Big up Linton Kwesi Johnson!

• CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

One a fi wi top-a-top pouwet an recording artist, Linton Kwesi Johnson (LKJ), get one next big-time honour a England dis ya year. Di Royal Society of Literature invite im fi join fi dem high society. An im accept. So im a 'Fellow'. Dat a no no ordinary kind a fellow. A no common letter 'f'. A capital 'F'. Disya 'Fellow' mean seh di Royal Society tek a stock a di whole heap a work weh LKJ do fi promote black people culture. Im write nuff pouwem an record nuff chune bout life inna England. An di Royal Society see seh a high-quality literature LKJ produce.

A no now dem 'Royal' people a try hug up LKJ. Inna 2011, Misis Queen did waan gi im one OBE, Order of the British Empire. An Linton tell her fi keep i. Im know wa 'Empire' mean. An it no pretty. Linton born a Jamaica inna 1952 an lef go a England inna 1963. An im see fi imself how 'Empire' run tings. Dem have wi inna Jamaica a sing,

Rule, Brittania!

Britannia rule the waves

Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.

Wat a piece a wickedness! Dem try fool wi up, mek wi feel seh wi a 'Britons'. An same time dem foot inna wi neck-back a keep wi down inna mental slavery. A it mek so much a wi did pick up wiself go a England. Time did hard a yard an wi mek up wi mind fi try mek life inna di 'mother country'. But as one a mi friend, Velma Pollard, seh, wi find out seh wi a outside pikni. Wi a no no real-real Briton. Dem expect wi fi do di hard, dutty work weh dem never waan do. An wi dweet: 'Waan good, nose ha fi run.'

One a LKJ well-beknownst poem name Inglan is a Bitch. See one verse ya:

Well, mi dhu day wok an' mi dhu nite wok

mi dhu clean wok an' mi dhu dutty wok

dem seh dat black man is very lazy

but if y'u si how mi wok y'u woulda sey mi crazy

Inglan is a bitch

dere's no escapin it

Inglan is a bitch

y'u bettah face up to it.

FACING REALITY

Linton face up to fi im reality. An im go a university go study sociology. An dat deh knowledge, pon top a weh im done know already, mek im liriks dem more stronger. One a im poem weh mi love a Reggae fi Dada. Im write out im heart fi im puppa:

Mi know yu try dada

yu fite a good fite

but di dice dem did loaded

an di card pack fix

yet still yu reach fifty-six

before yu lose yu leg wicket

'a noh yu bawn grung here'

soh wi bury yu a Stranger's Burying Groun

near to mhum an cousin Daris

nat far fram di quarry

doun a August Town.

Inna 2002, Penguin put out some a LKJ poem dem inna dem 'Modern Classics' selection. Di book name Mi Revalueshanary Fren: Selected Poems. Linton a di ongle black poet pon dat deh label. An all a di odder 'Classics' poet dem dead-dead, except fi Linton an one nedder one. An a nuff more honour im get. Last year, im get one gold pen from English Pen fi "lifetime achievement in literature".

Di ting weh sweet mi, Linton write nuff a im poem dem inna fi wi Jamaican language. An dat naa stop im from get recognition a foreign. An right ya so inna Jamieka, di said same language no got no respect. Jack Mandora, mi no choose none!

• PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

Wan a fi wi tap-a-tap pouwet an rekaadn aatis, Linton Kwesi Johnson (LKJ), get wan neks big-taim ana a Ingglan dis ya ier. Di Royal Society of Literature invait im fi jain fi dem ai sosaiyati. An im aksep. So im a 'Fellow'. Dat a no no aadneri kain a felo. A no kaman leta 'f'. A kyapital 'F'. Disya 'Fellow' miin se di Royal Society tek a stak a di uol iip a wok we LKJ du fi promuot blak piipl kolcha. Im rait nof pouwem an rekaad nof chuun bout laif ina Ingglan. An di Royal Society si se a ai-kwaliti lichricha LKJ projuus.

A no nou dem 'Royal' piipl a chrai og op LKJ. Ina 2011, Misis Queen did waahn gi im wan OBE, Order of the British Empire. An Linton tel ar fi kip i. Im nuo wa 'Empire' miin. An it no priti. Linton baan a Jamieka ina 1952 an lef go a Ingglan ina 1963. An im si fi imself ou 'Empire' ron tingz. Dem av wi ina Jamieka a sing,

Rule, Brittania!

Britannia rule the waves

Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.

Wat a piis a wikidnis! Dem chrai fuul wi op, mek wi fiil se wi a 'Britons'. An siem taim dem fut ina wi nek-bak a kip wi dong ina mental slievri. A it mek sumoch a wi did pik op wiself go a Ingglan. Taim did aad a yaad an wi mek op wi main fi chrai mek laif ina di 'mother country'. Bot az wan a mi fren, Velma Pollard, se, wi fain out se wi a outsaid pikni. Wi a no no riel-riel Briton. Dem ekspek wi fi du di aad, doti wok we dem neva waahn du. An wi dwiit: 'Waahn gud, nuoz av fi ron.'

Wan a LKJ wel-binuonst poem niem Inglan is a Bitch. Si wan vors ya:

Well, mi dhu day wok an' mi dhu nite wok

mi dhu clean wok an' mi dhu dutty wok

dem seh dat black man is very lazy

but if y'u si how mi wok y'u woulda sey mi crazy

Inglan is a bitch

dere's no escapin it

Inglan is a bitch

y'u bettah face up to it.

FACING REALITY

Linton fies op tu fi im riyaliti. An im go a yuunivorsiti go stodi suosialaji. An dat de nalij, pan tap a we im don nuo aredi, mek im liriks dem muor stranga. Wan a im pouwem we mi lov a Reggae fi Dada. Im rait out im aat fi im pupa:

Mi know yu try dada

yu fite a good fite

but di dice dem did loaded

an di card pack fix

yet still yu reach fifty-six

before yu lose yu leg wicket

'a noh yu bawn grung here'

soh wi bury yu a Stranger's Burying Groun

near to mhum an cousin Daris

nat far fram di quarry

doun a August Town.

Ina 2002, Penguin put out som a LKJ pouwem dem ina dem 'Modern Classics' silekshan. Di buk niem, 'Mi Revalueshanary Fren: Selected Poems'. Linton a di ongl blak pouwet pan dat de liebl. An aal a di ada 'Classics' pouwet dem ded-ded, eksep fi Linton an wan neda wan. An a nof muor ana im get. Laas ier, im get wan guol pen fram English Pen fi "lifetime achievement in literature". Di ting we swiit mi, Linton rait nof a im pouwem dem ina fi wi Jamiekan langwij. An dat naa stap im fram get rekagnishan a farin. An rait ya so ina Jamieka, di sed saim langwij no gat nuo rispek. Jak Manduora, mi no chuuz non!

Carolyn Cooper is a professor of literary and cultural studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Visit her bilingual blog at http://carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com.