Coolie Son

(The Toilet Attendant Writes Home) 

 

Taana boy, how you do? 

How Shanti stay? And Sukhoo? 

Mosquito still a-bite all-you? 

Juncha dead true-true? 

Mala bruk-foot set? 

Food deh foh eat yet? 

 

Englan nice, snow and dem ting, 

A land dey say fit for a king, 

Iceapple plenty on de tree and bird a-sing – 

Is de beginning of what dey call ‘The Spring’. 

 

And I eating enough for all a-we 

And reading book bad-bad. 

 

But is what make Matam wife fall sick  

And Sonnel cow suck dry wid tick? 

 

Soon, I go turn lawya or dacta, 

But, just now, passage money run out 

So I tek lil wuk – 

I is a Deputy Sanitary Inspecta, 

Big-big office, boy! Tie round me neck! Brand new uniform, one big bunch keys!  

If Ma can see me now how she go please… 

from 'Coolie Odyssey' (Hansib, 2001) © David Dabydeen 1987, used by permission of the author.

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