“Revolution from de Beat”

Revolution from de drum
Revolution from de beat
Revolution from de heart
Revolution with de feet

De riddim and the heave and the sway of the beat
de rumblings and the tumblings down
to the dreams to the beat. To the impulse to be free
to the life that spring up in the heat          in the heat
in the pounding dance to be free
to bust open a window
crash upon a door
strip the crust of confinement
step truth, through cracks
through the routing rhythms of the musical tracts       tracks

De sound of reggae music came on a wave of patter       patter
of deeply rooted internal chatter          chatter
on wings of riddim and melodies gone free
the bass strum the heart
the bass drum the heart beat
and the Rastaman pound! Bong bong     bong bong
beat them drums mon! Bong bong    bong bong

And de sound all around
and the voice
of impulse crafted into life burning darkness
of light
of days journeying through the night

of riddim pulse wails and dreams
and determination to be free
of sight
of a vision that ignites
of a musical bam-bam fling-down-baps get-up-stand-up jam!
A musical realignment of the planets
a joy and a singing for those on it

Liberation impulse
dig the colonialists’ grave
crunch of the sixties
baton carried through civil rights flames
spirit of the hippies
signify new ways
the Black power five
the right-on jive
women raise banners for their rights
communities organize
and workers struggle for human rights       for human rights

De core of the African self
separated by four hundred years
ties blighted and nipped a    continental divide
and colonialist lies
a sip from the being of the African well
uncorked the primal African self
and woo…oosh woo…oo…oosh the well spring up
and a riddim let loose
and reggae music found us

It was the pulse in the Caribbean that echoed bright
a voice on a beat
squashed determination released
and the wondrous sighs of Black people once again rose high
from a little piece of rock called Jamaica
where Arawak Tainos and Carib bones lie
came a breath of resistance
of peace love and liberation
spread worldwide on the wings of its artists and shaman
the bass and drums prance like a winded fire
chenke ckenke chenke chenke of a guitar strum
songs of freedom
of spirit

of love
of redemption

Revolution from de drum
Revolution from de beat
Revolution from de heart
Revolution with de feet
Ah revolution