Nigel Daring

Ras Poetry Nigel Daring

"Ras Poetry" depicts from the mundane experiences of Rastafari to its profound thoughts. Its reasoning captures touchy subjects such as race relations and inequitable societal constructs. It also delineates moral conduct relevant to Rastafari while taking positions which maybe disagreeable to some in the community. All-in-all it demands respect of Rastafari culture. The book starts out reminding the audience of the roots and spread of Rastafari from a lot of outcasts to an international phenomenon. But it's in recognizing that it has reached worldwide dimensions without central authority or constraints that "Ras Poetry" has asserted itself. The book injects traditional values in the scheme of Rastafari's presence, reminding the world that the notion of Rastafari stands for something and shouldn't be used to represent any and everything. It welcomes growth, but also respect for its roots and identity. It doesn't side with those who want to guard Rastafari jealously, keeping it to a limited few. The author views Rastafari's development and spread as positive thrusts, but which must be dealt with in realistic ways such that the core values of Rastafari can be protected. "Ras Poetry" represents one effort to communicate to those interested in Rastafari what the faith/movement/culture is. But while a profound book of poetry that explores Rastafari values as reasoning exercises, it captures them in lifestyle, "livity". One gets to view Rastafari in action through some of the works here. "Cooking", "Football", "By the River", and "Higgler on the Hustle" are a few such poems looking at daily life, work and play. The sense emerges of people with dreams and strong principles, people capable of life just like any other people, people who enjoy themselves as well as strive like any other. In a sense this book normalizes Rastafari while still projecting it as revolutionary. The balance between these dimensions will have to be negotiated constantly as the world changes and as Rastafari reaches new domains. The author's wish is that it never undoes itself while spreading. The hope is that its essence can be maintained and always be meaningful.