Early in my music life, when I was trying my wings, a major influence was the work of the late Louise Bennett of Jamaica. ‘Miss Lou’, as she was affectionately known, had become a legend in her time for pioneering the use of dialect in her poetry, and she was an inspiration to novice writers of my stripe.
Her ability to use dialect, combined with her unique sense of humour, was a perfect model for me. In particular, the fact that she was drawing crowds to see her alone on a stage, reading nothing but her dialect poems, served to encourage me that I was on the right path of aiming my work at Caribbean audiences, singing about the Caribbean and confidently using dialect words and expressions.
Miss Lou became known for her humorous barbs at the colonial set then ruling the region, and for her elevation of the power and humour of Jamaican dialect; she was a cultural beacon. I have mentioned her before, but she came to mind again recently with the various contortions we have been seeing in society here, and so today, with a bow to the lady, here is an example of what Louise Bennett might have had to say about Guyana if she were living here today.
Postponement
Dis word dem call “postponement”
Lawd it full o’ tricks
Lawyers use it all de while
When dem in a fix.
Chief Justice in Guyana
When him don’t know wha’ fe say
Him stand up, bang de gavel
An’ seh “Court postpone today.”
Sugrim pon him wedding night
Him wife started fuh moan
She seh, “Darling is migraine time
Honeymoon postpone.”
Sugrim seh, “Mi understand
Migrane headache does bun
But de cash mi give you every month
Postponed till headache done.”
Politician you s’posed to meet
He office ‘pon de phone
“De meeting you supposed to have?
Sorry, um postpone.”
“Why de meeting put off?”
Mi ask her if she knew
She said, “Sir, de meeting postpone
An’ de reason postpone, too.”
You know Big George in Vreed-en-Hoop
Him get on very rough
Him beat him wife like cake mix
Nuff tumble ʼbout and cuff
She father hear de story
Blood fly up inna him head
Him squeeze George by him neckbone
Like when yuh kneadin’ bread
George wife bawl an’ beg fe him
She father seh “All right.”
Him tell George, “Bwoy, de cut tail
Postpone till Friday night.”
You see this word real powerful
It cover plenty sore
It even cover permission
To build a koker door
It cover when a millionaire
Try fuh buy a church
De congregation congregate
And lef’ him in de lurch
Mi hear him lawyer call him
And tell him pon de phone
“Yuh know dat church yuh wan fe buy?
Yuh money get postpone.”
De parking meter nonsense
Dey best postpone that quick
People stop coming into town
Shopping in Crabwood Crick
A fella say de parking rate
“Is madness brother man
To pay de parking meter
I have to sell me house and land.”
A man tell me to meet de cost
To park in town, was murder
He had to strip and pawn he clothes
And drive home in he bukta
A chap I know named Fred Lindo
He live in Vergenoogen
To pay to park his brother send him
US cash from foreign
So tek me stupid advice bro
Tings in Guyana dread
De mortgage runnin overdue
Yuh wife run off wid Fred
When yuh finish pay fuh park
Yuh can’t buy bread and cheese
Raise yuh hand and beg “Dear Lawd,
Postpone tomorrow, please.”
