IN CELEBRATION of their 15th anniversary, The Poetry Society of Jamaica had three poets who pointed back to their beginnings. Bongo Jerry, Malachi and Opal Palmer were the guest poets at the monthly poetry society fellowship at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts last Tuesday night.
Bongo Jerry, the first to take the stage, read his poetry in a very matter-of-fact nature, which allowed the words to make their own impression. "A Bongo Jerry dat?" said a woman in the audience, "Bongo Jerry, a man weh me read bout eena book." The poet, who had been taking photos of the performers in the open mic segment, before it was his time to read, had quite blended in.
"I kina wan do some of this in honour of Down Beat," said the unassuming looking man in full black, and a black felt hat. The dedication was in part explained as Bongo Jerry revealed he had read publicly only three times, all his other performances being on a sound system.
For his short performance, he went into the works he had produced in 1967. In his first piece, Sooner or Later, he responded to the creation of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Which force can stop the river of man, who already know their course? the poem asked. It commented on the relationship between the JCF and the wish to quell civil unrest, such as the Morant Bay Rebellion, and how the force would evolve.
Bongo Jerry's second piece, Black Madda dealt with race relations, modern economics and black consciousness, and colonisation. Di Yute was intended to be his final piece, however, the audience would not have it, demanding that he perform Mabrak arguably his most famous piece, and the one much of the audience identified with having studied the poem in school.
Opal Palmer Adisa also kept her set short, but it was a set tempered by difference. Each poem brought a different mood to the evening. Her first piece, a combination of poetry and chanting was dedicated to the Haitian boat people who flee in boats crabs know not to trust and all other lovers of freedom.
Legacy, dedicated to her maternal grandmother, followed. The poem spoke of legacy of verbal, physical and mental strength, which, because of the death of the older woman, was not passed on to the younger.
With Poui she discussed young love. Palmer Adisa closed her performance with a bang, when she performed the poem B-mbocl--t.
The night's final poet, Malachi performed the longest set. Malachi began with Bob and Peter the poem that celebrates the revolutionary nature of the two's work. He followed this up with Wha Dis, a poem he noted was written 15 years ago but remains relevant. Wha Dis looks at the connections between politics, poverty and violence.
Malachi then moved for a more global look at the world with Blue Morning, a poem that looks at his attempt to have a 'brain-to-brain talk wid Massa God'. Keeping up an energetic performance, Malachi also included some more romantic pieces in his performance. He brought the night to a satisfying close. It was much later than the monthly fellowships normally ran, but a feast had been laid for the ears and mind.
