Reggae Warrior

This is beautiful! I can feel the Earth dancing to the rhythm of your poem. And my Heart is dancing too... Jah rules! Gentle regards, Raven.

wow we are lucky to have you here! This is wonderful! Please keep them coming.

I really loved this write, & had... "Oh Wont you - help me sing - These songs of freedom? - cause all I ever have: Redemption song" (of course, as you alluded to with subtle grace) playing brightly in my head - a song I first heard when I was really young & could NEVER get out of my heart, so there was this gorgeous deep connection through out your work that felt like a thread drawing your words into me like beads... I really enjoyed this so much. I shall go make coffee & read it again, a wonderful morning treat. Tell me, is Ngconde Balfour (I forget the spelling, think that's right) still political over there? (He was minister for sport & rec under Mandella, probably retired now) I have lost touch with him, we became friends many years ago when I was at Uni, he came here (Australia) to study & I was doing a major paper on the effects of political instability on children's play/activity, I interviewed him (growing up under apartheid) & we became good friends after, I used to look after his kids. He got me tickets to see Nelson Mandella when he came out here, I got close enough to kiss him, but thought it rude, wanted to though... he's been my one & only true hero. (When I was at Uni, he had been in jail my entire life! He could have gotten out if he'd compromised his ideals, but he wouldn't). Sorry to get political here. I agree with "green" above, more poems please, wonderful. I wonder could I offer a thought, though it may be no improvement in your eyes... I wondered if the 2nd line might work more powerfully if you turned it around a bit to "MY salvation, in these songs of freedom, lays" - out of context it looks clumsy, but in the poem it could run more freely... feel free to discard. Loved the return to this powerful line "Sun drenched soldier, born from the tears of slaves" - again evoking "Buffalo soldier". I have some other simple gramatical offerings if you are interested, simple, such as removing the "a" from "Giving a voice to the poor, the hungry the weak", it might flow better with such, but I am respectful of your work so I will make no further suggestions unless you let me know it's what you want. Cheers Anni~ "A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket". ~Charles Peguy

I love this poem of freedom, That brings out the lion heart in all who stand and fight. these lines but me in mind of my favorite Reggae singer Bob fantastic Marley: "Fighting for humanity, fighting for us all Giving voice to the poor, the hungry the weak Shouting at those demons, just let my people be" this is a write that all it needs is a nice down beat, and it's a song. great write! thanks Eddie

I love the first line! Beautiful. My only suggestion would be to cut this poem down to just the few essential lines, to intensify it and make it more powerful. In response to Kaligantsaros: I think this is a response to reggae; the influence and inspiration it's had in this poet's life. Therefore I don't think it's just a hackneyed style that has been 'done to death.'