She’s a mere 146 miles long and about 51 miles wide
Her impact on the world far outweighs her tiny size

She’s the jewel of the Caribbean, a little piece of paradise
An island washed by the Caribbean Sea a standout beauty is she

Defiant—likkle but tallawah—refusing to be renamed
She bears her indigenous name—Xaymaca—Jamaica, the land we love

First the Spanish then the English sought to colonize
Her children—resistance fighters—battled to keep her African heritage alive

From freedom fighter, Nanny of the Maroons to pan-Africanist Marcus Mosiah Garvey
Her people maintained freedom spirit, fighting always for independence as their natural right

First of the Caribbean isles, she claimed her independence August 6th in ‘62
Today she stands 60 and proud—independent Jamaica—A Nation For Greatness Reigniting

In 60 short-long years her legacy she’s stamped on all the world
No matter where you roam, the black-green-and-gold is somewhere to be found

From music to athletics to innovations and cuisine
Best rest assured, if it’s irie, Jamaica is in its origin

From her rich musical heritage borne through mento to ska to reggae to dancehall
She hails chart toppers from Millie Small’s My Boy Lollipop to Bob Marley’s Get Up, Stand Up

She produces the world’s best coffee to drink and even Koffee that sings
Koffee, the only woman and youngest person a Grammy awarded—what a Rapture she is

The first tropical country to enter the Winter Olympics with the Cool Runnings of her heroic bobsled team
She’s even the first English-speaking Caribbean country to qualify for the World Cup with her soccer team

In the world of track and field—here she simply JAminates
Birthing athletic superstars from Merlene Ottey—world’s indoor 200 meters record holder to Usain Bolt—first man winning gold in 100 and 200 meters in back-to-back Olympics times 3!

She will not be outdone in praises or in rum and even has the Guinness World Record that certifies
She has the most churches and rum bars in the world per square mile, she even boasts in having the world’s most expensive rum

Her ubiquitous cuisine is her forte for sure, distinctive and boonoonoonoos good
Finger-licking cooking techniques, delicious flavors and spices bold

She razzle-dazzles taste buds with curry goat, ackee and saltfish, fried plantains on the side
And once it’s jerk—spiced and grilled meat—it’s simply irresistibly divine

In the world of innovation she will not be outdone
She’s influenced the development of nations ten times her likkle size

She’s home of the first railroad and iron bridge in the Western Hemisphere
So well developed was her telephone system, it was copied by AT&T to start their very own

Unique in every way
She stands out in every crowd

She’s 1 of only 2 countries in the world whose flag bears no common colors with that of the USA
Her native patois spoken in cadences sweet—a distinctive rhythmic tribute to her Afro-ancestry

For high privilege and responsibility of Independence, for bringing us to nationhood
On this her 60th year, we give thanks O God to Thee

Happy 60th Independence to me likkle-big country—JAH-mek-yah 🇯🇲 Jamaica

2022 ©DeeMin All rights reserved

Thank you for journeying along.

Like what you see? Read more here👈 I love hearing from you, so remember to “like” & comment. And subscribe/follow the blog👈 to never miss a post.

In creative solidarity, Dee