watch you, it sweet.
Fling back and jump
Sweat and shout,
It building force,
Move, move, MOVE garca
Turn around, fall down, roll, get up padna
Twist and bend,
Buss’ out again
Yeah man
You feel dat now
Yeah garca
You hear dat now
Yeah padna
You see it now
Yah man, DAT
is de ting man,
DAT is it.
Glen Toussaint© 2011
Wadadli Pen 