Jamaica, Isle Of Dreams

Lifting up from the deep cold heart of winter,
Snow and ice on the wings, we fly to escape
The freeze and chill and heavy coats.
Paradise some have called you, as close
As heaven ever comes to earth.

Landing at night, the smell of your greenery
And lush jungle, pungent and filling, we strip off
The layers and feel your midnight heat. The narrow
Winding road leads us past Rosewood, past the small towns,
Along the curving coastline to the house of Emeralds.

Your dark people, friendly to a fault, enchant me.
Some with dread-locks and spliffs a foot long,
And others, the same kind of solid people I see at home,
Working hard to capture some dignity, a small piece
Of this wondrous rock, and a good time.

Your moving beat of Reggae drowns me,
The deep, dark taste of rum swirls me around,
And I reel in the duskiness of your ganja.
Lost in the madness of this late night-early morning escape
I sleep until noon and miss the best part of the day.

The laughter of the early risers shakes me
And drags me out into the sun, into the surf,
Your waters clear and warm, green and blue,
Brush against the sand as far as the eye can see,
And you romance me like a beautiful woman.

The big city kids from New York and Toronto
Cram the pool and tennis courts, sail your bays,
Stuff dollars into your pockets, trade their shoes for ganja.
At night they straggle onto the dance-floor
Shaking down a perfect version of the LA Hustle.

I stray from the white and green hotels that smell
Of Europe and America, and seek the humble shacks
That writhe to your sweet syncopated rhythms.
The harsh smoke and dark rum swim in my brain
And your island music seduces me once again.

Two nights later, still half dressed, red-skin on fire,
The beat and the taste and the dusk woven into the fabric
Of my soul, I dance drunkenly alone and a girl from Miami,
Her big brother dozing off, rescues me from the floor
And slaps my face with the cool night air.

We spend the rest of the night together, not in love,
But in each others arms. She had seen me get off the plane,
Play the fool on water-skis, make a mess at the buffet,
And thought I was cute (no one had ever said that before!).
She reclines and cradles me in her arms. We count the stars.

The next days were lost to wondrous discoveries,
Waterfalls and cliffs, tumbling shacks and deserted
Plantations, fading white-wash of a long faded era.
Like innocent children playing in the hot sun,
We were naked and sharing secrets for the first time.

The surf refreshes us as we strip away the heat.
Swimming to the reef and diving deep we rescue
Starfish and conch shells. She pulls me under
One last time and kisses me, a naked mermaid
And her loony old salt, lost in love in the sea.

The short nights fall one upon the other, the smoky clubs
And the shake dances, and the languid beat pounding.
There seemed no end to this paradise of dark nights
And countless stars. We climb the cliffs and make love
Beneath your midnight spectacular.

Was it your endless list of charms that brought this
Lady into my arms, or was it just coincidence?
We watched the sun rise and set, shared coffee
In the morning, the shower in the afternoon,
But we didn't take the time to speak of love.

Shooting stars, broken hearts, we knew it had to end,
For no vision of Eden could last a lifetime.
We parted as friends, she and I, you and we,
And I never saw her again, my Caribbean Lady,
Mistress of mine on Jamaica, Isle of Dreams.