(Ed. Note: Tribute poem to the assassinated [5.5.13] parliamentarian of Curacao and leader of the island’s Independence movement. Poem by the St. Martin poet Lasana M. Sekou)

Another king
just crowned in the kingdom
of blood, a coronation of bullets wheezing death
in a hail of the assassin’s contract of hate
circling to puncture through
the riddled breastbone of the nation
to still&rent the sovereign heart from beating true

but we are who we are even when we fear to be
tula.karpata.mercier.wakao.sablika.doktor.paapa.
and “E Politico mas grandi di Curacao
diadomingo pasa di 5:15 atardi
a yega pa cumpra cuminda na …”
this day, de dooded de dooden dem walk
victorious, from liberty park to mari pampun
to carry him away, the fallen son, Home

but for the living,
aki, yunan
lucha no kaba.
© by Lasana M. Sekou 2013.