My Honest Work by Fr Gary Johnson

My Honest Work

I am an observer here-

it is my pleasure to be such.

To my right, across the expanse below

where the schoolyard rests-

the post office.

Did I mention that we live on the side of a mountain?

We live on a mountainside.

From our back porch, which is actually the roof over two classrooms,

there is another larger expanse, a valley.

The view of the mountains and the clouds above

and below their tops

is breathtaking.

One day the clouds movement and the sunlight

Made it seem if the mountaintops were dancing.

I had to catch my breath and look again…

This mountain,

and the side of which I speak is just north of Kingston, Jamaica.

We live, as you may have guessed, in Above Rocks;

Where morning, afternoon and evening, any time of the day or night

there is always an inviting scene to view.

This makes it easy to do my work, and a pleasure.

I am an observer here.

A poem by Father Gary Johnson who assited here at the Mission from August through December. The mural by Fr Joseph Dorniak.