My Heritage

by Etan Thomas with Julian Thomas

I've discovered my heritage
My great grandmother from Grenada
My great grandfather from St. Croix
I have spice running through my veins
Like a dread in Babylon
Placed upon my head like an African crown
I stand as proud as a king
A warrior
Basking on the beaches of the West Indies
After the morning gathers the rainbows
The shores are dripping wet with beauty
The sun descending as the night rose
Lingering aromas of tranquility
I can smell your scent with my eyes closed
The moon's reflection on the waters of the night
As everything is always irie* in my Caribbean paradise
The love of my land is as solid as a rock.

*Irie: Jamaican slang for feeling good, everything's alright.

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Source: Thomas, Etan. More Than an Athlete. Atlanta, GA: Moore Black Press, 2005.