- Contributed
Lambert Kitson, administrator of gardens (second left), accepts a machete from Pepe Zahl (second right), part of a donation by several poets to assist in the clean-up of Poet's Corner in Hope Gardens, St. Andrew. Rass Rod (left), Michael Parchment (third right) and Habakuk (right) share in the moment.
Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE LEAVES that poets are associated with are normally the ones that rustle as the reader digests stimulating stanzas. However, in Jamaican poetry, often the stage comes before the page and it was no different last Wednesday when there was a donation of equipment to help clear away leaves, as well as grass and general shrubbery, at Poet's Corner in Hope Gardens.
The presentation of rakes, machetes and files was made to Administrator of the Gardens, Mr. Kitson, by head of the Dub Traffickers poetry organisation, Rassrod, in a move that was even more necessary after Hurricane Ivan.
A COLLECTIVE EFFORT
The purchase of the equipment was a collective effort, with a number of poets, including Angel Faith, Bunni Izik, Cherry Natural, Duane Francis, Habakuk, Imali, Jah Shanti, Michael Parchment, Patrick Scott, Pepe Zahl, Ras Jaja, Ras Malekot, Ras Witter, Starman, Rajah Moses, Danijah and Rassrod, contributing.
The clean-up is just in time for the Fourth Ceremony of Poets, which takes place tomorrow (Friday, December 10), at Poets' Corner. It will be a commemoration of the 51st anniversary of the first ceremony of poets, which took place on December 10, 1953.
Poet's Corner was opened by Edna Manley on June 15, 1960.
Tomorrow's ceremony, which runs from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., will see two trees being planted in honour of Miss Lou and Michael Smith for their contribution to dub poetry. In addition, poets will be sharing their work. It will be the first time since November 30, 1967, that the Poet's Corner will be used for its intended purpose, 37 years after a slab of concrete with the names of Jamaican poets was mounted on a concrete base there.
