October 19th, 1983   by Dionne Brand       this poem cannot find words   this poem repeats itself   Maurice is dead   Jackie is dead 5 Uni is dead   Vincent is dead   dream is dead   lesser and greater   dream is dead in these antilles 10 windward, leeward   Maurice is dead, Jackie is dead   Uni is dead, Vincent is dead   dream is dead   i deny this poem 15 there isn't a hand large enough   to gesture this tragedy   let alone these words   dead insists itself on us   a glue of blood sticks the rest together 20 some are dead, the others will not mourn   most wait for the death announcements   Maurice is dead, Jackie is dead   Uni is dead, Vincent is dead   dream is dead 25 lesser and greater   dream is dead   in these antilles   windward, leeward   reality will die 30 i refuse to watch faces   back once again   betrayal again, ships again,   manacles again   some of us sold each other 35 bracelets, undecorative and unholy,   back to god!   i cannot believe the sound   of your voice any longer   blind folded and manacled 40 stripped   Bernard, Phyllis, Owusu, H.A.!   what now!   back to jails in these antilles!   back to shackles! back to slavery! 45 dream is dead   lesser and greater   drowned and buried   windward, leeward   a dirge sung for ever 50 and in flesh   three armoured personnel carriers   how did they feel   shot, shut   across Lucas street 55 this fracticide, this hot day   how did they feel   murdering the revolution   skulking back along the road   the people watchful, 60 the white flare   the shots   the shot, the people running,   jump, flying,   the fort, fleeing 65 what, rumour, not true   please, rearrested not dead,   Maurice is dead   at 9:30 p.m. the radio   Jackie is dead... 70 9:30 p.m. the radio   dream is dead   in these antilles   how do you write tears   it is not enough, too much 75 our mouth reduced,   informed by grief   windward, leeward   it is only october 19th, 1983   and dream is dead 80 in these antilles.