LKJ « CONNECT/HOOK

This impulsive post was inspired by fellow poet Ju Clear over at Hello Poetry.
I am still thinking about Ghost Ship, the Oakland rave that burned down 2 weeks ago, killing 36 people. I have very conflicted feelings about this. There may be possible arson motives behind it (?). As I am finding out, nothing is ever as reported. The Oakland fire is very similar to the New Cross Fire of 1981, recounted in this dub poem by the great poet Linton Kwesi Johnson.

first di comin
an di goin
in an out af di pawty

di dubbin
an di rubbin
and di rackin to di riddim

di dancin
an di scankin
an di pawty really swingin

den di crash
an di bang
an di flames staat fi trang

di heat
an di smoke
an di people staat fi choke

di screamin
and di cryin
and di diein in di fyah…

It is a new year, and I must soon get back to shameless self-promotion by reposting my poems… but first I have to begin the year with some Reggae-talk. One of the reasons I finally came around to poetry is because I liked Reggae—and one reason I like Reggae is L.K.J.

Linton Kwesi Johnson does amazing poetry. I don’t care for his leftist politics but his verse is more interesting and intense than that boring, writerly tripe you find in academic journals and the margins of well-known effete liberal publications. The first-class dub musicians backing him up add another dimension to his poetry. I just learned that he came up with the basslines for these dub poems. His work is focused and powerful in a way that Amiri Baraka’s psycho-drivel never was.