The Seal of My Soul

By General Smiley

Right after I graduated high school I volunteered to do the national youth service as a teacher, teaching in a service called ” into the light “ or “ Jamal “ this was an adult learning program then so I was teaching adults some of the subjects I learned in high school.
I was doing this for a while before I realized the restrictions of the curriculum, I found out that there were not much I could expand on because of the time given to do so and I felt frustrated and clustered inside because there were so much more I wanted to say and that was when I started jotting down the way I felt and some things I wanted to say.
When I go home in the evenings I would think a lot about what I wanted to say to the people but can’t.
I kept this inside for two years, the time required to fulfill that voluntary services but just before my time was up the ministry of education sent me an invitation to attend teacher’s college tuition free but I turned it down and went on to study book keeping and accounting instead at the Jamaica Commercial Institute, so while going to school I formed a club so we could promote social events inside the school among the classes and that was when I started reciting some of the poems I was writing as lyrics to songs.
Ultimately after years of writing and performing some of these writings and the encouragement of some of my producers and life on a whole keep changing I decided to publish these poetry to share with the world my more that I’ve always wanted and still do want to say.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669801214

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by General Smiley.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 11/23/2021

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Contents

Afro

Aim, Goal, Plan

All I Want To Be

Allow Me

Ancient Character

Best In Life

Blackness Awareness

Blessed Be The Youth

Blessings

Can’t Stop

Certain People

Covid-19

Cry no more

Daybreak

Excellence

False witness

Fighting back

Finally

Freedom train

Frighten them

Give the children a helping hand

Going all out

Got to get away

Hail Ras Tafari

Haters paradise—i can’t breathe

Here I am

Here we go again

Hold on

How are you doing

Ummm

I wish

It’s going to get better

Kingston 13

Let it go

Let the children be blessed

Life manifests in moments

Love

Lovely

Mama Africa

Mama, pray

Memories

Mind’s eye

Moving up nicely

My miracle

National disaster

Natty natty

Needless to say

Nice nice

Nothing in life is easy

Oh, mama

One big ghetto

One man

Over that

Pi-pi city

Play my cards right

Points in life

Progress

Queen of the minstrels

Raise the bar

Rasta disciple

Red, green, and gold

Rome

Row, mr. Fisherman

Royal empress

Said and done

School them

Sick and tired

Sometimes

Stages

Sweet potato and dumpling

Take it easy

Take it from here

Thank you, Jah

The seal of my soul

The concrete jungle

The ghetto man

The higher one told me

The love

The og smiley

The psalm

The system

Come away

There goes another friend

They’re wolves

This love

This place

This road I travel

Those and these

Times change

Too much confusion

Universal consciousness

Up to here

Vegetarian

Wake up to the real

Want to go home

We’re not strangers

What a joy

What a life

When we’re up

Who is a friend

Work it out

You have to know

AFRO

Hey Afro

There you go

Swaying with the wind

Afro

I see you growing in the rain

Hey, Afro

There you go

Blooming in the sun

Many are called

You are the chosen

Hey, Afro

There you go

Swaying with the wind

Afro

I see you growing in the rain

Hey, Afro

There you go

Blooming in the sun

Many are called

You are the chosen

Just after their patrician

Feast

You shall be released

From the grips

Of the beast

Ardent messanger

Of the prince of peace

Blessed anointed

Face to the east

This redemption

This vibration

Elders set the stage

And build the foundation

Like a buffalo soldier

In a western land

Weather all storms

Through the preparation

The knowledge

And the wisdom

Ready to pass on

Mama Africa awaits

Young, gifted, and strong

My Lord

This is the junction

There’s no shortcut

To your destination

This function

This jubilation

Elders set the stage

For the celebration

Even by the rivers

Set the punctuation

Break down barriers

Elevate the bandstand

Through the hustle

And the bustle

Of the metropolitan

Read all the signs

Erase the fiction

Set the precedence

So you take the stand

My Lord

After all is said and done

You shall stand out

Like the rising sun

Full strength

Tower of wisdom

Stick out like a sore thumb

Blessed, anointed

Step to your kingdom

Hey, Afro

There you go

Swaying with the wind

Afro

I see you growing in the rain

Hey, Afro

There you go

Blooming in the sun

Many are called

You are the chosen

Hey, Afro

There you go

Swaying with the wind

Afro

I see you growing in the rain

Hey, Afro

There you go

Blooming in the sun

Many are called

You are the chosen

ErrolBennett

AIM, GOAL, PLAN

Look, and you will see

A lot of things gone wrong

Greatest fear

Too many religions

Worst nightmare

The politicians

They

Put poor people in competition

Raise

The price of our education

Fighting for fame

Likewise promotion

They take a set

On the ghetto youth

Taking a set on the ghetto

Yow

Whole heap of noise but

The good get so few

So syndicated and

A part of the crew

Bandwagonist in the venue

Busy like a bee but

Nothing comes through

Busy like a bee but nothing

Comes through

But the old

Is the foundation for the new

Come through the lane

Before you hit the

Avenue

How

Are you going to know

Where you’re going

If you don’t know where

You’re coming from

How are you going to know

What you’re doing

If you don’t

Have a goal, an aim, and a plan

Aim, a goal, a plan

How

Are you going to know where

You’re going

If you don’t know where

You’re coming from

How are you going to know what you’re doing

If you don’t have

A goal, an aim, and a plan

Aim, a goal, a plan

Aim, a goal, a plan

Aim, a goal, a plan

Aim, a goal, a plan

Remember

Experience teaches wisdom

Man

Should have some knowledge

Of where he comes from

To know where

He is going and where he

Belongs

What is he doing here

And where does he stand

In the valley of the place

Where we can’t

Sing our song

Not even

One from king alpha

Not even one from

King solomon

Man

Supposed to practice

That what they preach

Ambition

In tradition is

The higher man reach

Repatriation

Is what marcus teach

Exodus is a must

Bob marley released

Zion in a vision

Is what garnett silk sings

Stretching forth his right hand

It’s like a family reunion

Representing the kingston thirteen

Here i step it up on the scene

This is no accident

If you know what i mean

Here to get things straight

And get things clean

Too many youth, man

Walking lean

Because they’re unaware

You know they’re not too keen

About their existence as human beings

They ride the white horse to go trample

The green

This time i want you all to follow

Lift your voice and shout

For honor

Hold up your hand and wave

Your bandana

Out of respect

For all the youth on the corner

Speaking both

Masculine and feminine gender

The youth

They fight

Like a buffalo soldier

Youth

They arise

From sleep and slumber

Errol bennett

ALL I WANT TO BE

All I want to be is

Just who I am

All I want to be is

Just who I am

Council with the elders

Get the wisdom

Emit the christ

Hunt the freedom

The fire god blaze

As I knock congo drum

In the mystic morn

To the rising sun

All I want to be is

Just who I am

All I want to be is

Just who I am

Ras Tafari

Embedded in my cranium

The reasoning

With the family

Blaze the chillum

Here I chant

The redemption song

Straight

From the cranium

There’s no option

All I want to be is

Just who I am

All I want to be is

Just who I am

Hold on tight

To the foundation

Read all the signs

Get the direction

Stick to the grind

Hold a meditation

All I want to be is

Just who I am

All I want to be is

Just who I am

Look into my eyes

See who I am

Look to the mirror

See what I am

Look to your neighbor

See where I am

Look to your stories

See where am from

All I want to be is

Just who I am

All I want to be is

Just who I am

Each day I rise

To who I am

Blessed be the people

For what I am

Jah love

Vibrate

Keep I strong

I see the light

I will prolong

All I want to be is

Just who I am

All I want to be is

Just who I am

A part of you

That’s who I am

Relish your love

For who I am

All I want to be is

Just who I am

All I want to be is

Just who I am

Here take a part

Of who I am

Take this part

Of who I am

Rise and shine

And sing the same song

On the grind

For the redemption

Hustle and bustle

Through the situation

Reaching out

For an helping hand

Wishing and hoping

The gods understand

All I want to be is

Just who I am