LITMIR.BIZ

      Natural Heritage / Natural History Inc. acknowledges the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We acknowledge the support of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s Ontario Book Initiative. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) and the Association for the Export of Canadian Books.

       Dedication

      In memory of my grandparents: Mohabir (godfather) Bhudni (Miss Lil) Ramrattan (Hollan) and Rajwantie (Brownie).

       Contents

Introduction

Acknowledgements

You must be Born Again

The Guyanese Roll Call

When September Comes

My Ajah

       Fire Fire Bun me Haan

       The Terrifying Gaze

       For Mervyn

       Estate Coolie

       Coolie Come

       Khatun from Skeldon

       When Cheddi Died

       Noisy Mornings

       Just a Drop of Ink

       Nani Goes to Vote

       Intellectual Arrogance

       Hindu College Days

       Working with Devotion

       Aspects of Indrani

       Jagan & Burnham

       A Guyanese Christmas

       The Ole Country

       The Moon

       Mother Bird

       Travelling Through the Woods

       Trying to Catch Nature

       After Life

       Two Umbrella Trees

       Walking on Dams

       It’s Not Easy

       Rocking in my Hammock

       Exercising in Georgetown

       High Tide

       Healing Water

       The Fruit Seller

       Blackout

       Iron Works

       Poet’s Work

       I Can’t Go Home

       Killing Machines

       What my Father Taught me

       I Thought I was a Guyanese

       Letter to Kamala-Jean

       Second Migration

       About the Author

Introduction

      In this book of poems, I continue to engage in the search for the place called home on my journey to full Canadian citizenship. Although Guyana, “ole” country of my birth, has become violent and full of terror, pleasant memories of my birthplace continue to linger in my mind. Canada is my present home, but I have been returning to teach in Guyana since 1987. Like many new Canadians, I feel safe and somewhat settled in this landscape where I can go to sleep with an open door. But post September 11th, none of us can return to feelings of absolute security—suddenly we are all living under open, dangerous skies. These poems illustrate my journey to become both a Canadian and a global citizen with many identities, while celebrating the beauty of the natural environment in both of my homelands. I can’t return to the Guyana of my childhood, but through my poems I’m able to explore the cultural and political tensions between past and present, East and West, and how these changes manifest in myself and my search for identity. In the same sense, I hope to challenge my readers, generally, and especially those in positions of authority, to look for change within and work for peace and justice in our world.

Acknowledgements

      I would like to thank Dave and Nari, my sons, for assisting me on the computer and for their patience in getting the manuscript typed. I’m grateful to Sabi Jailall, my peer, partner and dharam patni for proofreading. Thanks to Chris Worsnop and especially Melissa Hughes for editing. And finally, thanks to Uncle Chabie Ramcharan for assistance with Hindi.

      Peter Jailall

You must be born again

      Power on the airwaves. Power on the waterways. Power from the fighter plane. You must be born again. No more planets to find. You must be born again. No more oceans to cross. You must be born again. No more bodies to trade. You must be born again. No more diamonds to dig. You must be born again. No more cotton to pick. You must be born again. No more whipping and pain. You must be born again. Power on the airwaves. Children die. Power on the waterways. Mothers die. Power from the fighter plane.

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