Dear Editor,
About 2 – 3 weeks ago my friend Harry McD called me and uttered these words: … “men kill men as men kill men to prop the government…”, and asked if I could place those words. He could not remember the exact quote. My first response was that it sounded like Martin Carter, to which he said that it was. Harry and Martin Carter were occasional drink buddies.
I began to search the internet for those words, but failed to get the result. The quote was incorrect.
In 1964 or 65 I was introduced to Martin Carter’s “Poems of Resistance”. The tall impressive Neville Dawes was a lecturer of English at UG. Dressed in a dashiki shirt, and waxing elegiacally, his voice, composed, a deliberate elan, and resonant, filled the lecture room with words: “death will not find us thinking that we die”, “all are involved / all are consumed”, “I clench my fist”, “I will make my shirt / a banner / for the revolution,” and more. I listened intently as my ‘skin grow’. Neville Dawes might be described as a performance poet. His presence in the lecture room imbued an ambience not unlike that of a Shakespearean actor, filling the air with words irresistibly glued to one’s ears. Neville Dawes was a man very well accomplished in his art.
I bought “Poems of Resistance” and I cherish this first edition (University of Guyana Publication, 1964), probably a draft edition. Why? Because I recognize the pencil marks of Harold Drayton (I know his handwriting), editing the frontispiece. Incidentally, Drayton was my teacher, and had been my mentor, my counsellor, my guide, my guru, and later my colleague and great friend – a Guyanese icon par excellence.
Over the years, I thumbed through this slim volume, and I sometimes read poems like a performance poet in the presence of my children. I am still enthralled.
One night I picked up my copy of Martin Carter “Selected Poems”, still trying to fulfil Harry McD’s request. Going through pages randomly, front to back and vice versa, I was at a loss finding the words. I decided to read the Foreword by Ian McDonald, and the quote popped out of the page (p. 25): “Rude citizen! Think you I do not know / that love is stammered, hate is shouted loud / in every human city in this world? / men murder men, as men must murder men / to build their shining governments of the damned.” I was elated.
The following day I called Harry McD and related my revelation – “Jail Me Quickly” (1964) and of the poem “After One Year” (p. 119). Harry McD Persaud has written extensively on travels and education; he is also the author of two books: “Why I Look For The Divine And What I Have Found” and “Amerindian Life and Folklore”. He was inordinately effusive, and begged me to make him a copy of “After One Year”. Like a child with a new toy, he called his friend Michael Gomes with his news.
On August 26, I read Ian McDonald’s “Re-reading Martin Carter” (SN 23 August 2020). I was happily engaged. I commend Mr. McDonald and I thank him for making Martin Carter relevant.
I did not know Martin Carter personally although I was in his company at Buddy’s and Shabo enjoying Banks. I knew more of him through Raymond Mangal and Balwant (Bhaggi) Bhagwandin. Although I was in Guyana when he passed away, unfortunately I was not able to attend his funeral.
We should all read this great Guyanese national poet. We should also read all the Guyanese poets. There are many: Balwant (Bhaggi) Bhagwandin, Mahadai Das, John Agard, Lakshmi Kalicharran, Peter Jailall, Wordsworth MacAndrew, Jan Carew, Margot Van Sluytman, Cyril Dabydeen, James Richmond – just to name a few, with apologies to many others too many to be mentioned.
Poets are a breed who use words economically with a special twist to effectively portray the depths of societal concerns. Poetry should be integral in the learning experiences of all – from kindergarten to university.
Yours faithfully,
Gary Girdhari
