Poet Mervyn Morris in 1977. - File

When Mervyn Morris turned on the crutches supporting him to face the gathering at Poets' Corner, Hope Gardens, St Andrew, on Sunday afternoon, he immediately thanked the Dub Traffickers "for a very generous honouring of me today".

That "generous honouring" had been done in dramatic, poetic fashion, as the Dub Traffickers honoured Morris as this year's 'Poetic Pioneer', adding him to a list which includes Michael Parchment, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, The Gleaner Company, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, the Institute of Jamaica and Tastee Limited.

Teacher, critic and mentor

Morris was "lauded for his contribution to the development of dub poetry, dialect and poetry in Jamaica since Independence as a poet, teacher, critic and mentor".

Using drumming accom-paniment, members of Dub Traffickers dramatised a synopsis of Morris' life and literary contribution, including his opinion on Miss Lou ("I believe it is time we took Louise Bennett more seriously."). Morris' poetry was woven into the text on his life, Rass Rodd reading The Day My Father Died from the 1973 collection The Pond.

Morris, who said he was very pleased with the Dub Traffickers presentation, pointed out that he was not a blanket supporter of dub poetry, although he was a supporter of some dub poets. "It is more important to honour talent where we find it, rather than push for special recognition of any one group or artistic activity," Morris said.

Incarcerated poet

He said that his exploration of dub poetry "connects very closely with Oku Onura", the afternoon's guest speaker. Morris said he encountered Onura through Leonie Forbes, who asked him to look at the then incarcerated poet's writing. "I was very pleased with what I saw," Morris said. Forbes encouraged Morris to visit Onura in prison and "Oku received me with appropriate suspicion initially."

Morris

Morris pointed out that he wasn't Onura's only support, Barbara Gloudon being one of the others who also helped, as did Fred Hickling and John Maxwell, with poet Mikey Smith.

A hugely successful reading was put on at the library, which led to the publishing of a book and Onuraeventually was allowed to attend the Edna Manley College, where he came into contact with Dennis Scott.

"I was a grateful learner from Oku. He was the one who started defining what he was doing," Morris said. "Oku was my window into that particular world and someone for whom I have retained respect and fondness."

Morris encouraged writers not to "close off sources of inspiration and to draw on the widest possible sources they are aware of." He read Third World Blues from the posthumous Dennis Scott collection After Image and closed with Advisory, which urged "don't let them lock you een".

Escaped police custody

A number of Dub Traffickers' members and other poets performed before Onura spoke.

After speaking about Morris' academic career, Onura said, "I don't know Mervyn the academic, the professor. I know Mervyn as a friend."

Onura said that when he had escaped police custody before his incarceration, one of the places he hid was in the vicinity of Poets' Corner, as well as Castleton Gardens.

"I met Mervyn in hell - prison, that is," he said. At that point in his life, he said, "I needed that facilitator, that medium to move on, to transcend. When I met Mervyn him never 'pop no style'."

Onura said if one knew Morris, "you must know his kindness", going on to mention his dignity and truthfulness.

"Mervyn was like a brother. Never was he the professor, this educated person, this big, imposing poet. Pioneers don't just blaze trails, they assist others," Onura said.