Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
Poet Abbebe in performance at the Poetry Society's monthly meeting at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, St. Andrew, on Tuesday. - CONTRIBUTED
TWO YOUNG voices ripped through the night air hovering above the amphitheatre of the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts as they delivered fiery, often moving words. The voices belonged to Kashka Hemans and Abbebe, two poets who displayed their "tremendous powerful potential," as described by Sheena Brown during her introduction.
The Poetry Society of Jamaica slightly bent its form by featuring the two poets at the April instalment of their monthly fellowship. The double dose was well worth it.
Poets and those who dream of being poets flocked to the venue. As usual, the meeting gets off to a late start, this evening running even later than usual. By 8:00 p.m., the scheduled time is 7:00 p.m., the open mic segment began.
It proved to be one of the stronger nights blending very new voices such as Janice McLeod, Omara Mazlyn, and Jameil McLean with more seasoned voices from Neto Meeks, Samuel Gordon, and Sage.
Hemans was the first of the two featured artists to take the microphone. He launched into his first poem, 'Revolution (fi di uptown poets, dancehall, di girls and Cable and Wireless)'. Though not his strongest piece it got the audience's attention to the extent that he had to stop twice and once had to rewind for a double take. The poem gives a heated critique of pop culture, reminiscent of 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised'.
FEMALE FORM
Heman's then moved away from political issues. First he turned to a celebration of the female form with 'River Mumma'. This was followed by 'Woman Over Tea' a poem which details a man and woman of very different political leanings. While the woman seeks to "cure" him of his politics by exposing him to "winter winds" that can "freeze the kinks from [his] brain" he finds her boring, declaring, "Her soul is a yawn across aeons of longing".
'Old Picture Fi Bongo Jerry' which was delivered in a hard dub reflective of Bongo Jerry brought a return to politics. The poem explored the heart, hurt and pain of the socially disadvantaged still trapped in the heat of July while they desperately await the arrival of their "Augus Mawnin" their emancipation.
His final piece, however, was easily the most poignant of his performance. Named 'A Poem for Chad' it delineates a man's frustration in expressing his love for a slain friend as he is hemmed in by the social dictates that suggest men cannot be affectionate toward each other.
When Abbebe took over the microphone, the audience once again made their appreciation felt, punctuating his words with shouts of approval as the poet dissected world politics, much to the audience's delight. "Seh dem building bridges/ di world mus connect" the poet declared, "dem nuh mason. Dem Masonic." He continued his questioning with the war in Iraq which he declared a very undemocratic campaign for freedom.
POLITICS
The piece moved from war and church politics guided by chess metaphors to rest on America's International politics. Hinged on the refrain "Georgie Party, Blair and Allies" which echoes the childhood rhymes, the poem highlighted the ridiculous nature of world events. Abbebeh's poetry highlighted a mastery of the pun colliding with metaphors as he broke old cliché's and allowed them to renew themselves in new meaning. His poetry bubbled with lively imagery and were often filled with well-chosen, apt references to pop culture.
Though his main issues were world politics, selfhood and identity, Abbebe also diverged into two pieces dedicated to the female form. The first was a delightful discourse in persuasion pregnant with kitchen imagery and the second gave a precise description of "Kush Daughter" which focused on her protrusions.
