Hymn - Tell of My Love for the Islands

Tell of my love for the islands

Tell it everywhere

Show all your brothers and sisters

Our Father’s loving care

Brothers who are seeking

Living in the night

Sisters who are weeping

Searching for the light

Tell of my love to all people

Live in my love everyday

O my people I demanded

Bring light to all men

Shine before them I commanded

Till I see you again

When I look everyday  at my children

In their flight

They’re alone, they’re in darkness

Who’ll bring them light

O my people I demanded

Justice must be your theme

Are you laughed at are you branded

Was it only a dream?

When I look everyday

At my children’s misery

They’re in prison they seek refuge

Who’ll set them free?

O my people I demanded

Love all men everywhere

You may walk empty handed

But teach all men to care

When I look everyday

At my children in their tears

They’re suffering they’re crying

Who’ll wipe their tears

Words: Clyde Harvey

Music Odette Vercruysse

Brianna's Vetiver Night Women

What's an exotic?

Nana Buku

Love Bound

I am this lush

Oblispo's Guardians

I wear these to remember

Arroz Moru (Havana ll)

I wear these to forget

Laro

All pieces are mixed media: acrylic, watercolour, gold leaf, white charcoal and ink.

Brianna McCarthy's Exhibition Vetiver Night Women showed at Medulla Gallery, POS from May 14 to June 5.

Believe it! You are marvelous!

Thy Will Be Done

Whether I like it or not I feel as if God is always present, whether within me or in Heaven where seated at his right hand is the Son. Part of this feeling, though, is that God is also watching me. This is not a view of me that is without judgement in my mind, it may be the product of feeling as if one wants to live by God's rules. This can be aspired to even if to inherit the promise of the only gift worth having for many, Eternal Life. I have to say, too, that God may be looking out for me. While on the surface this may seem like the position most would like expressed because it speaks of God's protection, to me it is dangerous in that it prejudges my experiences as consequent of bad decisions and actions and too that there are situations to be ware of, people too.

I am challenged to live outside of consideration of God. There are so many reminders that even when my own faith wanes there is a hand clasped in prayer on every other car window, anointed couples driving home as I do otherwise. There is the praise of Amen as exclaimed by many or the prayer "bless" that is also used by many. It's hard to not feel as if yes, my world is Christian.

That then makes the enemy real in that we know of the tensions between religions that have existed for centuries. While this may be true for the Middle East in the main there is reason for me to be concerned.

It seems that Islamic extremism is more pervasive than we realise. The West has become since 9/11, a new frontier where international terrorism is now squarely on the agendas of many governments. Recent events in Trinidad and Tobago, right here, show that more than any other religious group Muslims are willing to engage in the use of heavy artillery. I will admit that many murders can be committed by Christians in this country the difference would be that they are not done in defence of the religion or in the name of the faith.

Am I as a Christian under threat here? The answer may be more complex for it is only I and God who know the strength of my faith. I say this knowing that I do things that moral beings would think reprehensible. It was Imam Yasin Abu Bakr who said that the scourge of drugs was taking over the country and all other forms of intolerable activities and so the attempted coup of 1990 was born. What if on not a national scale but even through a public calling out of transgressions as is often done here I am made to face a mutiny of vigilante style no longer willing to tolerate my ways? It has happened to me before.

I do not believe the Devil made me, I was made by God. No one can fully understand who I am based on where i came from genetically. That is to say that yes Science may explain procreation and the reproductive process but it would take them a while to understand the unique creations that we all really are. Science will not say that God is inside of me yet this is something me and my friends say to each other all the time. God would not be inside of me if I was not naturally conceived. It is one of the overlooked issues in cloning and the like...connection to Source.

So as a product of God, namely a Child, all that is Jesus' is also mine. I am not without Sin and we know because we know I am not Jesus. I am though allowed to live without fear even if it is dark and I cannot see where I am going. Even if if feels murky and I am cold.

Nothing ever happens before it happens. So ask me what is real? I don't know. What I do know is that  there is at times tangible, palpable, plausible fear caused by those who believe that violence achieves peace.

Marriage Arrangements

                                                                               

Art by Ashraph

I would think it unforgivable not to acknowledge the legalising of gay marriage in the United States. So in some senses I feel some duress yet am not sure what I want to say, just that something has to be said. Not a good place to start perhaps but it should be valued for its honesty.

In recognition of Pride 2015 the group I am 1 is hosting a weekend of events at Big Black Box culminating with an HIV Memorial on Sunday 28.

I was at the opening night event which was called Taboo Conversations and was done in collaboration with TedxPortofSpain. It started with the showing of a TedX Talk by a doctor that had treated teens in their gender reassignment. It was interesting in that it again showed me that the world is a many varied place and sometimes it takes some exposure to remind me of that. I would say I was comforted by the presentation in that not only did it show children with the right to self determination, one I sometimes feel yet to attain, but it also showed the humanitarian irony of Science to aid in the evolution if you will of the human experience.

Following the presentation was a discussion on LGBT issues, (I know that it now also includes, Intersex, Queer and Questioning). It took a relay format. The first two speakers and hosts who were in their early 20's and identified as gay opened by posing a series of independent questions to each other. As the second was finished she asked a question and left the stage open for any member of the audience to come and answer it. That person would then ask a question and leave the stage for another person to come and repeat the process.

One of the early questions was from a woman who wanted to answer the question posed if it was necessary for persons to "come out"  - to declare their sexuality. She said she felt compelled to answer because she was bipolar and understood having to "come out" and from that perspective thought that it should be left up to the person to decide but it should not be mandatory for everyone. Sounds like a "bi" answer to me lol.

The question she posed was why gay people got defensive when presented with religious teachings against the lifestyle. She felt as is she was being robbed of her right to dissent from a religious perspective by the plaintive defence of the oppressed minority (my words). I wanted to answer but didn't. I would have asked why those who interpret the Bible that way as opposed to all embracing and premised on love feel they have the moral authority to define God's word?

The word homonormantivity came up. It was in response to a most interesting question in that I have heard few gays ask it. Assuming the young man was gay and my 'gaydar' is the original model so it works well, but, he asked why do gays aspire to marriage. I don't want to misrepresent him but he may have said something about why not imagine a new model as gays to represent the epitome of our love. I agree with him.

The reality will change but for now it remains the same. In heterosexual marriages in the Caribbean it is taught in tertiary level Gender courses that a characteristic of the regions male is a"village ram" syndrome where the man is expected to and excused for being unfaithful. As a Caribbean man is that what I should expect in a marriage or is this what I am allowed? Where is the foundation set to have provided me with the healthy mindset required to uphold the values of marriage inclusive of commitment, loyalty and devotion?

Many marriages in Trinidad and Tobago are informed by the society. They met at church or through a family member or it was actually arranged. What mechanisms are in place to help gays in the Caribbean succeed at this esteemed tradition? These are real questions and I'm not asking them just to be negative. I feel as if the gay agenda was foisted on me and it's now to the point where people are prepared to end friendships over it, I know of what I speak.

It would be great if we could all glibly or otherwise applaud the ruling of SCOTUS but had it not been for the appointments to the bench made by the Democrats it would not have happened. Would it have been a sad day for me? No it would have been just as this is, no more than what happened, simply. I have no control over a decision like this, I never protested for it, I never wore a button or posted a status in favour of it.

The victory belongs to Americans, those who grow up as some do with support, acceptance and love and so are less damaged in some senses than we assume those who grow up in strict religious homophobic societies and countries are.

On the upside as noted by CAISO Green Card weddings have gone pink. When the world sees a bold move like the one made by SCOTUS this week for many people America will remain an attractive and progressive place to live and as well it will continue to set the agenda and the trend for many lives around the world for better or for worse and seemingly till death do us part.

Paul's Streets

Twins

Badist 

Transactions (Bubbles)

"Come nah baby...yuh know ah does handle yuh...doh studie it"

Woman at the Anthurium Door

Fass

head bad

Cake

Bad Man Nah Fraid Nobody

Yuh eye long?

Only One Love is Unconditional

Paul Kain's Artist's Statement:

"From the Streets...." is a body of work based on the observation and interaction with individuals whom I had the opportunity to become acquainted with while holding an evening shift at a mini mart in St James. The hours spent there were filled with the ritual visits of the local shoppers, vagrants, pipers and limers whom upon their sporadic visits were also accompanied by their colourful elaborated stories from their home life to their sex life, to the tension of political views where everyone has the answer and solution. So of course concluding everyone else wrong, my contribution to these events was always attentive.

Like a well behaved audience pre-scripted to "Ohs" and "awes" at the expected intervals. I was quick to discover that it was not so much that my input was wanted or necessary nor was any advice being sought during these conversations but that I just needed to be attentive and to listen.

Everyone has a story to tell.


From The Streets by Paul Kain ran at the Soft Box Art Gallery April 24 - May 23, 2015.

Food for thought

I have always been argumentative, so you make a point and my brain automatically counters. Im saying though...I feel like we perpetuate fallacies and most importantly to my detriment or that of my dreams.

Must we always reference history even though we know it is skewed? In whose interest is it to hold on to the hurt and pain of slavery? Seems to me it is easy to do as it gives us an enemy we can blame for all that is wrong.

Were there no second class citizens in Africa before the coming of the Europeans? Did contemporary African despots learn this from the Europeans? Isn't man inherently self serving and capable of injustice in the cause of his own survival?

And perhaps even more telling is that referencing the past distracts us from the current paradigm of oppression that the past itself has morphed into.