Caribbean Dozen

Blow the cobwebs away!

Do it with “Caribbean Dozen”, poems from thirteen Caribbean poets, edited by John Agard and Grace Nichols. This is a collection of poetry about childhood in the Caribbean, bringing together memories of home, family, play, school, the tropical landscape, climate and produce. It is more than that though, as the poems are infused with human spirit, colour, flavour and vibrancy.

This book of one hundred and ten pages begins with a short introduction by the editors. Each poet contributes three to five poems and introduces their section with a short piece on childhood memories and early literary impressions and influences. At the back of the book is a biographies section and the list of first lines.

The poets include John Agard Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, Valerie Bloom MBE and Caribbean literary pioneer Frank Collymore.

The language in all the poems is accessible and speaks directly, expressing memory through the viewpoint of childhood, as in “Remember when the world was tall and you were small”, from Remember by Pamela Mordecai p74.

A browse through the book gives a sample of the themes and imagery used. Fairy-tale fantasy in “The Cat Who Could Fly”, “Every night he flies from the window-sill”, by Faustin Charles, p19. The theme of the sun in “Sun Is Laughing”, “This morning she got up on the happy side of the bed”, by Grace Nichols p27. The zing of nature and light in, “Dancing Poinciana”, by Telcine Turner, p34

“Fire in the treetops,

Fire in the sky.

Blossoms red as sunset

Dazzling to the eye.”

“Fruits” by Opal Palmer Adisa, p47, recalls the beginning of “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti, with a tropical twist. Family and home is evoked in, “I Love The”, “friday night smell of mammie baking”, by Marc Matthews. p53. This is an upbeat collection, however, history is remembered in the sad, but beautiful and dignified. “Lament of an Arawak Child”, by Pamela Mordecai, “Once I played with the hummingbirds”, p78. A child’s ingenious reflections on identity are given by James Berry in his “Isn’t My Name Magical”, “Nobody can see my name on me”, p92.

Enjoy this collection. Experience the cadences of Caribbean cultures and the childhood memories of people who grew up under tropical skies.