I & I

Original: Sonny's Lettah By: Linton Kwesi Johnson From Brixton Prison, Jebb Avenue London S.W. 2 Inglan Dear mama good day I hope that when these few lines reach you they may find you in the best of health I doun know how to tell ya dis for I did mek a solemn promise to tek care a lickle Jim an try mi bes fi look out fi him mama, I really did try mi bes but none a di less sorry fi tell ya seh, poor lickle Jim get arres it was de miggle a di rush hour hevrybody jus a hustle and a bustle to go home fi dem evenin shower mi an Jim stan up waitin pon a bus not causin no fuss when all of a sudden a police van pull up out jump tree policemen de whole a dem carryin baton dem walk straight up to me and Jim one a dem hold on to Jim seh dem tekin him in Jim tell him fi leggo a him for him nah do nutt'n and 'im nah t'ief, not even a but'n Jim start to wriggle de police start to giggle mama, mek I tell you wa dem do to Jim? mek I tell you wa dem ...

Original: Trench Town Shock By: Valerie Bloom Waia, Miss May, trouble dey yah, Ban yuh belly, Missis, do. Mi Ha' one terrible piece o' news An mi sarry fi sey it consarn yuh. Yuh know yuh secon' or t'ird cousin? Yuh great-aunt Edith Fred? Im pick up imse'f gawn a pickcha show, An police shoot im dead. But a di bwoy own fault yah mah, For im go out o' in way Fi gawn fas' wid police-man, At leas' a soh dem sey. Dem sey im a creep oba di teata fence, Dem halla 'who go deh?' De bwoy dis chap one bad wud mah, At leas' a soh dem sey. De police sey 'tap or we opin fiah'. But yuh know ow di bwoy stay, Im gallop back come attack dem, At leas' a soh dem sey. Still, nutten woulda come from i', But what yuh tink, Miss May? Di bwoy no pull out lang knife mah! At leas' a soh dem sey. Dem try fi aim afta im foot But im head get een di way, Di bullit go 'traight through im brain, At leas' a soh dem sey. Dry yuh yeye, mah, mi know ...

Original: Colonization in Reverse By: Louise Bennett Wat a joyful news, Miss Mattie, I feel like me heart gwine burs' Jamaica people colonizin Englan in reverse. By de hundred, by de t'ousan From country and from town, By de ship load, by de plane-load Jamaica is Englan boun. Dem a-pour out o'Jamaica, Everybody future plan Is fe get a big-time job An settle in de mother lan. What a islan! What a people! Man an woman, old and young Jusa pack dem bag an baggage An tun history upside dung! Some people don't like travel, But fe show dem loyalty Dem all a-open up cheap-fare- To-England agency. An week by week dem shipping off Dem countryman like fire, Fe immigrate an populate De seat o' de Empire. Oonoo see how life is funny Oonoo see de tunabout, Jamaica live fi box bread Outa English people mout'. For wen dem catch a Englan, An start play dem different role, Some will settle down to work An some will settle fe de dole. Jane say de dole is not too bad Bacause dey pa...

Original: Cuss Cuss By: Louise Bennett Gwan gal yuh fava teggereg, Ah wey yuh gwine goh do? Yuh an yuh boogooyagga fren Dem tink me fraid o' yuh? Goh wey, yuh fava heng-pon-nail, Is me yuh want fe trace? Me is jus de one fi teck me han An leggo pon yuh face. Fe me han no jine chu'ch an me naw Pay licen fe me mout', Me wi tell yuh bout yuh--seh yah Gal noh badda get me out. Me noh know is wat kine o' chu'ch Fe yuh mout' coulda jine, Yuh lip dem heng dung lacka wen Mule kean meck up him mine. Gwan, me an yuh noh combolo, Yuh foot shapeless an lang Like smaddy stan far fling dem awn An mack dem heng awn wrang. Fe yuh foot fava capital K, Koo pon yuh two nose-hole! Dem dis big an open out like Miss Tane outsize fish bowl. Goh wey, yuh kean bwile sof egg But still yuh want get ring, Noh man na gwine fe married yuh Wen yuh kean do a ting. Is grudge yuh grudgeful, me kean cook But me ben goh dah good school, Me got intelligency yuh Illiterated fool! Me sorry fe de man ...

Original: Back to Africa   By: Louise Bennett   Back to Africa, Miss Mattie?   Yuh no know what yuh dah seh?   Yuh haffi come from somewhe fus   Before yuh go back deh!   Me know seh dat yuh great great great   Granma was African,   But Mattie, doan yuh great great great   Granpa was Englishman?   Den yuh great granmodder fader   By yuh fader side was jew?   An yuh granpa by yuh modder side   Was Frenchie parlez-vous?   But de balanca a yuh family,   Yuh whole generation,   Oonoo all bawn dung a Bung Grung -  Oonoo all is Jamaican!   Den is weh yuh gwine, Miss Mattie?   'Ow yuh view de countenance,   An between yuh an de Africans  Is great resemblance!   Ascorden to dat,  all dem blue-yeye  w hite American  Who-for great granpa was Englishman   Mus go back to Englan!   What a debil of a dump-an-bore,   Rig-jig an palam-pam   Ef de whole wor...

Original: Noh Lickle Twang By: Louise Bennett me glad fe se's you come back bwoy, But lawd yuh let me dung, Me shame o' yuh soh till all o' Me proudness drop a grung. Yuh mean yuh goh dah 'Merica An spen six whole mont' deh, An come back not a peice betta Dan how yuh did goh weh? Bwoy yuh noh shame? Is soh you come? Afta yuh tan soh lang! Not even lickle language bwoy? Not even little twang? An yuh sista wat work ongle One week wid 'Merican She talk so nice now dat we have De jooce fe undastan? Bwoy yuh couldn't improve yuhself! An yuh get soh much pay? Yuh spen six mont' a foreign, an Come back ugly same way? Not even a drapes trouziz? or A pass de rydim coat? Bwoy not even a golw teet or A gole chain roun yuh t'rout. Suppose me las'rne pass go introjooce Yuh to a stranga As me lamented son wat lately Come from 'Merica! Dem hooda laugh afta me, bwoy Me couldn't tell dem soh! Dem hooda sey me lie, yuh was A-spen time back a Mocho. Noh bac...