Diary of a Child in Trinidad

I remember the land of drums I was born
  bedded beneath great hanging nets;
          the sound of the conch and the horn.
My blue suitcase filled with stuff,
             the red tricycle and pedal car
that made me race and made me puff.
I remember the hounds of revolution nightly howl
  on the streets of my island home.
Now I reign afar in the land of my exile
  as might a king given up his throne

I remember my first day of school so bleak,
  a gingerbread house on Picton Street
        where I first kissed a sweetheart cheek.
Hearken tales of men in Sherwood,
           Nelly Stone in her rocking chair
reading The Adventures of Robin Hood.
The loud guttural yard turkeys’ gobble and flap,
  and kids singing their songs of joy.
I remember the year, the girl, the songs
   in all its virtue when I was a boy

I remember the front yard we would play
  and the annex rooms we called home
      watching The Riki Tiki Show at 17 Gray.
Waving at the Queen’s royal parade
                down on Saint Clair Avenue
in the crowds following her motorcade.
I remember huddled around the old valve radio,
  long siestas in the hot afternoon
till late beneath a corner streetlight halo
  raving drunk slumped Blue Moon

I remember sticky chewy peanut brittle
  with my cold Nestle chocolate milk
      while gorging my tummy little by little.
Behold down-de-islands dashing
      in a pirogue out on Grand Fond Bay -
the sea spray across the bow crashing.
Watching as darkness fell on high moon and tide
  shining on bay and jetty so bright,
when as young eyes grew weary I would
  rest at peace all through the night

I remember all dressed for Sunday School
  and afternoons at the Country Club
       splashing around in the swimming pool.
And at sea playing captain and sailor
             on board a ship Panama bound
in my cabin with my toy boat and trailer.
I remember the ports and voyage of no return
  into the yonder crossing the equator,
when old Neptune rose from the undersea
     to bless our ship and navigate her


         Written: September 1990

childhoodhomenarrative

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