Jimmy Cliff has passed on to a better singing career. We celebrate and give thanks for his life with this poem about “The Harder They Come.”  We thank JahJah for his life and know he rests in peace and perfect harmony.

Poet and visionary

for Perry Henzell and Jimmy Cliff

the share of the poor

is the penitentiary 

of empty belly

is the jail 

of betrayal

is hot hops

pushing man foot 

when him dodging 

the teeth of Babylon dog

the hope of the dread is holy weed

to bubble up in the pipe of peace

to bubble up in the sacred moment

to bubble up in the hand of a man

making him way to a waiting woman

drop him no mind 

poet or visionary

what you come for boys?

sing for we supper, sir.

sing then nuh? 

no no too slow

you need to come

with a up tempo

close the gate on your way out

me come again boss.

this tune must fly

sing it nuh?

not bad not bad

hold this twenty

twenty sir?

and it going go far?

listen spar

you think black man 

a movie star?

drop him now 

poet or visionary

is watch we watch as

Babylon come burn 

bread baby formula 

school book uniform 

medicine every day

raiment and Sunday too

down to rass cloth to rass

(stash couple bag

for them and them pikni)

everybody for miles

high to heaven

tripping on them own

destruction

drop them no mind 

poet or visionary  

love make you and me 

come in the sea 

me going wear you 

on my chest brightest 

black in the firmament 

blazing in this century 

come and gone

too bad too bad 

come into eternity

poet, yes, and visionary.

Copyright Pamela Mordecai 2021