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
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
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}