Arts for the 21st Century

Edward Baugh

Edward Baugh

Edward Baugh, a Jamaican, is Professor Emeritus of English, UWI, Mona. His scholarly publications include: ‘Derek Walcott: Memory as Vision’ (Longman, 1978), ‘Derek Walcott’ (Cambridge University Press, 2006) and ‘Frank Collymore: a Biography’ (Ian Randle, 2009). His two collections of poetry are: ‘A Tale From the Rainforest’ (Sandberry, 1988) and ‘It Was the Singing’ (Sandberry, 2000).

Congo Ground

After slavery done, and after the last bonfires had burned out they looked around to realize all the good land had gone long time into backra massa hand. They walked for miles along the stone walls they themselves had made and mended, and not one deggeh square of ground to raise a thatch roof or stick a yam head. So they moved on up the mountain. The forest reminded them of home. Next morning they awoke to a flute of water-music, thinking they still dreamed, to find