Our feet

Time to get ourselves super ready. 

Let’s talk about our feet.

Up country, in St. Ann, Jamaica, I walked barefoot everywhere, except to school or when going out. 

I hopped over rocks. 

Climbed our tangerine tree with my brothers, and friends, invited to spend their days with us to eat fruit, and share stories, while taking turns on the swing underneath.

Walked through streams, puddles, and squishy mud. 

Rode our donkey home from dad’s farm nearby. 

Shelled peas with my mum for our Saturday soups.

Picked limes to squeeze over iced-cold drinks. 

Visited the caves at the back of our yard.

Tickled crabs and fish in the river.

Jumped off mini waterfalls into the deep below.

All barefoot.

I was mostly barefoot until age 13, when I emigrated. 

I ran up and down the hill, barefoot.

I walked on grass, dirt, and gravelly stones, barefoot.

I walked on wet and dry crunchy leaves, barefoot. 

Laughing with arms outstretched, I sat at the front of our speeding cart heading to the river, with my brothers, and friends, Omar, and Ricky, to drink spring water and cool off in our local waterfall, barefoot. 

I ate sugarcane, oranges, grapefruit, jackfruit, jelly coconuts, cherries, papaya, mangoes, star apples, guavas, bananas, avocados, plantain, soursop, pineapples, passion fruit, off the trees and vines in our kitchen garden surrounding our little blue house on the hill, barefoot. 

I dodged snakes, creepy crawlies, and jumping frogs, on the way to the woodland for another adventure with my slingshot and our dogs Pluto, and Browny, barefoot.

I cuddled our cats, piggy-wiggies, pet chicken, Helen, and the neighbour’s goat, barefoot.

I played Hopscotch, Jacks, Stucky, and cricket with our friends down by the churchyard, barefoot.

And I visited the local farmers with best friends, Solomie, and Andrea, spending time picking wildflowers and eating our way through their seasonal fruit and veg, all of us barefoot.

In England, barefoot on wooden floorboards is totally different.

Walking barefoot on warm rocks up country is our superpower.

Having that back, thanks. 

Best wishes,

Kenisha (her / us)

Sherry-Ann Collins

Sherry Collins 

Jamaican Freedom Fighter

Fighting for the creative freedom of the Jamaican peopledem.™

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