Poetry

POEM OF THE WEEK

Chikungunya, a wi a win di war

Lord mi dere, yuh hear bout di chikungunya virus,

It a gwaan bad fi true,

It a lick dung people one by one, an two by two.

Sometimes it even attack every member in a

household.

It a get quite naughty, quite bright an bold.

Di virus a travel up an down, mi surprise fi see

how far it reach.

It want teck over entire school like it come fi teach.

Chik-V will attack anyone, it nuh have respect

fi status,

it nah discriminate,

But it seem like pregnant woman, di elderly an

di young a dem it really hate.

Wi know seh it nuh hardly fatal, but wi nuh

want it anyway,

Dis unwelcome guest, wi don't want 'im fi stay.

Fi mi Aunty Matty have dis advice both fi you

an me.

She seh don't surrender, guh to war against chik-V,

Tell him how wi handle malaria caused by the

female anopheles,

We strangle him an send him bending on 'im knees,

Suh as fah chik-V, an 'im Aedes aegypti,

give im a fine beating, an send 'im home fi cry.

Mi agree wid Aunty Matty, wi gwine prevent

Chik-V from doing 'im ting.

Wi gwine guh all out an wi gwine clip 'im wing.

We can't allow 'im fi slow dung productivity,

We haffi be combative in wi activity.

So guess what, wi nah give dis mosquito

anymore place fi breed,

Wi gwine duh everyting fi wipe 'im out indeed.

So massive clean-up programme,

vector control gwine give him dat final blow.

Wi a guh wear long pants an long-sleeve shirt,

Wi nah even give him time fi flirt.

An wi a teck wi vitamin fi meck wi

immune system strong.

So if 'im tink 'im gwine overpower wi,

A can tell chik-V 'im wrong.

Mi hear seh 'im love profile wid fever,

headache an pain, nausea, vomiting,

an even rash,

But believe mi, wi a prepare fi him

An 'im hope a guh dash.

So chik-V remember dis, try stay far,

Fah wi a guh all out,

an wi a guh win di war.

- Nalda Taylor-Wright

Chick

Chick

just ah teck on 'chick an child':

all when you don't have a chick

nor ah child it still ah reach you

we need to know how much strains it have

is V like from I to V?

with dengue we know sey after

different strain you get immune at least to that one

SOS!

- Helen-Ann Elizabeth Wilkinson

Chick V - What a vicious character

Bwoy dat deh 'chick' romp

ruff

One lick an you pain up from

head to toe,

Can barely walk movements

very slow,

Put yu foot down gently,

Oh dear God, dat hurt,

Haffi hold on pon de rail for

much-needed support,

To get up outta bed is a very

big task,

An to do the least little chore

is more than one could ask,

But guess wha, mi may be

down but mi not out,

For dat's not what di fighting

spirit is all about,

Mi gwan get up an fight back,

At di onslaught of dis vicious

attack,

Wi gwan mobilise di entire

neighbourhood,

An get rid of dis yah 'chick-V' fi good.

- Errington Johnson

Chicken Gun Ya

Mama

Dis yu nuh waan fi hear,

Dem seh chicken dung ya

A fiah big gun bout ya;

Now dis is no joke,

Whether yu a dread

Or yu eat pork,

From Negril to St Thomas,

People a get bite

Dem don't even know.

Today yu deh a work,

Tomorrow pain a lick

Yu blow wow,

Ankle pain,

Knee pain,

Groin and elbow pain

Feva all ova.

Mi hear Harry

'Bwoy, mi a go stop eat

chicken,'

Him neva know

Eating so much chicken,

Could cause an epidemic,

If Harry did a listen

To him TV or radio,

Him woulda know

Is not chicken, but mosquito,

Yes di maaga foot mosquito

dem

Is who bring it dung ya.

Chikungunya is caused

From mosquito bite,

Is suh dem lick shot

Mek nuff big strong man

Tek weh dem self,

When pain hook dem up.

Mi deh ya a wonda

How long it a go tek

Di Government fi move,

Call a state of emergency,

Call out di army,

Curfew di place

And arrest dem gun-toting

mosquitoes.

We coulda ask Uncle Sam

Fi lend wi two droan,

Fi fly ova di country,

Drop engine oil

Inna di breeding sites,

Cause if dis sinting

Get outa han',

Di whole country a go

Stand still,

From a likkle dry foot

Maaga mosquito bite.

- Kenneth Grant

Mommy, you a champion

Mommy, you a me hero

Mommy, you a Champion

Mommy, you a me hero

The greatest woman

On Planet earth

You were a tower of strength

When I was weak

You held my back,

When the world was at war with me

When the girls broke my heart

You had words so smart

Always knowing exactly what to say

How can this debt be ever repaid

Mommy, you a me hero

Mommy, you a Champion

Mommy, you a me hero

The greates woman

On the island

Everytime I needed advice

You were as gentle as a lamb

and as wise as an owl

You always told me the truth

I was never left in the cold

Even when I lied, on many a times

From life's injuries

You were there to doctor and nurse me

That's why

Mommy, you a me hero

Mommy, you a Champion

Mommy, you a me hero

The greates woman

On the island

I would fall in love at times with a dream

You were always there supporting me.

Because of all the love you showed me

From the fire of hate you saved me

That's why Mommy

your my champion.

Champio of the world

The greatest woman

on planet earth.

- Robert Newman

Finding your blue sky

Sometimes all you need is ashoulder on which to cry,

a little help for you to find your blue sky,

a friend of great wishes when you have dark days,

they will try to find what is missing,

there comes a time when you just need a hand,

to find the balance in your conflicting situations.

You cannot continue being a portion of yourself,

make some effort to meet the person reaching out to you with help,

success is better when you endure the pain,

living is a reality, awake from your dream,

you cannot give up on sunshine all because it continues to rain,

never found yourself expecting the road to be completely straight,

life is not prepared for you so be prepared to wait,

always anticipate times to come when the waves are high and the tides are great.

The world is not all sunshine and rainbows,

there comes a time when the path is covered with snow,

you have to be frozen but never break,

lose everything but hold on to the last straw of faith,

you are always able to show persons how great you are,

how the downward trend can propel you far,

when you still stand after sustaining a malevolent fall.

- Emil Simms

The travelling traveller

(Olive Senior - 'Colon Man the Panama Experience')

(South)... I am mesmerised by the concept

of the 'The Travelled Man'.

Man generic ... I receive that meaning ...

the fact is, we are all travellers

Middle passage, triangle, 'trade hubs'

Little parts of me belonging over the region, Costa Rica? Venezuela? Nassau, Bahamas?

handling such genetic logistics makes you belong everywhere and home no where

past and present, we pass through the birth canal

into the canals of life, despite 'spatial' imbalances, hearing lost, disequilibrium, dizzy spells, nausea, travel sickness

with struggle, pain and compromise - fragmented yet one

All travellers we African, Caribbean, Asian, European, multiracial communities

Workers, seekers, speakers.

(West) ... Blended with the 'physical' travelling

is the spiritual near death experience we have here in this life

and the death of those close to us in the journey also gives us new insights into the nature of life

Packed in bots, ships, century after century without name or passport

that must raise us to another life: To live is to do or die

... (north) ... So hence... 'dying to better themselves'

relentless hope, now new toning

dying hair, head, heart, skin, roast breadfruit

continue to be 'dying to better themselves' braving the elements on board open deck

city sidewalks, markets, Best suited in the present tense

Better however to do this, as no amount of talking nor explaining

is going to make anyone lift a 'block' to build ur house protect your home

you alone are facing your own peculiar, brand name, tailor made poverty, rescue yourself

you have to make your ends meet, whatever the RISK ...

(east) ... Somewhat metaphysical

'Travelling' creating such

Leaders as Bustamante

Beautiful literature

Phenomenal historical analysis

Really touching the heart,

The mind, the spirit,

Thanks,

Congrats

Honourable Olive Senior

Us 'Colonial Girls', we are travelling

We are just here to dig out a better existence

For our children and we hope no longer holes for burials

- Helen-Ann Elizabeth Wilkinson