Happy New Year from Poets of the Caribbean! Wishing you peace, health, wealth, and happiness for 2012. Thanks for your interest in the blog, your suggestions and feedback throughout 2011. I hope to highlight more poets and share with you inspiring Caribbean poetry in the new year. Enjoy Louise Bennett's Bed-Time Story.
Bed-Time Story
Ah long fi see yuh tell ah short!
Whe yuh deh all dis time?
Dah pickinni yah woan go sleep,
She waan me tell her rhyme.
Mary had a little lamb
- Miss Mattie li bwoy Joe
Go kick May slap pon har doorway -
His feet was white as snow.
An everywhere dat Mary went
- Him modder never know,
An when she ear she ongle seh -
De lamb was sure to go.
She ongle seh de bwoy too bad
An tell May nuffi bawl
- Jack and Jill went up de hill -
An dat was all an all.
May mighta go to hospital
- To catch a pail of water;
Jack fell down and bruck him crown -
Jus like Miss Mattie daughter.
Yuh never know de baby bawn?
Him pa gi him name Marta.
Teng God him drop eento a doze
- An Jull come tumblin after.
Copyright Louise Bennett 1987
From Our Yard. Jamaican Poetry Since Independence. Jamaica 21 Anthology Series. Edited by Pamela Mordecai. Institute of Jamaica Publications Limited, 1987.
Reprinted with permission from the Louise Bennett-Coverley Estate.
12/31/2011
12/27/2011
Rainy Day by Louise Bennett
It is a rainy day today. In fact, it has been more of a rainy winter, rather than a snowy one here in Maryland. As I reflected on the weather, I thought I would share Miss Lou's poem, Rainyy Day. Miss Lou, however, was reflecting more on our figurative rainy day. You know, those lean times when funds and other resources are scarce.
As we enter the new year, let's plan ahead to ensure that when our rainy days come, we are prepared. Enjoy Rainy Day, and let me know of strategies you use to cope with your rainy days.
Rainy Day
If yuh want it an no need it
Curb yuh wanti-wanti ways,
Pudung wanti-wanti money
Fi de needy rainy days.
No might-be bout de rainy day,
No few a we, no some;
But eena everybody life
It must an boun fi come.
Tedeh, tomorrow, nex week,
Dis yah mont or tarra ear,
De rainy day deh pon de way
Fi ketch yuh unaware.
Sometime him creep up sofly like
A puss an stir up strife;
Sometime him drop like atom-bomb
An worries up yuh life.
But me gwine fi trick de bugger:
Day by day me dah prepare,
Dah save up lickle money an
Me ready fi him, me dear.
When rainy day strike me, ah gwine
Fi bring him to disgrace,
Jus wave me bank-book an bus out
A laugh eena him face!
Copyright Louise Bennett 1987
From Our Yard. Jamaican Poetry Since Independence. Jamaica 21 Anthology Series. Edited by Pamela Mordecai. Institute of Jamaica Publications Limited, 1987.
Reprinted with permission from the Louise Bennett-Coverley Estate.
As we enter the new year, let's plan ahead to ensure that when our rainy days come, we are prepared. Enjoy Rainy Day, and let me know of strategies you use to cope with your rainy days.
Rainy Day
If yuh want it an no need it
Curb yuh wanti-wanti ways,
Pudung wanti-wanti money
Fi de needy rainy days.
No might-be bout de rainy day,
No few a we, no some;
But eena everybody life
It must an boun fi come.
Tedeh, tomorrow, nex week,
Dis yah mont or tarra ear,
De rainy day deh pon de way
Fi ketch yuh unaware.
Sometime him creep up sofly like
A puss an stir up strife;
Sometime him drop like atom-bomb
An worries up yuh life.
But me gwine fi trick de bugger:
Day by day me dah prepare,
Dah save up lickle money an
Me ready fi him, me dear.
When rainy day strike me, ah gwine
Fi bring him to disgrace,
Jus wave me bank-book an bus out
A laugh eena him face!
Copyright Louise Bennett 1987
From Our Yard. Jamaican Poetry Since Independence. Jamaica 21 Anthology Series. Edited by Pamela Mordecai. Institute of Jamaica Publications Limited, 1987.
Reprinted with permission from the Louise Bennett-Coverley Estate.
12/25/2011
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you all!
Thanks for following the posts throughout the year, as well as providing feedback. I wish you peace, joy, health and happiness.
Enjoy your holiday break.
12/22/2011
The Economics of Poetry
I thought I would share this interesting article from New York Magazine on the economics of poetry. See also Madeleine Crum's comments in The Huffington Post.
As Madeleine encouraged, don't stop writing, poets. Money and fame are not the only reasons why we write. As Shelley noted, "poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world".
As Madeleine encouraged, don't stop writing, poets. Money and fame are not the only reasons why we write. As Shelley noted, "poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world".
12/21/2011
Hula Christmus
In the spirit of Christmas, I am sharing Ms. Lou's poem, Hula Christmus, which is written in the Jamaican dialect. The poem relates how a mother sent her 8 kids with ten pounds to buy Christmas clothes in downtown, Kingston. Instead, the kids bought hula hoops, to the dismay of the mom. For context, the British pound was the currency used in Jamaica prior to 1969. Christmas market is a Jamaican tradition where many people turn out to shop in the downtown section of Jamaica's capital, Kingston.
Hula Christmus
Non-stop motion an commotion
Over Dina yard, me chile!
Har pickney-dem eena dem saal,
Dem start see Chrismus wile!
Dina sen de big gal dung-tung
Wid de seven lickle one,
Tell har fi buy dem Chrismus clothes,
Put ten poun in her han.
Before she tink dem ketch tung
Dem was back eena de place
Wid seven hula-hoop apiece
A wiggle roun dem wais.
Dem wine like wire, spin like gig,
Dem yo-yo up and down,
Dem meck breeze pon de spot, reverse,
An Sputnik roun an roun.
Like eight syncopatin rainbow
Jussa merry up de air -
Dem pretty, dem pretty, dem pretty so tell
We jus stan up an stare.
Till Dina bawl out 'Pickney, what
Happen to me ten pung?
Whe de shoes an socks an hat an frock
Yuh go fi buy dung-tung?'
De rainbow corkscrew slow dung,
Eight pickney voice hollar:
'Nutten dung-tung never sweet we
Like de hula-hoop, Mamma.'
Hear Dina: 'But dem mussa mad!
Is warra dem a seh?
Ten-poun note wut a hula-hoop!
A gwine kill dem tedeh!
Ah gwine show dem what gwine sweet dem!
Pas dah big-stick gimme deh!
Ah gwine lick dem pon dem hula
Till dem hoop in yah tedeh!
She pawn a junk a stick an lash out
Right an lef an cross.
Not a blow connec wid target -
Lawd, de pickney-dem was class!
Dem gadder speed an circle weh
Like peacock in de air.
Dina tired till she stagger back
And ketch har breat an swear.
She gwine bun-up every slip an
Pants an shoes an socks an frock,
Meck dem spen Chrisms season wid
So-so hula pon dem back!
But de pickney still in motion,
Chrismus joy eena dem face,
An de Chrismus hula-hoop-dem
Jessa simmer roun dem wais.
Copyright Louise Bennett 1987
From Our Yard. Jamaican Poetry Since Independence. Jamaica 21 Anthology Series. Edited by Pamela Mordecai. Institute of Jamaica Publications Limited, 1987.
Reprinted with permission from the Louise Bennett-Coverley Estate.
Hula Christmus
Non-stop motion an commotion
Over Dina yard, me chile!
Har pickney-dem eena dem saal,
Dem start see Chrismus wile!
Dina sen de big gal dung-tung
Wid de seven lickle one,
Tell har fi buy dem Chrismus clothes,
Put ten poun in her han.
Before she tink dem ketch tung
Dem was back eena de place
Wid seven hula-hoop apiece
A wiggle roun dem wais.
Dem wine like wire, spin like gig,
Dem yo-yo up and down,
Dem meck breeze pon de spot, reverse,
An Sputnik roun an roun.
Like eight syncopatin rainbow
Jussa merry up de air -
Dem pretty, dem pretty, dem pretty so tell
We jus stan up an stare.
Till Dina bawl out 'Pickney, what
Happen to me ten pung?
Whe de shoes an socks an hat an frock
Yuh go fi buy dung-tung?'
De rainbow corkscrew slow dung,
Eight pickney voice hollar:
'Nutten dung-tung never sweet we
Like de hula-hoop, Mamma.'
Hear Dina: 'But dem mussa mad!
Is warra dem a seh?
Ten-poun note wut a hula-hoop!
A gwine kill dem tedeh!
Ah gwine show dem what gwine sweet dem!
Pas dah big-stick gimme deh!
Ah gwine lick dem pon dem hula
Till dem hoop in yah tedeh!
She pawn a junk a stick an lash out
Right an lef an cross.
Not a blow connec wid target -
Lawd, de pickney-dem was class!
Dem gadder speed an circle weh
Like peacock in de air.
Dina tired till she stagger back
And ketch har breat an swear.
She gwine bun-up every slip an
Pants an shoes an socks an frock,
Meck dem spen Chrisms season wid
So-so hula pon dem back!
But de pickney still in motion,
Chrismus joy eena dem face,
An de Chrismus hula-hoop-dem
Jessa simmer roun dem wais.
Copyright Louise Bennett 1987
From Our Yard. Jamaican Poetry Since Independence. Jamaica 21 Anthology Series. Edited by Pamela Mordecai. Institute of Jamaica Publications Limited, 1987.
Reprinted with permission from the Louise Bennett-Coverley Estate.
12/16/2011
Miss Lou's Poetry
Below are some of the poetry and short story collections written by Miss Lou. Some of her co-authors on the collections include Rex Nettleford, Philip Sherlock, Mervin Morris and Walter Jekyll.
- Anancy Stories and Dialect Verse (1950)
- Jamaican Dialect Poems (195?)
Laugh with Louise: A Pot-pourri of Jamaican Folklore: Stories, Songs, Verses (1961) - Jamaica Labrish (1966)
- Jamaica Labrish: Jamaica Dialect Poems. (With Rex Nettleford) (1966)
- Jamaican Song and Story: Anancy Stories, Digging Songs, Ring Tunes, and Dancing Tunes. (With Walter Jekyll, Rex Nettleford, Philip Sherlock) (1966)
- Anancy and Miss Lou (1979)
- Miss Lou's Views (Audiobook) (198?)
- Jamaica Maddah Goose (1981)
- Selected Poems (1983)
- Aunty Roachey Seh (Louise Bennett and Mervin Morris) (1993)
12/08/2011
Miss Lou in Her Own Words
Today, I am sharing these two YouTube videos of Miss Lou in her own words. In this first video, Miss Lou explains the Jamaican patois, sings some of her favorite songs and talks about some of the expressions used.
Here, Miss Lou also discusses the linguistic and cultural influences on the Jamaican dialect, in particular, the Jamaican dialect's relation to the Twi language of Ghana.
These are two funny videos which will give you a glimpse of Miss Lou's inimitable style. Nice walk down memory lane for a lot of Jamaicans, I am sure.
Enjoy!
Here, Miss Lou also discusses the linguistic and cultural influences on the Jamaican dialect, in particular, the Jamaican dialect's relation to the Twi language of Ghana.
These are two funny videos which will give you a glimpse of Miss Lou's inimitable style. Nice walk down memory lane for a lot of Jamaicans, I am sure.
Enjoy!
12/02/2011
Louise Bennett Official Website
The Louise Bennett Official Website has Miss Lou's biography, photos, news articles, useful links, as well as many other resources relating to the life of this great Jamaican poet.
Some of her poems, including the very popular Colinization in Reverse, are available on the site.
Some of her poems, including the very popular Colinization in Reverse, are available on the site.
12/01/2011
Louise Bennett (Miss Lou)
Miss Lou
Louise Bennett, affectionately known as "Miss Lou", and often described as "Jamaica's First Lady of Comedy", is December's poet. Louise Bennett's poetry is dear to my heart, because I grew up listening to her reading her poetry, as well as hearing many Jamaicans recite her poetry.
So much has been written about Miss Lou and her poetry, that the one month's spotlight on her this month will hardly do justice to this larger than life personality.
What I hope to do during this month is to share some of her poems that I love, as well as my fond memories of Miss Lou.
December is perhaps the most apt month to share about Miss Lou, because she was such a vibrant, joyful and exciting personality.
I hope that those of you who may not be familiar with Miss Lou will enjoy reading her work and learning about this truly amazing Jamaican poet, actor, radio personality, social critic, and so much more.
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