At its Heights, Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.
when you are out of the house
away from six international news channels
two commissions of enquiries
endless commentaries of all that is going wrong
in the island in every sphere of human existence
when our head is substance dependent
not waking up till eleven
and surrounded by the bottom of the barrel
fake brahmins
exacting their correction of perceived victimizations
see the irony and fallacy of that preposition

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful
when you are out and about
among the people living their lives
moving to and fro\
having lunch, shopping with what money,                                    
extra money, plenty money to burn\
this is an island of complete iniquity
all have of illgotten gains

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.
when you are at the Heights of Aripo
at the river flowing, bathing
forest bank watching
















Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.
at the Heights of Arima
surveying the vistas east
to Wallerfield south to central
even as your view is now obscured
by the massive cable tower
and what used to be a community stage is now
galvanized shut and walled off
when beautiful community forts are deflowered
green sky spaces turned over to money
ripped from the community womb and belly

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.
Sitting in a lovely neighborhood
getting your vehicle washed
by a peaceful spirit worker warrior rasta
with his locks twisted into a huge
complicated chignon and wearing
black Malcolm X frames rose colored lens glasses

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.
After Jul 9, 2011
even though I do not know how and why
Trinidad. Was. Is. Always. Beautiful

When the myriad birds sing from morning into dusk
and then the peculiar unseen kind at night

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.
sitting in the shade of the guest/client galvanize shack
smelling the marked sprayed pee of alley cats
on the cushions of the makeshift benches
where most of the people passing you by
looks to see your face and say good afternoon

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.
at the edges
at the core
on the ground
on the grass
at the roots
the grassroots

There are endless places where Trinidad. Is. Beautiful
crying for TShaka at lunch
in a new restaurant with a tenuous new friend
not realizing that it was TShaka's  death anniversary
but having cause to call her name
the tears were for the telling of her and how loving she was to me
how she was the first to ever call me to do a film, any film
and to boot, on a black woman, she, I, us,
free, unmitigated, and unhung by
trauma, drama, maladies and dysfunction
I realized, I will call the film TShaka!

In memory of Juliet TShaka McQueen Dagbovie, 
 and for her three sons, Perovi, Kokou, and Agbelé,

and for this being the place of all that outworking,

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.
Realizing here and now
Is here I am to live and be and bring forth
the ancestors, known and unknown
and all the women outside my family
that I admire have all been mothers of sons

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful
when I learn and hear of interesting individuals
doing great things, I think
I must ring their bell and
make them prophets in their own land
to tell them, They are Beautiful. In. Trinidad.

Is how and where I am                                                            
where i sit reading Sangowunmi's Esu
thankful for Margaret to effortlessly lend me this book
that led me to bring it on today's adventure
the moments culminating in now
for what is to be. what is. is what is coming.

Trinidad. Is. Beautiful.
as it teaches me of and about all
three things.
Trinidad
Being Is
Beauty and Full of It
Gratitude

Tuesday, July12, 2011