Arts on Sunday

[Daryll A Goodchild, Crassin De Rivvah: The Caribbean Flavour, Georgetown: Daryll Goodchild, 2019.

In You The Earth Little rose, roselet, at times, tiny and naked, it seems as though you would fit in one of my hands, as though I’ll clasp you like this and carry you to my mouth, but suddenly my feet touch your feet and my mouth your lips: you have grown, your shoulders rise like two hills, your breasts wander over my breast, my arm scarcely manages to encircle the thin new-moon line of your waist: in love you loosened yourself like sea water: I can scarcely measure the sky’s most spacious eyes and I lean down to your mouth to kiss the earth.

[Gabrielle Mohamed, Is You Madness, Nah Me Own: A Short Collection of Creole Poetry, Georgetown: Gabrielle Mohamed, 2019.

[Neaz Subhan, Coming Back: An Escape From Suicide, Georgetown: Neaz Subhan, 2020. 

By Alim Hosein Arts On Sunday this week presents a study on the art of photography in Guyana by Alim Hosein, Coordinator of the Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition, linguist, artist, literary and art critic, and English lecturer at the University of Guyana. 

In observance of the birthday of William Shakespeare who was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford on the river Avon in England, we revisit one of his great plays, The Tempest.

From “Son of Guyana” (for Henry Muttoo)   Doan’ tell me ‘bout Guyana.

Ulysses It little profits that an idle king, By this still hearth, among these barren crags, Match’d with an aged wife, I mete and dole Unequal laws unto a savage race, That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s wall painting “Last Supper” (1495 – 1498) is foremost among the most famous, the most identifiable, and most acclaimed artworks in the world.

Birdshooting Season                           Birdshooting season the men make marriages with their guns My father’s house turns macho as from far the hunters gather   All night long contentless women stir their brews: hot coffee chocolata, cerassie wrap pone and tie-leaf for tomorrow’s sport.

Once upon a time, there was a king who had one daughter.

Lord Randal                          ‘O where ha’ you been, Lord Randal, my son?

Last week, Guyana celebrated 51 years as a republic. The anniversary was marked by a fairly elaborate official ceremony in the compound of the Parliament building, with an array of performance events.

The Lunar New Year’s Day   In crackers’ cracking noise the old year passed away; The vernal breeze brings us warm wine and warm spring day.

Acts of Kindness Family visiting, cousins from the old days, hadn’t been back for forty years, refugees from the bad days of nothing in the shops, fear of always being below, no future for the children, they with gifts, brought back memories, then it was bare food my wife didn’t have; now it was a tablecloth wonderfully embroidered and, for me, bottles of Niagara wine.

The Revolutionary did not look like a ‘Revolutionary’. Didn’t possess Che Guevara’s patchy beard.

Over Guiana, Clouds3 Kykoveral. Strange name for stones, a heap of stones But a strong name to take imagination And tie it to a peak in Time Above lost plains drowned by the later names.

One of the important cultural developments was the rise of professional theatre in the Caribbean. 

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner                                Part I It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three, ‘By thy long grey beard and glittering eye, Now wherefore stoppest thou me?

  Ode to Brother Joe Nothing can soak Brother Joe’s tough sermon, his head swollen with certainties.