October 28, 2025, Melissa roll een—
category 5
a true Goliath, full a noise an’ might
breeze a tear dun tree
sea a climb ova hill
she come wid a hundred-eighty-five mile a hour win’
pressure low like she mean fi mash up everyting

But she never know bout Jah-mek-yah
dat Ja-mai-ca is more dan a place pan a map
it’s a pulse, a community, a people weh she couldn’t stop
an when she roar
she wake up all a wi worldwide
from Bronx to London tide

She never know wi bigga dan har storm—
dat when wi unite, wi turn grief inna form
an’ show di worl’ weh it really mean
to be JamaiCAN

Wi aguh pick up di piece dem—
bit by bit, brick by brick
fram yard to lane, from mountain to sea
Melissa wake up all a we
an’ we aguh move togedda like one family

From di likkle one dem a sweep di yard
to di elder a patch roof wid nail an’ hamma
every han’ pon deck
every heart a beat—
yeh man, wi still deh yah

Di breeze try fi ben’ wi
di rain nuh try fi drown wi
but wi—wi aguh build back betta from storm an’ rain
wi aguh sing again louda dan di soun’ a pain
but
resilience nuh mean we fi walk alone
so sah
even di mightiest tree
need support jus’ like we

So yeh, wi proud—
but pride cyan pour concrete
Yeh, wi strong—
but strent still need sleep fe keep
Even tallawah need a han’ fi lif’ when troubles come heavy an’ penetrate deep

Wi likkle—but wi tallawah
Wi batta—but wi beautiful still
Wi shaken—but wi nuh bruk
Wi hurt—but wi a guh ‘eal

Fram Black River to deep inna St. James Parish
wi aguh rise again like mawnin’ sun pan Blue Mountain hill, we cherish
wi not jus’ survivin’, but wi revivin’—
wid one heart, one love, one will

So when di worl’ look pon wi
mek we tell dem clear an’ true
fram de diaspora to de yawd crew
T’ough we batta an’ bruise
We are JamaiCAN—
so we CAN rise again
Stronga. Betta. Jamaica!💚🖤💛

Afterword: Why I Write in Patois

I was intentional in using patois to write this tribute poem because some pain refuses translation. The pain of watching the land that shaped you being whipped out of shape by forces beyond human control can’t live comfortably in borrowed language. It has to be spoken in the tongue that raised you, the voice that knows your cadence, your memory, your silence.

Patois understands my inner being. It carries the weight, the humor, the ache, the defiance. It translates not just what happened, but how it felt. It connects me to every other Jamaican—whether in the diaspora or at home—as we collectively felt the trauma inflicted on our homeland and our people. When I speak in patois, I am not performing culture — I am returning home. To my people. To my roots. To the land that made me.

Some grief is only fluent in the language of home.

SUPPORT JAMAICA REBUILD

If you’re able to support Jamaica’s recovery, the government has set up a site to coordinate all support coming to our beautiful island. We are grateful for all the countries, organizations, individuals, charities etc. that have come to our aid. We’re eternally grateful. 

• Click to visit the site Government of Jamaica Hurricane Melissa Relief

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Images: various sites

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In creative solidarity, Dee