- Volume 4 -
A collection of verse
by
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Dedication:
To Daniel
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FORWARD
By Arman Sicova, editor for I-Magine Publications
‘Sandals’ is a unique trek into innermost thought. Imagery of footwear along a seacoast, the sea and perhaps that of a nomad prevail throughout this work. There is a Caribbean flavor to be found here, as Dahni shares entries born out of his experiences while upon the island country of Jamaica. Thus far and sure to continue, Dahni’s style as seen in his collections, is theme-based. Generally the first poem or one found within the collection bares the same name as the title. In reading many books over the years and particularly works of poetry, Dahni noted that the titles of such works seemed to have no association with the individual poems. “Once I read a book of poetry that used the word watermelon in its title. Hungry for the fruit from this one reference, I was sorely disappointed not to have found any watermelon in the entire book.” Dahni Dahni decided early on to write his works with titles and individual poems which are associated with one another. “If I am going to title something about watermelon, there had better be watermelon (a lot of it), in the contents!” Dahni ‘Sandals’ is a clear example of this promise. Language is used not just to communicate information, but emotion as well. Words chosen and well placed may also lead to a ‘transformation’ of our thought, spilling over the sides of the boat of our souls. Imagery is of great importance in language, as it enables us to understand, to focus, and it especially allows us to more easily recall the information. Dahni with his theme titles associated with many of the individual poems, make nearly a completed circle. He tells us the readers what he is going to tell us. Then he tells us by imagery and with often a story-like format. His conclusions bind the sum together by telling us what he told us. This pattern is seen from the title and the first poem ‘Sandals,’ all the way through until the end of this collection with, ‘Naked and Free.’ The word sandals allow our imagination to flow. Perhaps you have walked along the beach at sunrise or sunset, clad in with this familiar footwear? From one word we can see sand and footprints left, rolling seas and perhaps birds overhead. We can hear the sound of water and feel its mists and sprays upon our face and spilling over the sandals upon our feet or the boats of our souls. Sand upon the beach is very interesting. The sea has made this beach which is soft beneath our feet. Held to a microscope, each polished grain remains jagged and contain rough edges. This same soft sand that touch our toes over time will wear off the calluses of our feet. The poem ‘Sandals’ show comparison among different kinds of feet or the will portion of the human mind, which cause us to move from place to place. In the poem ‘Jamaica Mistake-ah,’ we find Dahni in such a ‘place. Dahni had been an investigative reporter and feature writer for a regional newspaper. During that time he was invited to Jamaica by another magazine in Kingston, the capitol of Jamaica. This was a hired position whereby Dahni would write freelance, contributions with an America perspective. The magazine would reimburse travel costs, but to show his commitment, Dahni had to first get to Jamaica on his own. On Jamaica there are two airports, one in Kingston and the other at Montego Bay, made famous by the singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffe. For this reason, Dahni chose this airport. The trip was planned ‘off season’ for cost considerations and to avoid any possible hurricanes. Dahni’s intentions were to explore the area prior to taking his position at the magazine in Kingston. Jamaica has a rich history of fame and fortune, poverty and misfortune. It was the first Caribbean country to open its doors to tourism. Its first governor was Captain Morgan, himself an infamous pirate. The late Errol Flynn is credited with both a rise in the popularity of Jamaica as a destination and the invention of rafting as a sport. Sugar cane farmers would lash the cane poles together then float them down river(s), to refineries in the south such as Ocho Rios. Errol Flynn saw this as a great opportunity and invited many others stars of stage and screen to take rafting trips. The island country exploded. The Queen of England has a home in the area as does Elton John, the Rolling Stones and many others. Dahni fell in love with the Jamaican people. He found their demeanor for the post part to be sweet and gentle. This slow paced lifestyle Dahni attributed to their nature and upbringing, perhaps the heat of the tropics and centuries of exploitation of its resources and people by nations all over the globe. During his stay at Ocho Rios, Dahni never made it once to the beach. There was only one day in which it did not rain, but even then, the skies were overcast. When it became time for him to check in with the magazine, virtually no one in the area would take him to Kingston. “No, Mon,’ no take you to Kingston,” was heard on numerous occasions. People were afraid of Kingston, going there mostly out of necessity. Only some important event as a funeral would cause most to make take the eighty mile trip. Even though Kingston is the capitol, it is also home to some of the most feared gangs (posses), in the entire world. Dahni did at last find one cab driver which promised to take him to Kingston. The trip was supposed to cost only about $20.00 in American currency. The driver asked permission to pickup another driver which was purported to be his relief. In less than twenty minutes, lost in unfamiliar territory to him, Dahni found himself squeezed between two burly Jamaican men in the backseat of a very small compact car with the driver and another stranger in the front seat. For $100.00 American, Dahni was let out of the cab, miles from where the trip began, but he never made it to Kingston. He found piracy alive and well on Jamaica. After deciding to return to the United States, his remaining day was spent inside a motel room watching a movie. He had been deceived not only by the cab driver, but the magazine he was to work for in Kingston, intended to cover up secret deals with Cuba. Although no sanctions existed among Caribbean countries, they were imposed on Cuba by the United States. The magazine thought to hide their true motivation by having an American citizen draw attention away from them. Dahni spent his remaining hours in waiting for the time to depart from the airport. The weather outside the motel room was fierce. He could hear and feel the effects of the howling winds inside his room. It was ironic that the movie he watched was filmed in Jamaica (Negril), and showed the paradise surroundings that Jamaica was known for and attracted people to. This was the origin of the title, ‘Jamaica Mistake-ah.’ This entire collection (‘Sandals’) is rich with flavor of the sea. Entries as ‘Ballast’ and ‘Sextant’ are nautical terms. The latter poem in its language and repetition of sounds actually make one imagine, hear and feel the waves of the sea. There are many simple poems here, just for enjoyment such as, ‘Drippy,’ and ‘Searching for Snow White’. Others provoke thought and may require a dictionary or some knowledge of literary history. The acts of looking up a word or some history are themselves adventures. This entire collection is an enjoyable adventure in part due to the imagery, language used and experiences Dahni shares with us, but more so in the imagination it inspires within our own unique selves. May our ‘Sandals’ of adventure and our journeys to understand, never cease or wear out. 
Arman
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* This symbol indicates that these poems are featured on this website
Titles
*1. Sandals *2. Jamaica Mistake-ah *3. Ballast 4. Dop Doing Dat 5. Hybrid 6. Star of the Show 7. Pest 8. Walkabout 9. Three Strings 10. Green Sheets 11. Bud 12. Nicotine & Caffeine *13. The rape of Mêsôl 14. Beautiful Women 15. Coo Loosed 16. Dishwasher *17. Communing with the amused muse? 18. Balloon on a string 19. That dog won't hunt *20. Sextant *21. Beating Heart or fleeting thought 22. Breath Savers 23. Moist 24. Amuck 25. If *26. Drippy 27. freak show 28. If I could *29. Searching for Snow White 30. Full Contact *31. Ducks in the cemetery 32. Janet 33. The Box and the Silent Wave 34. forty-something 35. Two-faced twelve face 36. Got to Take it Easy' Män 37. Naked & Free Sandals A collection of verse by Dahni Copyright © 1997 by Dahni & I-MAGINE PUBLICATIONS revised 2nd printing 2006 All rights reserved. Published in the United States by I-Magine Publications, Rochester, NY 14612. No part of this book may be used in any manner whatsoever without written permission by both the author and the publisher except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. ________________________________________________________________________
OPEN Soon of 2012
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