RIP Bob Nesta Marley

30 years ago today; we lost an icon, leader, teacher, rastafarian and most of all someone that we could relate to.
Today, I join the rest of the world in remembering his contribution to music, peace and humanity in general. Through his countless songs and messages, Nesta as I prefer to call him (my middle name is also Nesta) left us with timeless classics and a song for every situation.
Not much more can be said that hasn’t already been highlighted by about Bob Nesta Marley but I would like to thank him for being an inspiration to myself and the rest of the globe.
Thank you.






Below are the lyrics to my favourite Bob track:

Redemption Song lyrics

Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look? Ooh
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fullfil the book
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our mind
Woh, have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fullfill the book
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
All I ever had
Redemption songs
These songs of freedom
Songs of freedom

See the video on Youtube

Experimenting with the Rasta

Rasta this and rasta that, lol. I've got nothing against rasta or rastafarian, I've just come across a rasta caterpillar so i'm in a rasta mood.

Yes, there is such a thing as a rasta caterpillar, well actually it's called the frangipani caterpillar. Okay, for those people who are not into biology, forestry or the environment, let me break it down for you.

The rasta caterpillar or rasta chini as it is known in Dominica is a black and yellow caterpillar, with a pink, reddish face. It gets its local name from its colour scheme but its more common name is the frangipani caterpillar. It's name is derived from the frangipani plant because of the fact that it feeds off two groups of flowering plants (the frangipanis and the allamandas).

There are some peculiarities about the caterpillar:

1. papae develops in the ground and not on plant
2. caterpillar only feeds on frangipanis and allamandas
3. birds dont feed on the caterpillar; because it feeds on plants that are highly toxic

The rasta chini is often seen at a particular time of the year, which is about now, april - june, and because of that you may often find the plants are left without leaves and flowers during that period. It often resembles a skeleton.

I remember capturing the caterpillar as a little boy and keeping it in a box just to see what would happen. Nothing ever came out of it, but now i've been told that the caterpillar hardly ever molts from the papae into the hawkmoth in captivity but no one can give me a real reason though.

So I've decided to try it again, this time with a little more knowledge about the insect. I will trap two or three of them and observe them over the next few months, I will try to give updates here and provide photos. Don't worry I only want to observe the molting process into the hawk moth. I'm no scientist so don't expect any weird experiments, lol.

Will keep updated information on this blog...

Nesta

N.B. Dominica has one native frangipani (plumeria alba) or bwa rasta (rasta wood/rasta plant). It is called bwa rasta because the rasta caterpillar feeds on it.

swine flu

This blog post is not intended to hurt anyone, especially those who have lost someone to the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.

It is merely intended to bring some humour to the world, Caribbean style...


A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book. ~Irish Proverb


Please continue to be vigilant and follow the instructions of the health authorities, there is no need to panic, well not yet anyways...


Nest@

Why I write poetry

This isnt the first poem I read, nor is it the first one to touch me, but it is the first one that said what i wanted to say in poetry. I can't remember where I first read, heard or saw it being performed but I do remember that it touched my inner being.

Yesterday I saw it being performed again by Matubaruka and all the feelings came back all at once, the feelings of oppression, struggle, fight, freedom and so much more came back to me and I saw my purpose all over again. It also brought back so much emotion and memory, like the first time i saw the Colour Purple or the Roots miniseries on TV.

Made me feel ashamed and proud to be Black all at the same time. Ashamed because we seem to forget while claiming to remember, we seem to be conscious so much but ignorant of alot more. It is probably the longest poem that I have read and it still manages to capture me, line after line. And this poem is:

Dis Poem

by Mutabaruka

dis poem

shall speak of the wretched sea

that washed ships to these shores

of mothers cryin for their young

swallowed up by the sead

is poem shall say nothin new

dis poem shall speak of time

time unlimited time undefined

dis poem shall call names

names like lumumba kenyatta nkrumah

hannibal akenaton malcolm garvey

haile selassie

dis poem is vexed about apartheid rascism fascism

the klu klux klan riots in brixton atlanta

jim jones

dis poem is revoltin against 1st world 2nd world

3rd world division man made decision

dis poem is like all the rest

dis poem will not be amongst great literary works

will not be recited by poetry enthusiasts

will not be quoted by politicians nor men of religion

dis poem s knives bombs guns blood fire

blazin for freedom

yes dis poem is a drum

ashanti mau mau ibo yoruba nyahbingi warriors

uhuru uhuru

uhuru namibia

uhuru soweto

uhuru afrika

dis poem will not change things

dis poem need to be changed

dis poem is a rebirth of a peoplarizin awaking understandin

dis poem speak is speakin have spoken

dis poem shall continue even when poets have stopped writin

dis poem shall survive u me it shall linger in history

in your mindin time forever

dis poem is time only time will tell

dis poem is still not written

dis poem has no poet

dis poem is just a part of the story

his-story her-story our-story the story still untold

dis poem is now ringin talkin irritatin

makin u want to stop it

but dis poem will not stop dis poem is long cannot be short

dis poem cannot be tamed cannot be blamed

the story is still not told about dis poem

dis poem is old new

dis poem was copied from the bible your prayer book

playboy magazine the n.y. times readers digest

the c.i.a. files the k.g.b. files

dis poem is no secret

dis poem shall be called boring stupid senseless

dis poem is watchin u tryin to make sense from dis poem

dis poem is messin up your brains

makin u want to stop listenin to dis poem

but u shall not stop listenin to dis poem

u need to know what will be said next in dis poem

dis poem shall disappoint u

because

dis poem is to be continued in your mind in your mind

in your mind your mind

for more info on the Jamaican poet or to view him performing the poem

And this poem shall live on in me

Nest@