EYEING THE NORTH STAR -*- Directions in African-Canadian Literature Edited by George Elliott Clarke M&S CONTENTS Introduction by GEORGE ELLIOTT CLARKE xi AUSTIN CLARKE (1934-) When He Was Free and Young and He Used to Wear Silks 1 GERARD ETIENNE (1936-) Ah My Love Flutters ... 12 It Is Snowing Outside ... 16 from La Pacotille 19 CLAIRE HARRIS (1937-) Where the Sky Is a Pitiful Tent 26 Policeman Cleared in Jaywalking Case 35 FREDERICK WARD (1937-) from Riverlisp 38 Who 43 from Who All Was There 44 Blind Man's Blues 45 Dialogue #1: Mama 47 Dialogue #3: Old Man (to the Squatter) 48 The Death of Lady Susuma 49 OLIVE SENIOR (1941-) All Clear, 1928 52 Swimming in the Ba 'ma Grass 56 PAMELA MORDECAI (1942-) from de Man 63 My sister gets married 71 ALTHEA PRINCE (1945-) Ladies of the Night 74 M. NOURBESE PHILIP (1947-) And Over Every Land and Sea 84 Meditations on the Declension of Beauty by the Girl with the Flying Cheek-bones 93 Commitment to Hardness 95 H. NIGEL THOMAS (1947-) from Spirits in the Dark 99 ARCHIBALD J. CRAIL (1948-) The New Order 111 DIONNE BRAND (1953-) Winter Epigrams 122 / am not that strong woman 122 from Hard Against the Soul 124 Just Rain, Bacolet 125 DANY LAFERRIERE (1953-) from Dining with the Dictator 135 CECIL FOSTER (1955-) The Rum 145 MAKEDA SILVERA (1955-) No Beating Like Dis One 159 Old Habits Die Hard - 169 PAUL TIYAMBE ZELEZA (1955-) The Rocking Chair 171 ANDRE ALEXIS (1957-) Despair: Five Stories of Ottawa 181 DIANA BRAITHWAITE (1957-) from Martha and Elvira 195 LAWRENCE HILL (1957-) from Some Great Thing 207 GEORGE ELLIOTT CLARKE (I960-) Poems 220 DAVID N. ODHIAMBO (1965-) LIP 233 SUZETTE MAYR (1967-) from Moon Honey 246 Glossary 254 About the Contributors 256 Acknowledgements 263.