Broken English
a youngster mortified
by seeing LJK’s lyrics
to his Sonny’s Lettah
and Street 66

a poetry session
with Lansdowne library’s
Book Buddies and I explain
that he is a Jamaican
amongst many away
from home

feel the rhythm
and the rhyme
and the message

Shakespeare is here too
James Matthews Bob Marley
and Victor Jara and I try
to emphasise the power
of language and the word

in telling how the military
broke the Chilean’s hands
that played the guitar
and composed the lyrics
before killing him

I ask the Book Buddies
Why do you write
What do you write
Who do you write for

A very young one
judging from her smallness
unshyly reads her poem
(well not hers completely)

I give them homework
what might a picture
of a turtle set free
conjure up

The front-page article
from a community newspaper
is aptly titled Back home