When the war in Gaza started,
quite a number of Caribbean
people stayed silent.

The war wasn’t close enough. The
Americas were mostly ‘rid of war’
outside of narcotics and border control (US-Mexico border)

Trouble was far enough away from
us.

Now, in 2026, war has met our
largest Caribbean island [Cuba] and the
neighbour [Venezuela] to our largest
CARICOM partner (Guyana) and
largest Antillean country
(Trinidad).

When did we cease to be a place of
refuge and of rebellion? When did
we become comfortable and timid?

Garvey, Sharpe, Nanny must be
unsettled like rolling calf in Bog
Walk.

All this on the backdrop of a wonderful Lost In Time Festival, which I could only enjoy from afar.

There’s a lot of gloom, a lot of what makes interesting cinema. It makes for horrible realities.

But my little rat wheel spins only if I chase the cheese on offer. And there are mouths to feed with my silence.

Can I do anything to shake the coming doom? Am I prepared to survive after the mushrooms?

I can’t help but think that all this turning and turmoil is necessary. Even if I want no part in the suffering nor wish harm to anyone.