Basically, I come out of the song-writer mould, but every now and then a poem does come to me, as this one does today.
You are Guyanese
Lately I must tell you, they have me confused
The internet, the papers, we’re getting the blues
The items coming at you like a voom voom cheese
You’re not sure what is Guyanese.
Ah not fooling myself, it’s true you din ask me
But here in this dear land recently
Here’s what I find most abundantly, star
Guyanese, this is who we all are.
I come here from India, Ethiopia and Kent
With a very strong back and a noble intent
I learned how to manage, I learned to invent
And me and nuff like me, we just grew.
I come from Madeira and from Birmingham
I come from Chicago and from Amsterdam
I helped build the kokers and roads in the land
I showed them the things that I could do.
I learned easy does it, but first have a plan
Stay quiet and learn from the folks
I know to clap roti, a gal showed me show
And we say “Mister, sell me a Cokes”.
I chopped endless suckers; I made jamoon wine
I know jillabee and mango turpentine
I remember the black dust upon the train line
I’m a Guyanese soul through and through.
I cut coconuts open and spread them to dry
I learned to drive tractor, and wear necktie, too
And play like you didn’t see your father cry
When Ma said take a bake, I took two.
Up in the Northwest, porkknocking I went
They showed me make fence with bamboo
I learned the hard way what good manners meant
And to make pepperpot, what a stew!
And to eat with my hands….no problem, I mean two.
I learned pay attention when old people gaff
And a couple to us means a few
And let your daddy lead when the family walk
Glamma cherry is powerful glue.
We’re familiar with chigga and what is crab louse
Corial is a boat we all know
GT folks understand when we say “bottom house”
Or, “your’re gonna know where barley grow”.
All that I said there, take it, write it down
Print it on posters, please do
It will help all the young ones who head spinning ’round
If you’re Guyanese, yes that is you.
Hear what I saying, don’t dash it away
Write it down somewhere, all this that I say
I’m sure it will come in handy one day
If you’re Guyanese, yes, this is you.
My shoe always shine, my hair always neat
I cut black sage to clean up my teeth
And now we have oil, some say now trouble start
But some say “Na, money now meet”.
My father would say, “Band your drawer, boy.
Dis country it ain’t eatin’ nice.”
But some o’ we running ’bout resembling cockroach
Ignoring that proven advice.
And then lately now is election story
We don’t know who lose, who gon clear
I just nearly say go to Russian Bear bar
But I think that and all disappear.
There once was a time not so long ago
We could run to New York or Toronto
But now they and all have the virus m’dear
So you have to hide in Hosororo.
Nuff ones among us say we’ll be all right
Take time, they will tell you, cool breeze
So hang in there brother and sister too, please
We bend but don’t break, Guyanese!
Celebrate who you are, Guyanese!