Poems

Cleaning day, lady

Lawd, mi late again this morning

but it nuh mek a difference though

cause mi sure the missis nuh wake yet

so mi still have to wait outa door.

Tek a look pan di verandah -

dry leaf, dead hibiscus and dirt

she wouldn't even draw the broom

cross it and do a likkle real work.

"Morning Joan, Friday already?"

Is how the missis always greet me

and she know she can't do

without

har loyal cleaning day lady

Har smile is bright and pretty though

a lovely sight in har silk nightie

one ting mi always admire

is miss lady's striking beauty.

Time fi start di washing,

pressing,

dusting, cleaning and the

cooking -

cause miss lady don't lift pot cover,

share har food or turn off the fire.

The grung nuh level, di donkey right

bruk my back fi minimum wage

and fi 50 times my thrupence

the missis don't sweat, don't fret, don't age.

All she do a talk long pan di phone

meet nuff people and fraternise

and collect a salary deh

my mind can only fantasise

ah true man, di grung nuh level

but mi nuh want it level either

cause mi soon fine a nice

genkleman

one like miss lady fool fool

husband.

Cause mi waan di lovely

verandah

a garden with hibiscus flowers

a dresser full a pretty silk

nightie

and a cleaning day lady fi grudge mi

fi all of it!

- Shelly-Ann Harris, from the

collection 'The Goodies on Her Tray'

Reflections

Aedes egypti - gracious hosts

All island party free

As you please night and day -

Garbage, blocked drains already pay.

Dengue, malaria, chikungunya

Typhoid, dysentery and

salmonella,

Welcome influenza, special guest Ebola,

Party hearty, party free!

Rampant rodents take no pay

Their deathly plague hold away!

Outnumbered, petrified cats scurry -

New friends - two lizards on Goat Island!

One-time fogging - just testing;

Hear flies, mosquito coughing,

Watchdogs hide and whine.

Rubbish - sea congested, fishes choking.

Welcome to paradise! Whose imagination-

Open drains overflow, fetid odour overwhelm

Scoot dpt, flies, rats and egyptii,

Find somewhere else to party!

- Chesugicha

Mosquito time

When is football

de people sell flag

from every nation

when is mosquito time

dem sell mosquito repellent

mesh

coil

net

every manner of mosquito box whey

de people tun public health

messengers

they have listened to the news

and made an emergency

response

cleaning drains

telling the 'moss' 'mass' that attracts vermin to quit

- Helen-Ann Elizabeth Wilkinson