: The poem claims to be "copied from" diverse sources—the Bible, prayer books, the New York Times, and even CIA/KGB files—to show its relevance to all facets of human life and surveillance.
: "Dis Poem" is a prime example of dub poetry, which prioritizes orality over traditional European literary rules. It uses Jamaican Patois, lacks standard punctuation, and is meant to be performed to a reggae-inspired beat.
: Mutabaruka explicitly states that "dis poem is still not written" because it is a part of an ongoing, untold story that continues in the listener's mind. Dis Poem
Rather than telling a linear story about characters, "Dis Poem" tells the story of .
: It invokes a pantheon of revolutionary figures, including Malcolm X , Marcus Garvey , Patrice Lumumba , Jomo Kenyatta , and Haile Selassie . : The poem claims to be "copied from"
is the most famous work by the renowned Jamaican Rastafari dub poet Mutabaruka . First released in 1986, the poem is a powerful, rhythmic critique of historical and systemic oppression, designed to be heard and felt as much as understood. The Narrative of "Dis Poem"
Watch Mutabaruka deliver his iconic, high-energy performance of 'Dis Poem' on HBO's Def Poetry Jam: Def Poetry: Mutabaruka- Dis Poem (Official Video) Poetical Tv YouTube• Mar 16, 2010 MUTABARUKA | DIS POEM : Mutabaruka explicitly states that "dis poem is
: It begins by addressing the "wretched sea" that brought slave ships to Caribbean shores and the cries of mothers for their children lost to that sea.