Fade to Black

You are walking down the dark side of a dimly lit street, cautiously. It’s easy to move here; most of the streetlights don’t work. You know that you are not safe here though. Removing the red bandannas from you wrists and head do not make you feel safer. You are not afraid. You’ve never really […]

Issue 3

Fade to Black – Keith Francis Of Wings, Nectar, & Ancestors – Kiini Ibura Saakam The Lime – Chris Gill

Seduction or Rape?!?

So I told this guy once that he seduced me, and he said, “yeah, right, like you didn’t want to get down with me.” I said, “I never said I wasn’t down, I just said you took the initiative to make it happen “i.e. you’ve seduced me.” Discussing the same issue with another male friend, […]

Friends should not “Bunjhay” Duck!

Since I have no idea what that word means, I will refrain from commenting on it (wish more people would think this way). However, I am slightly familiar with the other words in the sentence – “should not Bunjhay Duck,” which I agree with totally. As my great grandpa Ned said just before passing away, […]

Goodbye, Cruel Heart

The two o’clock night air is cool and crisp, but as he approaches the intersection the sweat starts pouring and he rolls up the windows and turns on the air conditioner full blast. The lights go red. He eases his foot off the accelerator onto the brake pedal and a red-hot bullet rips into his […]

8:30 Restricted Audience

8.01 PM “What’s wrong,” I asked rolling over onto my back. “Sorry,” she stammered, “it’s just that I’m getting my feelings mixed up, emotional, I mean… you know? With this …physical–” (Shit! Where I put my cigarettes… got to quit.) “What you mean?” I lied. She pulled the curtain around her breast as she sat […]

San Juan Market Sunday Morning

Is every Sunday morning since ah was twelve years, aunty Milly send me in San Juan market by mehself. The first time I started going, ah didn’t like it atall. I used to say that the market wasn’t a place for me to go because ah did find de people an’ dem too noisy and […]

Of Men and Bicycles

Of Men & Bicycles For the first time in my life, I know what it feels like to be horned. It feels like I’m wearing a dunce cap with a big red ‘H’ on it and everybody – is getting kicks over my misery. This is all a bit melodramatic, because the horn I’m in […]

August 31st 1962

Who would know that in our government’s haste to beautify its way into the 21st century, we would end up selling our national heritage for 876 runs? Before you get started, Brian Lara is my boy. These days young black males are blamed for everything from the state of the economy to the dismantling of […]

Raoul Peck (CARIFESTA 1995)

RAOUL PECK (CARIFEST 1995) I went to this film symposium the other day. It was co-ordinated by the Banyan Squad held at a nice new vibes spot; Café de Artistes and featured a director I haven’t seen before in my life. (He’s from the Caribbean, so obviously we won’t know a thing about him or […]