Profile
Name: NKrumah Lucien
Age: 26
D.O.B: 6th November 1981

Poetry for me is an essential part of self discovery and sometimes an offering to others of my perspective; a desire to share and discuss the issues which affect society, self and the wider reality.

As such my poetry has evolved overtime to reveal very different people over a very short space of time. At present my work looks at metaphysics, social injustice and general human relations with self, nature and others.

My relationship with my poetry and all my expression is my relationship with myself. It fluctuates and my primary glory is how they allow me to get to know myself better.

By self I mean this in the widest sense; nature, ancestry, spirituality, race, humanity.... The trod continues.

I want to continue to talk to people and myself through my writing. I think making connections in our Creative community (not solely an industry) in St. Lucia needs the cross-generational connections as well as the intra and inter-community networking which has continued.

Blessed love and Give thanks for all expression.

 

The following poem was published in Roseau Valley - a collection of poetry

Eternal Slave

Emancipation day done come
we gone and break de chains.
Me loose de shackles from I han'
but still cyan loose de brain.

Me freedom come de day we run
from whip and cutting cane.
Me left de fields to village
but me freedom gone again

Me walk fast pace from place to place
Still freedom I cyan find,
Cause racist face I just replace
With partial colour blind.

Immersed in inverse racism
It wind up in de mind
 As not a colour prejudice
but checking for I kind;

Black wife, black pride, black beautiful, repatriation too.
To where? To dat black motherland who haven't got a clue,
Since last de past shipwrecked her, where to find her lonesome crew
And remnants of a broken bridge for patriotic few

Not here. I cyan find freedom yet for race is not de place
And I cyan stand to drag me foot cause so much time I waste
It eh take long till I get rong' to head back on me chase
 A higher heights done set me sight on freedom borne by grace

It shackle I to book and law to page chapter and verse
To "ignorance be blessed" and to "understanding cursed",
Well shackled to a faith not far from foolishness and worse;
It won't welcome who won't conform to freedom well rehearsed.

Is freedom in religion where you have to fit de mold?
 To yours alone devoted and to others just be cold?
 To what you barely understand be loyal and be bold?
 And there alone seek refuge from yourself and thus the world?

Is freedom when a man betray his hunger just to say
He eh go t'ief, when at the time dat was the only way
To bring and end to pain he feel and make dat urge decay?
 Does freedom gnaw away at man until his fabrics fray?

I still in search of freedom and shackles on I tongue.
Must always slave to language cause dis master deh from long.
I slave meself to word and line to make me line more strong.
So freedom must be slavery and is so me start me song:

If I man free from slavery I amn slave to being free
 Or to seeking I man freedom, so a slave I man must be
If I don't slave to blindness I man slave to what I see
And till I lef' dis life I'm a slave to what I be.

The End

Blessed Love.
NKrumah