Dominica is a special place, with nature all around
Where waterfalls are plentiful, so soothing is their sound
Massive trees with buttress roots tower up to the sky
Before spreading out their canopy to shade us from on high
The forest that surrounds us is every shade of green
With blossoms adding colour, this is an artist’s dream
Zel-mouche on the forest floor, heliconia leaves reach up
Sweet nectar from their splendid flowers, the hummingbirds will sup
Parrots fly above us, they flit from tree to tree
Whilst foraging for forest fruit, squawking noisily
Agouties scour the forest floor, rummaging for food
Whilst manicou sleep in the trees, at night’s when they come good
Bromeliads and orchids decorate the trees
Collecting moisture from the air, you can feel the forest breathe
A stick insect you may observe, if your eyes are keen
Or mullet swimming happily in a nearby stream
Tree lizards are a common sight, they call them Zandoli
When males stick out their orange bib, that is a sight to see
Abolos are larger, the ground is their domain
They like to chase each other, the speed they move’s insane
Green and grey iguanas, look from a bygone time
Prehistoric in appearance, on our crops they like to dine
Whist geckos cream with rounded toes, patrol our walls at night
Their dark eyes sharp, a moth they spot, then quickly pounce and bite
Gliding through the undergrowth the grass snake wends its way
Looking for a cricket or a bug on which to prey
Boas are enormous and in many trigger fear
But in fact they are quite harmless, that’s the reality
Herons stalk the rivers, seeking crabs on which to dine.
Whilst titiwi the shallows climb, thousands in a line
The cackling that you may hear, a kingfisher is there
Or that distant note so haunting, from the lonely solitaire
As the day begins to warm, the frigate birds appear
Rising on the thermals, circling far and near
Pelicans glide just offshore, where abound young fish
Then suddenly they plunge and splash to catch a tasty dish
Butterflies are all around, to watch them is such fun
Their wings spread out like solar cells, harvesting the sun
When perched upon a pretty flower, feeding looks quite hard
To reach that tasty nectar, their tongues curl out so far
Sunsets are a wondrous sight, there are no two alike
Descending o’er the ocean, taking with it our daylight
When the skyline has no clouds, we look for the green flash
A golden yellow shrinking spot, turns green, then quick, it’s past
The sky begins to darken, the birds all go to roost
To be replaced by flying mice, which also have a use
Those radar ears of bats detect the sound of tiny wings
They hoover up mosquitoes, devour those pesky things
With air so clear the evening sky becomes a glorious sight
A million stars are there to see, twinkling so bright
The constellations can be seen, bright is Orion’s belt
A shooting star, that streak of light, a meteorite doth melt
A spot of light is moving fast, it is a satellite
And when the moon is overhead, it’s almost like daylight
Flashing lights of green and red, a plane is on its way
Bringing tourists from afar, to enjoy a sunny stay
When sun and earth and moon align, there is a shadow cast
The moon blocks out the sunshine, light dims until its past
Or when the shadow of the earth is cast upon the moon
In full, its colour changes, just like a red balloon
The moon above the ocean sends a thousand shards of light
Reflecting on a rippled sea, the waves they dance so bright
Then there’s the nighttime chorus, cicadas on the trees
The crickets chirp and when it rains, the tweet of frogs sounds sweet
As the night time ebbs away, the cooing doves begin
Distant roosters start to crow, the birds all start to sing
The day begins, the sky is clear, the air it feels so fresh,
It’s time for breakfast, local juice, bananas, pawpaw flesh
Volcanos are our backbone; their peaks reach up so high
So many in one tiny spot, earth’s moving plates are why
Telltale signs are all around, hot springs we so adore
Tiny bubbles like champagne, rise from the ocean floor
Clouds of steam are swirling from the churning boiling lake
Though getting there is quite a hike, it’s an effort all should make
The scenery is splendid, up slopes, ahead we forge
Once back we soak our tired limbs, in the Titou Gorge
At Chaudier the water’s deep, you can high dive from the side
Or enter from the stream above, on nature’s water slide
A Malfin circles in the sky, scouting from above
Its telescopic eyes seek out a lizard or a dove
The long and winding roads traverse our steep topography
And from above, that forest cloak makes them so hard to see
At last we reach a mountain pass, we stop our eyes to feast
The Caribbean Sea lies west, the Atlantic to the east
And in between a landscape, of colour bathed in sun
Our cameras click, we take our snack, the tour has just begun
As we pass through farmland, the workers can be seen
Tending crops of pineapple, bananas or dasheen
Saturday is market day, with fruit and veg piled high
Round vendor’s stalls the public throng, their groceries to buy
Sundays is when friends meet up, on a west coast beach
Or a picnic by the river, there’s always one in easy reach
The fishermen bring in their catch, into a conch they blow
That fish is ready to be sold, it lets the locals know
We see a ferry moving fast, a white tail in its wake
To Guadeloupe or Martinique, its a trip we like to make
And in the ocean waters, whales and dolphin play
A giant turtle comes ashore, in the sand its eggs to lay
Snorkeling is also fun, the western sea is calm
It’s like another world down there, the water’s clear and warm
The western world we left behind, strangers rarely say hello
Here it’s different, greetings flow, almost everywhere you go
Your car might have a problem; you stop to see what’s wrong
Those passing often offer help, its fixed before too long
In abundance talent flows, in music and the arts
When Michele sings it always lifts our spirits and our hearts
Forest scenes are reproduced, on canvas for our walls
In harmony a choir sings, rejuvenates our souls
Carnival is always fun for young and old alike
Steel pans ring out our favourite songs, the music comes alive
The costumes are amazing, queen contestants lead the way
We gaze up at stilt walkers, it’s a colourful array
When Creole time arrives each year, there’s lots to see and do
Fashion shows, Ms Wob Dwiyet, all in madras costume
On Creole Day we all dress up, and go to work that way
Then three nights of live music, go on until next day
Jazz ‘n Creole at Cabrits is a summertime event
Outdoors in the afternoon, the music’s heaven sent
Cannons line the ramparts, at this historic fort
Where in the past the French and English, many battles fought
Sometimes our lives are threatened by the actions of mankind
A hurricane approaches, safe shelter we must find
When it hits the rivers roar, bridges wash away
Roofs blow off and buildings flood, it’s a course we have to stay
Once the weather eases, we assess the aftermath
The damage that we must repair, in the wake of nature’s wrath
Restoring can be costly, we all must toil and sweat
We try to help each other, whilst descending into debt
A year has passed the roads are patched, our power lines restored
The buildings we repaired are now much stronger than before
Despite the climate turmoil that the future holds in store
This paradise is still our home, we couldn’t wish for more
But then the unexpected, a deadly virus strikes
The outside world is falling sick, we’ve never known the likes
Western leaders in a tizz, chasing round like dizzy flies
Unprepared and ill equipped, the blame game now applies
Here we had some common sense, our ports were quickly closed
Strict testing on arrival, and quarantine for most
Our neighbours acted likewise, but soon became blasé
Allowing back the cruise ships, now they’re in a bad way
As I write we flourish still, though patience is the key
The vaccine roll-out’s going well, so soon we should feel free
To throw away our facemasks and once again shake hands
To get a hug from grandma and not avoid our friends
Our leaders they have acted well, its safety first we know
Our health is more important, than tourists in Roseau
For all those wishing from outside, to share our paradise
A week in isolation first, they know that is the price
The time has flown since we moved here, two dozen years ago
The garden trees we planted, it’s been fun to watch them grow
So as I write I can reflect, our lives are surely blessed
Dominica has a special charm, in nature we’re caressed
This planet that we live on, right now is under threat
Beyond our shores eternal growth is the trend we must forget
Our species has to change its ways for our children to survive
The future’s plan we must construct for our planet to revive
A billion years of nature’s way made possible mankind
Diversity’s the key to life, a solution we must find
To overcome the power, that greed and wealth now wield
Requires a total reset, some comforts we must yield
A distant Empire’s in decline, crumbling at the core
Balance needs to be returned, between the rich and poor
A monster of financial might, relies on distant wars
This can only be undone, with democracy restored
We watch this pantomime play out, as the years roll by
From our semi isolation, upon the nature isle
We live our life in harmony, that’s why I pen this rhyme
Dominica, Eden’s best, is paradise sublime
Poem take from following website with author’s permission: https://www.dominica.nu/DominicaSublime.html
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