REGGAE FI MAY AYIM

REGGAE  FI  MAY  AYIM - Linton Kwesi Johnson

 

it weard ow life wit det kyan canspyah

fi shattah di awts most fragile diziah

ow histri an byagrafi kyan plat gense yu

an dem 'angst' an dem 'anomie gang-up pon yu

 

afro-german warrior woman

from hamburg via bremen

den finally

berlin

 

it woz in di dazzlin atmosfare

a di black radical bookfair

dat mi site yu

sweet sistah

brite-eyed like hope

like a young antelope

who couda cope

 

wid di daily deflowahin a di spirit

wit di evryday erowshan a di soul

 

two passin clouds you and I

inna di dezert a di sky

exchingin vaypah

 

but in di commerc a di awt

woz it fair trade in regret

in love an lauftah?

 

mi nevah know

mi couldn tell

mi shouda site seh

 

tru all di learnin

            di teachin

            rizistin

            an assistin

            di lovin

            di givin

            organizin

            an difyin

 

dat di kaizah a darkness

did kyapcha yu awt

dat di lass time mi si yu

would be di lass time mi si yu

dat you woz free

fallin screamin

terteen stanzahs doun

yu final poem in blood pan di groun

dat soh sudden dat soh soon

you wouda fly out

pon a won way tickit to ghana

gaan ketch up wid you paas

mongst yu ancestaz

 

wi give tanks

fi di life

yu share wid wi

wi give tanks

fi di lite

yu shine pon wi

wi give tanks

fi di love

yu showah pon wi

wi give tanks

fi yu memahri

 

 

      from {Tribes Issue 9}