I Shall Sing and Dance in the Rain

By Gregory Wilson

Jamaica Inspired by the hardships, tests, and trials in life as well as the undying faith of humanity that shines like a rainbow coming through after the rain, internationally recognized poet, Gregory Wilson shares a collection of inspiration. His I Shall Sing and Dance in the Rain presents a treasure trove of insightful and powerfully motivating lyrical words that celebrates life and inspires readers to fight against entities that seek to discourage humanity from living with pride, dignity and in unity. I Shall Sing and Dance in the Rain is a collection of 100 poetic, philosophic, stylistic gems and insights that are loaded with wisdom and intuition. It explores the heart of understanding the individual within the framework of humanity. It involves all human beings as they communicate and integrate to celebrate themselves and one another. Promoting the need for humanity to embrace a better, higher standard of living and a more supreme quality of life, Wilsons collection of poems, with astounding degree of originality, freshness, and excitement is the key to achieving his goal. Highly relatable, I Shall Sing and Dance in the Rain is not only a poets expression but also a heartwarming celebration of the beauty of life and the strength of man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493159093

Gregory Wilson

Gregory Wilson is Jamaican. He is a graduate from the University of the West Indies, at Mona, Jamaica. Mr. Wilson has been teaching for almost all of his adult life. In addition, he has been writing poems since high school. If Gregory has a love for teaching, he has a passion for writing—poems. He has been to several workshops and international poetry competitions. In 2005, he was second place winner at a convention of poets held in Reno, Nevada, by the Famous Poets Society. The kids whom he teaches, as well as his colleagues, and diverse audiences always enjoy listening to him read and recite his poems. Presently, Mr. Wilson teaches English language and literature at a prestigious high school in the Bahamas.

Book preview

Forethought

I Shall Sing and Dance in the Rain is for all those who think and understand thoughts and the deep recesses thereof. For those who aspire toward critical thinking and value judgments. For those who reside in the culture of making decisions about life and living and about death and dying.

And still there are those men and women who think beyond thoughts and beyond themselves and beyond this life.

If you aspire toward self-analysis and knowledge and understanding the very anatomy of understanding itself, then this book is for you. You will find identity, awareness, and the true meaning of meaning.

Follow me then, if you will—briefly, to a place where your thoughts become birds, each flying home where it’s warm and wealthy and free. Where your spirit is free to rise, to win, and to conquer—all because you are committed to sing and dance in the rain.

1. Tell Me Your Story… I’ll Tell You Mine

I will not let you go

until you hear my

tale of woe

You will not pass by

until you see me cry

You can’t come out

the rain

until you feel my pain

Have you ever felt you wanted to unburden yourself to someone—someone trustworthy, someone confidential? Have you ever felt the need to share your pain and hurt about past events with someone close, someone you love? I believe we all do at one time or another. I believe too that it is by opening up and sharing in this way that we are able to let it out and let it go—whatever is causing us that hurt or pain. In doing this, we receive healing and blessing: emotional therapy.

Life is about giving and receiving, planting and reaping. As you are going through your valley of experiences, you may feel an urgent need to talk to someone. Do you know the kinds of persons who are sympathetic, empathetic, and will speak words of healing and comfort to you as you pass through the fire, the rain, the storm? Such persons are invaluable to have as friends.

Listening ears, an encouraging word, a comforting thought—all are priceless rubies when given at the right time. Are you generous in this regard? Can your friends count on you in their time of need? If you give, then you have a right to receive. If you have ever received, then you are obligated to give. Giving or receiving, planting or reaping—everyone is blessed just by participating.

Our resolve then is to build families, communities—humanity. We all do this by starting with one person at a time.

2. The Takers

Be precautious of the takers

First they take your coat

Then they take your house

Next they take your life

For God’s sake don’t let them

Many persons in this world are just outright takers. They take and take and take, and they never stop to think that they can give something in return, or that they can be of some assistance to someone. Are you a taker instead of a giver? All of us need to examine ourselves in this regard.

And what is it that these takers take? They take your things, your possessions. They may outsmart you into giving them things. They may even steal your possessions. They may take your valuables by force, killing you in the process. Why? They love things, and they use people. They have no love for humanity. They have no love for themselves.

We cannot allow them to take our life, that’s for sure. But we still need to reach out to them. Love them from a distance, maybe. Offer them the help they need instead of the help they want. Help them to become the kind of persons that society celebrates.

The next time you run into a taker, be very sure that that taker is not you.

3. Greed

Greed is a sly slithering monster

It creeps inside the heart of the ones

possessing it

Very soon it possesses them

The connotation of greed can be very well-extrapolated from the fable of the dog and the bone. One greedy dog, having a bone in his mouth, saw his reflection in the water. The greedy dog thought, That dog’s bone is bigger than mine. I will jump in and snatch his bone, and then I will have his big bone and mine. He didn’t realize, however, that it was just his reflection that he saw in the water.

He therefore jumped in to snatch the other dog’s bone. To do this, he had to open his mouth. His bone fell to the bottom of the pond. Finally, the greedy dog was wet, without a bone, and ashamed.

So it is with greedy persons—the more they get, the more they want. The more they have, the more they acquire. They hoard things. They may even envy another person because that person has more than they do. And for persons who have less than they, they value less and may even consider them worthless.

Greed is a disease. Please, try not to catch it.

4. Equity

My grandparents and yours slaved

to bake this cake

Why then should you get a whole

half of it

And I one-thousandth of the other half

This just doesn’t make sense to me

Have you ever noticed that those who lead always seem to take and reserve the lion’s share for themselves? And what do we call this—the law of the jungle? The king of the jungle is the lion. Therefore, the lion, by virtue of being king, should receive a thousandfold more than the commoner. Is the law of the jungle the way of the world?

We do not truly build our families and societies like that, you know. Do we? Has the slave become more ruthless and rootless than the master has been? How is it that I, the slave, have become so critical of the master if, in my attitudes and actions, I have turned into the slave-master of my brothers?

Show me a leader who has prepared a feast, then serves and waits on those whom he calls, and I’ll show you a true leader. True, many leaders say, I am the servant of the people. But they fail to live up to those words. One wise person once said, A leader who cannot walk freely among the people whom he leads, is not fit to be their leader.

Are you such a leader? And if you are a leader, then what are you following? Whom do you follow? Where are you leading the people who follow you? Do you know?

Whenever you get the chance to share a cake again, share it in such a way that everyone who comes to the party leaves satisfied.

5. An Open Palm

Having an open palm is a way of life

that only few persons embrace

And yet it is the way to healing

and happiness

and healthy living

I believe at the very core of our daily lives is one of the laws of living, and it is this: the law of giving and receiving. The ones who give learned giving from those who first gave to them. Receiving gifts opens a wellspring of gratitude in the hearts of the recipients. Kindness begets kindness.

The very act of giving on the part of the giver helps to create balance in his life. We give to those less fortunate because we would like them to possess the same quality of life that we enjoy. We give to our loved ones because we would like them to know that we appreciate and love them. We give them our time, our attention, and our valuables to show them how much we love them and value their attention,