Poems

A student’s motto

When you see my mother leave star,

Worry think mi a go road go par.

Mi afi tek my book and go read,

Nuh girl and nuh boy cant gi mi no weed.

Right now mi wah fi live my dream,

Doing that nuh depend no team.

Di heights by great men reached and kept,

Mi nah waste nuh time and den get lef.

My yute jus listen to mi speech,

Right yah now a teach mi a teach.

Listen keenly to wah mi afi say,

Nuh badda skin up yuh face an tell mi fi gweh.

Education is di key,

Right yah now a it me a pree

Cause later on a it mi a go need.

Look around yuh nuh see di crime,

My yute it sour like lime.

Unuh come mek wi tek a next direction,

Go a school an get wi education.

Beat di books

You know u can’t go wrong,

Come one come all mek wi sing dis a song.

Go a school learn di golden rule,

Right yah now it a di best tool

Get wise and bright nuh tun no fool fool.

Listen to di teacher and do your best,

Do your homework and pass your test.

When you feel good and teacher feel nice,

You will then realise you made the right choice.

- Sonya Harvey

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The voice of rights

When did we lose the right to speak

And not just feel weak

The right to be heard

Whether riding solo or in a herd

The right to not be subdued

But be given what’s overdue

The right to fight for what’s right

Not just for business but in the Humans sight

The right to go toe to toe for a mutual agreement

Come to a humane treatment

The rights to just say “I don’t agree”

Without having to concede

The rights to not just be subordinates despite not equal pays

But help them get through the stressful days

- Makonnen Solomon