Thoughts of a minibus traveller

   2003. The Gay Rights bill is coming up again to Parliament. Two years before, President Bharat Jagdeo succumbed to the prayers of Bishop Juan Edghill and his homophobic Christian crew and refused to assent to the bill.  Durban Street PNC office. Lurlene Nestor MP has convened a forum to discuss the gay rights bill. I am standing in front of the crowd. Namela Henry at some point comes to stand next to me. Woman with gold hair and big mouth shouting at her comrades in defense of gay rights. February 22 2021 - Namela tags me in a Facebook memory hailing up Sherlina Nageer and in memory of the Peoples Parliament and other protests. I think that I have to message Namela and catch up.. find out how things are in the pandemic how she is doing. Last time we talked was a hug and gaff on the road during her lunch hour.  We had lost touch after 2015 when her beloved party won the elections. Good times Always a hug. Even when we did not agree about things. March 25 2021 - N...

  Paper boats "Do you think the paper boats on the river are us and life"?  Stephanie Bowry asked us. A woman had shared a poem she wrote after making paper boats with her son for the first time and putting them on the Berbice River.   We talked a bit about rivers, currents, destiny and whether or not we were paper boats and how Caribbean people had moved against the currents.  One woman said she heard the joy of the child folding the paper boats and putting them on the river. Poetry In March 2019, I folded newspapers into hearts and stapled poems on them to share at a Groundings event,   telling people to "Come, take a poem." People on the avenue were surprised.. they hadn't read poems since leaving school (primary school even) .  I hadn't discussed poetry either since the English B (Lit) exam in June 1986 when I am sure I did not get much marks for the questions about the poem. And since March 2019 I have not really engaged much with poetry apart...