The Poetry of Tara Abrahams-Clivio

I was highly amused when Mrs. Clivio, mother of 5, let on that she had actually studied journalism in the United States. Apparently, the Jamaica Observer is letting her write this column as a hobby. Her husband (photo removed at Mrs. Clivio's request) is Roberto Clivio. He is a Harvard graduate, and managing director of West Indies Home Contractors Infrastructure Limited.

Nice choice of wife, Roberto. She's obsessed with exercising and belongs to the good looking "Mona dam set". The set is comprised of quite a few influential people, considering that a Russian go-go dancer was trying to get her work permit renewed by jogging topless at the dam.



Back to Mrs. Clivio. It's good that she exercises regularly. Women should take better care of their bodies, especially after having 5 children. However, I should note that for a woman who describes herself as a "upper St. Andrew woman" (what the hell does that mean?) she lacks a sense of sophistication. Probably that's because sophistication and true beauty demand a keen intellect, and a self-awareness that she doesn't have. If she were a real upper middle class woman, she wouldn't be on the bus in London dragging her young baby with her. I know she would never be caught dead taking the bus in Jamaica because it would bring her too close to her true heritage. Again, she's literate, but not very sensible.

Before exhibiting her literature, I note Mrs. Clivio's comments on racism and feminism. I might be mistaken, but I think she believes it's appropriate to discuss dark-skinned people as "black", while ignoring the fact that she herself is of African heritage. See the image of her father below. Unless he reverse permed his hair, I would say that that is a black man. I wonder if Mrs. Clivio realises that she is also black? I note here that she is referring to blacks as "dark-skinned people" and not as people of African heritage. It's amusing that a black woman like this seeks to align herself with her neighbourhood and to ignore the greater good in the process.



She may also accept chauvinistic behaviour, because her role model is her own husband, who has no qualms about talking to her as if she were a prostitute. Well done, for the daughter of a Rhodes Scholar and influential member of the media.

Racism and chauvinism are two topics I try not to ponder on. I look at successful blacks and note that they very rarely pay much attention to the racial injustices they may have experienced: they quite simply "just get on with it." Likewise, when I ask women who have made achievements in a male-dominated business world if they were ever faced with chauvinism, they usually say yes, but had found a way around any obstacles and had left those chauvinists in the dust. Becoming too preoccupied with your race or your sex and their respective histories can quite simply be a distraction from the business at hand, "getting ahead".

I see, so best way to address racism, is to ignore the problem and deny that it exists instead of confronting it head on. In other words, defending human rights is a waste of time. Okay, I got it. No wonder we still have women in Jamaica bleaching their skin. I can't believe this garbage gets printed.

As for chauvinism, Mrs. Clivio's solution is to ask her husband for his "expert" opinion on the position of women in society. No wonder she is running for her life at the Mona dam every morning.

When I investigated [chauvinism] with my [husband], he explained that men often think "talking to women is a waste of time". Based on the premise that not all men are gay, I suggested that this might limit men's options somewhat, "Oh no, you can always pay for that!" he explained.

I wonder why she bothered to get an education. She's clearly not using it.

The first paragraphs of most of her columns in the Jamaica Observer bear a striking resemblance to each other, and for that matter, to fake, bargain-bin literature. Noteworthy is that the only comment (outside of the Observer) I could find about her writing style referred exclusively to her hot body. Such shallow comments can't be helped. After all, who cares about the quality of her writing as long as her physical features conform to the pre-defined standard?

P.S. - Comment from Tara by E-mail: Found your "rant" by accident and ironically also found your site was linked to the "Bloggers code of ethics" you should read it some time. Without wasting much time I would very much appreciate it if you would please remove photo of one of my three children from your blog.

Tara Clivio

P.P.S. - This is by far the most intelligent comment I've received so far on this blog. Of course I read the Blogger's Code of Ethics, [expletive deleted]. Did you read my disclaimer? Perhaps you should see the Wizard for some "brains", like the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz.

Tara's Poetry

So there I was driving "over the hill" to get home after a long day's work. It was already dark and as my small hatch-back car hooted up the hill I began to realise that something was not right: I had a flat. I pulled over to the side of the road and thought about what to do. It had become dark and although I knew I could, I really did not feel like changing my tyre. I picked up my first cellular phone, the kind you rented from Cable and Wireless, and called my big brother, who was always there for me in my times of need. Surely, he would again come to my rescue.

April 21, 2005


Time stood still for a terrible moment. There I was standing in the fourth form corridor, in my hands was a bucket, coming out of the bucket was a large splash of water, and in front of me was my physics teacher. If I could have, I would have pulled the water back into the bucket but it was too late. I almost could not believe what I had done. I had gone too far. The water hit the teacher solidly. He stood before me with his drenched shirt and the jokes we had been sharing all seemed to evaporate. I knew I was, as they say, "up a creek"!

May 5, 2005


It was slightly awkward. A small-bodied upper St Andrew woman [herself] in white capris and bright green shirt with green ballet slippers to match; approaching her was a large black woman, complete with a scar on her face and a well-worn and torn orange shirt. The robust woman was gyrating and having a whale of a time. "You having a good time?" I asked with my best "please don't stab me" face. As she reluctantly turned to me she spoke enthusiastically in authentic Jamaican. Only problem is, I have no idea what she said!

June 2, 2005

The phone rang. It was a frustrated neighbour reporting that my "adopted" dog was on the street again. It was embarrassing, to say the least, that there have been repeated incidents with my dogs getting out - a carelessness that has cost me dearly.

June 16, 2005


"Hey, Bolt and Wignall, the colt and the signal, the Beckford jumped over the moon, the little Veronica laughed to see such sport and the Asafa ran away with the record".

June 23, 2005


There was little doubt in my mind that she would grow up to be prime minister. She introduced herself with great confidence, stressing all of the five syllables of her name with such clarity and enthusiasm that it was not a name you would easily forget. Her personality matched her name; slightly larger than life and exuding confidence and enthusiasm.

June 30, 2005


Global warming was something environmentalists worried about, discussed on the Discovery Channel and the rest of us thought of as another one of those scientific theories that might well change in a few years. Yet chances are that if you have stepped outside in the last few days, you may well believe in global warming.

July 28, 2005


On hearing I was Jamaican a woman quickly says, "I'm planning to migrate to Barbados." The comment took me by surprise. After all I was in London, the place where West Indians have traditionally flocked to, not vice versa. I raise my eyebrows at this Englishwoman and ask, "Why?" In the Queen's English she informs me that Barbados has one of the highest literacy rates in the world, and that by comparison the English education system is a disaster, not to mention the health system, and she concludes that England is going down the drain.

August 18, 2005