31st August 2010
Final Tribute

Last Saturday, amidst all the pomp and reverence we could muster, we laid our Queen of Culture, Dame Marie Selipha Sesenne Descartes to rest in her native Micoud. We interred her body, but her spirit and legacy will remain with us forever.
There are almost no words left to express our sadness, our sorrow at saying farewell to this St. Lucian icon, but we received the following, submitted to us by a reader, that we thought we would publish here, as a final, parting gesture.

Farewell My Rose (A Tribute to Sesene Descartes)
A Distinguished Cultural icon
You stemmed from La Pointe, Micoud
A Rose that flourished so strong
A Queen of Culture
In ruby, vermillion, maroon or scarlet
An excellent folk singer
Your voice reflected the rhythm of a sunset
Depicting the love, life, joy and struggle of a nation