To the heart of the motherland
I plunged
Both eyes open
For the first time,
Lungs gasping for air,
Tears staining pale skin.
Water turquoise
Mud red
Skin dark
Faith deep.
To the soul of the motherland
I have returned my grandfather
His spirit,
A moth
To the light of God,
Flew around the mourners
Singing “I’ll Fly Away”.
Ashes to ashes,
Dust to dust,
Love to tears,
And it’s all over,
Or so they tell me
As his life lingers
In my thoughts,
Heart,
Blood.
To the motherland
I have lost my mother,
She’s taken back
What I never knew;
Reclaiming the part
That makes her whole,
What lacked from her embrace
And smiles that seamed lost at times.
In the clutches of the motherland
Is hidden part of my soul
I have never known
Till now.
for my grandfather Mas Mike who is missed
Anastasia E White 
heart touching poem. very beautifully written.
Hi Trisha. The poem was written shortly after returning from my Grandfather’s funeral in Jamaica. It has been some years now but I still look at that trip as a defining moment.
Thank you,