Conch Sound
the garden of North Andros
the place where my father's navel string lay
The settlement sits on the vicinity of the waterfront
with old Bahamian vessels piloted by One Eyed Jacob
drifting across the sea winds
while it's calm blue hole calmly sleeps
on the pillow of the ocean
The land has a multitude of
healthy, growing trees and saplings
bearing mangoes, coco plums
coconuts and star fruits
the fruits of their labor
We can cross the creek near Johnson's Hill
with caution at low tide
passing through the tranquil kingdom
of the mangroves
red, white, black and buttonwood
to take a view of the old cemetery
the testing place of my ancestors from long ago
submerged in multitudes of sand grains
You can draw with the yellow ink
while I draw with the green one
Take your yellow ink
and you will sketch the islands of:
Grand Bahama, Abaco, Cay Sal Bank
Bimini, Berry Islands, Andros,
New Providence and Eleuthera
against the dark skin of my backbone
Now I will take my green ink
and will sketch the islands of:
Exuma, Cat Island, Long Island,
Rum Cay, San Salvador,
Conception Island,
Acklins, Mayaguana,
Crooked Island, Samana Cay,
Ragged Island, Little and Great Inagua
against the light skin of your backbone
Finally we both will take our inks
of azurite shades of blue
will shade in the bodies of:
The Great Bahama Bank
The Little Bahama Bank
The Tongue of The Ocean
Exuma Sound, The Bight of Acklins
and the Florida Straits
against the flesh and backbones
of each other like human canvases
together forming a unique
little archipelago chain of our very own
to embrace the proud Bahamians
we are both on the inside