the day the music stopped
I came by
& was blasted
by the poui tree's
golden indifference
 
from 'Diptych'

Mervyn Morris is one of the most distinctive West Indian poets, his work characterised by economy, wit and humane seriousness. He makes elegant use of Jamaica's linguistic range, with poems in international standard English, Jamaican Creole and mixtures in between. These variations inflect his treatment of love, lust, time, memory, death, religion, politics, commitment, identity, history, art and other concerns. His poems frequently suggest the tension inherent in moments of choice.

I Been There, Sort Of: New and Selected Poems continues the poet's exploration of self and society, 'reality' and the imagination. It brings together poems from three of Mervyn Morris's previous collections, Shadowboxing, The Pond and Examination Centre, alongside new work.

I been there, sort of
Short Story
Critic
Dialogue for One
At a Poetry Reading
Behind the Curtain
Encounter
Proposition One
The Pledge
Autograph Album
Reunion
Tournament
Birthdays
Eve
Connection
Parlour Game
Operation
Happy Hour
Pantomime
Moment of Truth
Interview
Persephone
Casanova
North Coast Hotel
Cabal
A Poet of the People
Poetry Workshop
Advisory
Montage
Post-colonial Identity
Peelin Orange
Oblation
Toasting a Muse
Heritage
Muntu
Sentences for Heritage Week
Having Eyes that See
Thank-you Note
Gaffes
Boarding School
Caning
After the Movie
Tutorial
Asylum
To Tell the Truth
Counsellor
Critique
Anniversary Proceedings
Granny
Praise the Lord
At Church
Diptych
Au Revoir
Farewell Function
Transitions
Garden
Postcard
Epitaph
Jamaican Dance - 2
A Chant Against Death
A Word

On Holy Week
Prologue by the Maker
Jesus in Gethsemane
A Priest
Judas
Pilate's Wife
Pilate
Peter
Soldiers
Simon of Cyrene
A Woman Named Mary
Jesus on the Road
Malefactor (Left)
Malefactor (Right)
Centurion
Mary (Mother)
John
Joseph of Arimathaea
Mary Magdalene
Thomas

from The Pond
Valley Prince
Stripper
To an Expatriate Friend
To the Unknown Non-combatant
The Day My Father Died
Outing
Little Boy Crying
Shadows
The Roaches
The Pond
Narcissus
Mariners

from Shadowboxing
Muse
Afro-Saxon
For Consciousness
Cave
A Voyage
Meeting
In the Garden
Togetherness
Dreamtime
A Birthday Poem
Terminal
Checking Out

from Examination Centre
Examination Centre
Love Is
Peacetime
Sister
Seen
There Was a Young Poet
Data
My Rodney Poem
Windscreen
Legion
Walk Good