Jamaican Elegy For An Intellectual (Rex. R. Nettleford) Prelude

I have seen this river swell mighty Like a woman with fetus near to come I have seen it lift its burden heavy Cottaless and laughing in its kingdom But to today is a different rainy day Nothing wash the brown of sorrows away O hear the river lament in its clay For its son, its only son has passed away I have seen this river in tropic glee Dancing down the mountain in childhood Pushing back the angry colonial sea O nothing could compare to its manhood But today is a different rainy day Sorrow is a hurricane in the fish pool Where his eloquence held lofty sway Our favored son, our star bright mule O my heart too carries sorrow like a river He was model, mentor, brother keeper My island's best gold when love was silver In sun or moon, or sweet translucent water I hear abeng wailing, jon kunno bawling O today is a different rainy day Mframadan come down your pole crawling Weep with us, weep with Martha Brae Did you hear this Rex talk, or see him dance Did you know this scholar, this special son Did you sit in his class and dream in trance With this son, the Shaman of the olive sun? O today is a different rainy day Today is the day of tears and broken heart I want to hear the drums of Martha Brae Weeping in Kumina where the waters part.