Remembrance is our Entrance

As one, who is without understanding
Weeps when the Sun leaves the Sky.
So did we weep,
400,000 nights without sleep.
And the tears of our fears,
That we wept, slowly crept, then
Swept over our head;
Like the tempestuous seas
Called “the wailing dead”.

Like a suckling babe
On our mothers breast,
So were we torned,
Scorned and crowned
With thistles and thorneds!

O Negus, our generation
is restless!
Vexed by hunger
and slain by thirstiness!
O Lord, Lord of our defence,
return us unto thy
city called Graciousness.
And lead us out of the
desolate city called
Vexatiousness.

For if our famine was
just a famine caused
by a late crop, then
would we been able
to bear it!
Though our famine
Pierced our spiritual earth
our heart!
So that our well-being
was parched, a sight one
would not EXPECT to see
In the season of March.

And our once cultivated fields
of Patience, Understanding and
Courage was ravaged, pillaged and Burnt!!!
Please ask ourselves this question
“Have we learnt?”

And though it may look dismal
we are the generation of
This sacred baptismal!!
So bring your aching heart
O children of IRELAND,
And share your wanting ear
O children of JAMAIKA
So that our TESTIMONY
may quench our
Hunger and Thirst!
SELAH

This expression is inspired, partly by I experience as a person and peoples of AFRIKA – JAMAIKA and partly of a sista of the Celtic house of JAPHETH, by the name of Sinéad O’Connor, in relation to the great famine of IRELAND,
RAS Phillip, a testifier in JESUS CHRIST TAFARI
St. John, ch 9, v 1 - 43.

Written for us by Phillip Henry, who was born in Chepstow, grew up in Bristol, and now lives in Cardiff Bay. His mother is from Jamaica, his father is from Ethiopia.

Notes :
Negus : Amharic for ‘king’
Japheth : one of the sons of Noah
Selah : Amharic for ‘so be it’
Ras : Amharic for ‘prince’
Tafari : Amharic for ‘one to be praised’
Amharic : one of the languages of Ethiopia.
St. John, ch 9, v 1 - 43. : The reference is to the story of the man born blind whose sight Christ restored on the Sabbath day thereby breaking the law as imposed by the Pharisees. The story includes the disciples’ question, “Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?”, and Christ’s clear answer, “Neither this man, nor his parents…”. Many people at the time of the famine found it convenient to believe it to be God’s punishment for Ireland’s sins.

*************************

Published in: The Green Dragon No. 10, Spring 2002.

See also A short history of the Irish in Jamaica, an article by Robert Mullally published in The Green Dragon 11.

*************************

Abhaile
Home / Adref.