Cancer By:©Saccheen Laing How many more tears shall we shed? How many more prayers must be said ? For how much longer shall we have to say bye to our loved ones smiles? We bury one after the other and keep asking why? From our babies to our grandparents We have to watch them cry because of the pain We sit and look up and wish we could see them smiling again Our hearts are heavy we are tired of writing RIP We hear of a death and the first thought is cancer has sent another to rest Who shall we have to say bye to next? C- controlling has it takes over our lives and we have to continually fight A-aches that it causes our hearts when we see another falls apart N-never ending because it feels like someone is always fighting C-catastrophic because it causes so much damage and suffering E- evil because there is no good in it R- recurrent because no matter how many times it goes away it comes back another way Nothing did our loved ones do to feel the pain that they had to go through Silentl

Tribute to  Jordan Foote By:Saccheen Laing He sits on  the sidelines With determination in his eyes Wanting to touch the ball once more and lift his team to victory His mind is fixed on the ball but his body is failing In the midst of his pain his eyes remain on the ball Skillfully maneuvering the obstacles he flashes a bright smile “I will be back on the pitch in a little while” Cancer clouds tried to block his vision But even when he lost his most valuable tool he still would sit on the pitch  with eyes fixed on the ball I remember being motivated as he took over my television screen The odds against him he still had the will to win The entire nation stood behind  him and cheered him on The clouds grew thicker and cancer would claim the one who captivated us all Even as his eyes have closed his soul is still fixed on the ball Jordan is an inspiration to us all! His body has failed him but his soul is still here to remind us To never give up an

Happy International Women’s Day By: ©  Saccheen Laing She is beautiful! There is beauty in her smile but there is depth in her soul She energizes the world with her thoughtfulness and brings life to it She is abused and neglected but still she cares for the world She loves hard and gives of her best to the world She beautifies the world and adds droplets of her love to water hatred in the world She is self-conscious and she is enticed by your compliments She is filled with wisdom and she imparts it as she feeds the mind of her child She is strong as she still gives of her best to her often ungrateful children She is hurting but she still beautifies her frame and appears confident to the world She is mesmerizing as you never know what she will come with next She is powerful and the world depends on her to build the foundation She is sexy and she sway her hips to the left and to the right demanding that your eyes be fixed upon them She is angry because th

The election process is over and now it's time t move forward with our country. Some perhaps are disappointed with the results while others are overflowing with joy. What matters most is what happens now after the results. As a nation we need to put aside all the arguments and unkind words used during the election process and come together for the betterment of our nation. The most important lesson that I took away from this election is to always remain humble. Never ever exalt yourself into thinking that you are above anyone because life will bring you down in the worse of ways. Let us get up and get out and do the very best we can for our beautiful country.

Welcome to 2016 everyone! I want to firstly say thank you for the support throughout 2015 and I look forward to blogging more this year as well as growth for this blog. I've decided to start a diary here that speaks to how it is for me as a poet on a daily basis. This morning after compiling my goals for 2016 as you can see above  I started to reflect on the year 2015. It was an up and down year where friendships and relationships were concerned but as it relates to my writing it was the best year of my life. I was able to publish two poetry books (The Voice of Jamaica and The Poet's Escape) of which I am very very proud.  For the year 2015 I was able to write a poem for each day which was as my 2015 resolution. This year I'm not setting any resolutions but goals that I will work on each and everyday that will help to make me a better person. As a poet it can leave us a bit more in love with our thoughts and the characters in our heads than people around us. This can lead

This poem was inspired by the current problems that Jamaicans are having with the scheduled increase in passport fees. I've been looking at the comments of many Jamaicans who seem rather incentive about the issue but I just smile because one day I might just find themselves in a position where they may finally understand why so many have taken this so hard. Passport Saga By:Saccheen Laing The sun hot bad man  Look how long me stand up in a this line just cause me can't afford the 2000 extra dimes Oh God man I'm sure this is a crime Just to get a new passport I have to endure all of this? One week notice them give us and never expect the bomb rush and the heckle and beckle   The head of PICA lock up tight tight a enjoy her a/c While the heat from the sun a terrorize we The flight of the poor shall go on No little mercy on us who only get the little 5grand  Just to show that I am a Jamaican man I wake up from before the sun rise above the land 

The earth shakes and we know it's another earthquake How much more can we really take? Flashbacks of dead bodies laying in the streets People digging through rubble for something to eat My heart becomes still as my pot and pans begin to shake What have we done for us to have yet another earthquake? My family members are still missing and yet more destruction has come When will the sorrow in our hearts be able to quiet down? The pain in the eyes of the children who stand close by We peep through the holes in the walls as we see people running by The churches lay flat, houses begin to crack Even bodies already resting are now risen and lay beside us Our country continues to get worse as the shake comes once more Have mercy on us please as we prepare for the earth to shake with deadly force The world looks on as if they can't believe  Quickly charities have formed to try and meet our needs As we pray for help the walls continue to shake  The world holds their breath as Nepal can&#

Close your eyes and imagine a world without the love of a mother When things are hard and we can't seem to  find the answers  Just whisper the problems to mama and she would always provide the answers Whenever we fell down she was the one to lift us high and tell us "Hush nuh mind mi chile" Learning was always a must no matter if the cost of the books were sky high " Work with what you have my child, better will come in a little while" When food was short she never allowed our bellies to rumble  Out of the smallest of flour she made big dumplings for the community to devour Is there anything greater than a mothers love for a child? Even the beatings we got we can smile about now The beatings taught us discipline and respect We had to say good day or good night to whoever we met Mother's arms were so comforting it took all the burden away Mother's smile was so reassuring that she was the best remedy for my pain Mother&#

There is so much pain in the eyes The eyes of a child once shone bright and warmed you inside  So many people are hurting and the answers are nowhere to be found They tell us to keep praying but the pain continues to get worse Children eyes struggle to stay open as they receive their latest cancer dose The inability to play with their friends only brings more tears to their eyes The heat of the sun makes them weak as they try to stand tall to beg for something to eat The inability to smile and share the joy of being a child The guns increase in the streets but nobody knows how them reach Hatred so strong in the hearts of men They put a gun to the head of the young and they feel nothing their hearts are numb The day draws to an end and they tell us pain endures just for awhile How you tell that to a child? Whose father killed his mother then committed suicide leaving him behind The young man works hard to bring home money to take care of his wife and child He is held up on his way from

Can someone tell me why my friend had to die? Just 14 and I have to watch his mothers eyes run dry My friend wanted to be the fastest track star Only God knows how much more I miss him as each day goes by When the sun goes down my heart beats faster The fear in my eyes now permanent as the gunshots come closer as I walk by Such beauty in my country but the ugliness is always near by You tell me to sit still and make learning my priority  The window shakes and our screams get louder and louder Our books fall off our tables as our education is left behind just for a while I'm just 14 but I've seen so many around me die  Dead bodies have become the norm and it no longer makes me cry This is the reality on my sweet little island They tell me to make my future my priority  But is there a promise of even a tomorrow? The gunshots increase and I see my teacher calling out for us to leave Four bodies on the ground, lifeless with no soul Promises of bright futures now buried and I hear m

I am just a child I say to myself as I put on my uniform and my mother greets me with a smile I am just a child but my body makes people question why? Why I as a child have a six months belly before me ? I sit in class and try to learn My baby kicks me as a reminder of the nightmare I now call life The nightmares take me from my class to the night my light turned to darkness I left school about 5pm after netball practice See I was the best player on my team It was late so hurried to catch a bus As I walked the street to my home I realized I wasn't walking alone The footsteps drew closer and I became nervous Two heavy hands held me back and my uniform was lifted from my back His eyes were dark and empty He buried my body with his and took every ounce of my purity I am a child I shouted and he only laughed I am a child I repeated and he only continued to thrust The blood poured from my young vessel and I knew my gift was lost forever He stood up and said thank you

She made you weak in the knees I made you stand tall She set your lips on fire I made your heart cold  I gave you such pure true love she gave you the ultimate passion  You had the best of both worlds till i became bold  Why continue to sprinkle your dry soul with love when my pastures remained parched  The one who you introduced as your friend was now the one you kissed  The one who stood by your side and cared for you the best was no longer the one to make your eyes sparkle She never shouted at you she wore the pain beneath her smile You lifted your hand to meet her delicate flesh And she already knew what would come next  The tears covered your face as you begged for forgiveness She walked out that day and said goodbye to the world of pain you gave her Now you have moved on and profess to be happy The one who made you weak in the knees now brings you to your knees  You hold her hand and ask her to marry you  You kiss her lips as she says yes and the fa

Can you hear the drums beating? Do you hear the footsteps approaching? Can you hear the horns of the flashy cars blaring? Do you see the lines forming as the supporters come out cheering? The doors are flung open  As the parliamentarians come closer with their perfectly tailored suits and stush shoes The seats are filled as the meeting begins Some lean back with phones in hands  Such looks of disinterest as the plans for the future takes the centre fold Children and women being raped and murdered on street corners The disinterested look grows stronger  The prime minister flashes a bright smile  She seems caring just for a little while  Parliament is in session  We can't disturb Ministers busy discussing the future of our country We dare not say a word The hours roll by and some step out when the tension gets high If Jamaica could cry out she would ask us why Why do we continue to rip her to pieces as the years go by? Her beaches try the b

We pretend to honour Bob Marley on the 7th of February His legacy lives on daily then why do we only remember him only once yearly? Children parade the streets in the latest Bob Marley jersey Ask them to name two of his songs  They mumble as if they can't speak clearly Bob brought the message of love and unity Jamaicans now are filled with hatred and have become even more unruly Do you listen to the words of his songs or just rock to the melody of the band? Are you making Bob proud? He shakes from the ground, confused as to what the world has come to We praise his efforts, speak of the greatness of his messages  Filled with the sweet words he sang but empty with no motivation garnered from the beautiful man Sweet one love is a wonderful jam As the song ends, the love ends The  powerful vibrations stand still in your mind as you return to the hate that has consumed your mind Let us make Bob proud by embracing the message of true love With each verse of his songs let us become closer

He whispers in your ear and says "Baby will you be my valentine tonight?" He holds your hips as you tip to kiss his  beautiful lips  You close your eyes as you remember the times The times he would shake you and shout and scare you  The candle light shines bright as his brown eyes sparkle Could you really be his valentine tonight? He raises his hands and you shiver with fear  The love you have for him is still there His strong cologne consumes your thoughts as you fall prey to his charm Will I once again give in and be his one last time? How could one person look so good yet cause me so much pain All I want is just to feel his love all over again The night runs on and he showers me with tender care The candle blows out and I know his powerful blow is near He pauses and smiles and says remember "you are mine tonight my dear" The day is Valentine's Day and love is in the air The air I breathe is filled with fear mixed wi

Life breaks us By:Saccheen Laing Is it all as simple as it seems? Is it so easy to put on a smile and pretend your happiness is real? Are you hiding behind the long lashes that shade your eyes? Is your vision still visible when your eyes are clouded by tears? Are you encouraged or discouraged by the fact that as your tears flow Life flows around you Life picks up the good and the bad and carries it along to the ocean of dreams  Dreams that have come to life or dreams that have come to be buried Do you still taste the happiness on your lips after the pleasure is released? Do you still feel the high long after the bottle breaks and the butt is out? Does life give you thrills that make you reminisce for years to come? The moments of excitement are quickly wiped away with one slip of your tongue Years of effort on a ship that left you letting in waters of regret and anger Anger at the master builder? Anger at the captain? Anger at the passenger? Who can you blame for your ship not withstan

Mother's Day Who was the one to hold you when your little feet couldn't go on? Who was the one to correct you when you were doing wrong? Where would we be without her? The one to show us the right path? How much more diffic ult would life be without the wisdom she shares to you and me? Who can love you like a mother can? Who can place a simple kiss on your aching hand and make it like new brand? Who can? No one can like a mother Our nation is blessed because of the love she bestows God has blessed her to open our eyes when they are closed God has blessed her to provide bread and butter when the gas is nowhere to be found Who never let you go hungry? Who made sure you had shelter from the storm? Who but a mother? Her forgiving spirit is like no other Just think back to Hannah in the bible Such pure dedication and faith That's how strong a mothers heart can go on hoping and hoping for their little one One faithful prayer from a mother has saved thousands of sinful sou

When shall the change come? Crime and violence ago continue and mash up Jamdung? Street lights come on at night and our window lids we shut tight tight No kids on the street, no time to meet and greet Why can't we no longer walk at nights? Why we don't have no peace? Police men guard the streets  Kids run quickly pass them not sure if they police or just undercover gunman and thief Thousands complete their university education but student loan awaits them in every gleaner publication Jamaica is such a beautiful nation, nice food and nuff happiness and sweet jubilation Wait a moment and turn the  TV off the international station Turn the dial to our local station No more happiness and sweet jubilation Blood flowing in the streets of poverty and ever increasing destruction You have the answers? Tell us how we need a change in politics Five years time and we still have the same corruption  You tell me to smile because better must come I can