Poems

Dutty Tough

Sun a shine but tings no bright;

Doah pot a bwile, bickle no nuff;

River flood but water scarce, yaw;

Rain a fall but dutty tough.

Tings so bad dat nowadays when

Yuh ask smaddy how dem do

Dem fraid yuh teck it tell dem back,

So dem no answer yuh.

No care omuch we dah work fa

Hard time still eena we shut;

We dah fight, hard time a beat we,

Dem might raise we wages, but

One poun gawn awn pon we pay, an

We no feel no merriment

For ten poun gown awn pon we food

An ten poun pon we rent!

Salfish gawn up, mackerel gown up,

Pork an beef gown up same way,

An when rice an butter ready

Dem just go pon holiday!

Claht, boot, pin an needle gown up;

Ice, bread, taxes, water-rate;

Kersene ile, gasolene, gown up;

An de poun devaluate.

De price a bread gawn up so high

Dat we haffi agree

Fi cut we yeye pon bread an all tun dumplin refugee!

An all dem marga smaddy weh

Dah gwan like fat is sin,

All dem-deh weh dah fas wid me,

Ah lef dem to dumplin!

Sun a shine an pot a bwile, but tings no bright, bickle no nuff. Rain a fall, river dah flood, but Water scarce and dutty tough.