Only one of me, p.7
Only One of Me, page 7
and took me off. Other exotics
got collected up in cars and coaches
to be naked on beaches, while
steelbird stood there shiny-ready
for more come-and-go trips.
From My Sister’s Secret Notebook
Earthworm and Fish
Like a gown, it wears the ground
and in there it is found.
Outside, it wiggles and squirms.
It is a naked earthworm.
Like a gown, it wears water
and shares that living-quarters.
Outside, soon, fish is dead.
Is open air like heaven to a fish?
Seashell
Shell at my ear –
come share how I hear
busy old sea in whispers.
Moans rise from ancient depths
in ocean sighs
like crowds of ghost monsters.
Waves lash and fall –
in roars and squalls
with all a mystery ahhh!
Trapped
I only tried to set the trap
and didn’t expect it to snap.
Feeling such a sudden whack
I endured such a lonely shock.
I only tried to set the trap
and didn’t expect it to snap.
Flash of trap – with its spiked catcher –
fastened down my every finger.
Oh, how I cried and softly cried!
Getting so hurt, I could’ve died.
I only tried to set the trap
catch that banana-eating rat:
and didn’t expect it to snap.
Thinking Before I Sleep
It’s good seeing how –
like jaws biting into food
and scissors cutting into paper –
legs move, one after the other.
It’s good seeing how –
like leaves falling –
birds flutter down
with open wings to settle.
It’s good seeing how –
like a road or a foot-track –
water makes it own way, over
and between hills and rocks,
to flow on, in its own river bed.
Taking Action
I dream I am
high flying duck’s eyes
over an ocean, washed
in fire-splash sunset.
I dream I am
two swimming shark’s eyes
in search of swallowed
whole-fish dinner.
I dream we cross an open field
and face a lion in our track.
Making one group-body, oddly, we
come together, thrusting arms like horns
and flapping our clothes like fighting
wings, while we scream in waves
like ear-splitting sirens.
The lion turns and runs in terror.
I dream I am
colour pieces of feelings
in music-notes, jumping up
on the keys of a piano
playing it together.
I dream of a lot that puzzles me.
A Nest Full of Stars
Only chance made me come and find
my hen, stepping from her hidden
nest, in our kitchen garden.
In her clever secret place, her tenth
egg, still warm, had just been dropped.
Not sure of what to do, I picked up
every egg, counting them, then put them
down again. All were mine.
All swept me away and back.
I blinked, I saw: a whole hand
of ripe bananas, nesting.
I blinked, I saw: a basketful
of ripe oranges, nesting.
I blinked, I saw: a trayful
of ripe naseberries, nesting.
I blinked, I saw: an open bagful
of ripe mangoes, nesting.
I blinked, I saw:
a mighty nest full of stars.
Caribbean Playground Song
Say, Good mornin, Granny Maama
Good mornin, Granpa Taata.
Good mornin when it rainin.
Good mornin when sun shinin.
Good mornin.
Say, Good mornin, Miss Pretty-Pretty.
Good mornin, one-yeye Mista Shorty.
Good mornin when sun shinin.
Good mornin when hurrikaanin
Good mornin.
Say, Good mornin, Mista Big-N-Fat-Man.
Good mornin, Mista Maaga Man.
Good mornin when sun shinin.
Good mornin when hurrikaanin
Good mornin.
Say, Good mornin, Mista Lamefoot
Good mornin, dear Miss No-Toot.
Good mornin when sun shinin.
Good mornin when hurrikaanin
Good mornin.
Say, Good mornin, dear-dear Bush Miss.
Good mornin, dear Mista Touris.
Good mornin when sun shinin.
Good mornin when hurrikaanin
Good mornin.
Say, Good mornin, Granny Maama
Good mornin, Granpa Taata.
Good mornin.
one-yeye – one-eyed
Maaga – meagre or thin
No-Toot – No-tooth
Touris – tourist
Smooth Skippin
Skip a-show groun is evva too hot.
Easy. Easy. Whether thin or fat
a-listn poor man rattle quatty
as him go on all chatty-chatty.
Skip betta than doin a frog jump.
Skip betta than droppin on yu rump –
a-listn of lady at fireside
a-tell bout the prettiest bride.
a-tell bout the prettiest bride.
a-tell bout the prettiest bride . . .
a-show – showing
a-listn – listening
quatty – old sterling coins
a-tell – telling
Old Man Called ‘Arawak’
Cos he coughed, coughed and choked
as he smoked, smoked and smoked
spitter man old Daddy Brock
got named Smoker Arawak.
Got named Smoker Arawak.
Cos he ate only best bammy
made by best-loved granny
old man Mister Mack
got named Cassava Arawak
Got named Cassava Arawak.
bammy – a flat Jamaican cassava bread
He Loved Overripe Fruits
Hot sweaty body carrying treats
my Caribbean Grandpa came home
turned his pockets inside-out
and gave us runny, soft, sticky sweets.
Other times, the sweaty wet pockets
brought us bruised, overripe fruits
like bananas or blackberries
Three plums.
A mango.
or, sometimes, mangoes, plums
gineps, naseberries
or a tempting mixture of these.
Other times we knew how
to push, tussle, compete hard
to take off Grandpa’s boots.
Not always, but, often,
turned upside-down, the boots
carried small-change in them:
tipped out all round the floor,
as he smiled, seeing who got how much.
ginep – big-tree fruit, bunched like grapes: creamy flesh covers its stones.
naseberry – sapodilla-plum: having sweet brown flesh.
Queen and King Mullets
King says, Queen Mullet, mam
yu so prettily pinky white
Oh, I love yu lovely sight.
Oh, I love yu lovely sight.
Queen says, King Mullet, sar
yu beard is right.
Oh, yu beard is jus, jus, right.
Oh, yu beard is just, jus, right . . .
Mullet – goatfish variety with pair of long barbels below the mouth like a beard.
Doubtful Sayings
Take hot bad licks and nevva evva cry
you’ll give some back before yu die.
Eat a big bug and dohn cough it up
jaws’ll crack big nut with yu mouth shut.
Duppy eyes livin in a cut bamboo
will come to live in ragged ol shoe.
Dress in notn pretty and eat notn sweet
duppy’ll hol you han as yu walk on street.
Eat yu food up fram pearl dishes
yu’ll ketch fish beyond all wishes.
You’ll ketch fish beyond all wishes . . .
licks – blows
ketch – catch
Duppy Dance
You walk too-too late at night
duppies make your wrong road the right.
Around you, they rattle strings of bones.
And duppies dance. Duppies dance.
All along deep-deep dark road
duppies croak like huge hidden toad.
You hear distant scary bells toll.
And duppies dance. Duppies dance.
Duppies make horses’ hooves clop-clop.
Make some strange big birds flutter up.
Make you feel your skin gone shrivelled.
And duppies dance. Duppies dance.
Roaring, snorting, like ten bulls,
duppies rip off your clothes – one pull!
Skeletons prance all around you.
And duppies dance. Duppies dance.
duppy – a ghost
Getting Bigger Rap
Watch me getting bigger and bigger
stepping wider, walking taller.
Nothing easier in a tussle
but now I’m better when I whistle
Barring too, that only game called ‘dart’
I know much of who is who in sport.
And though no worm with book-intake look
I sometimes do know a latest book.
See me how my clothes are cut in style
all ready to walk down the aisle.
See how more and more I’m on the ball
and it’s little bother if I fall.
And it’s little bother if I fall.
Watch me getting bigger and bigger
stepping wider, walking taller higher
stepping wider, walking taller higher . . .
Woods Whisperings
We woods whisper. We whisper:
You will find in us
whole naked families
of roofs, floors, beds, toothpicks,
chest-of-drawers, bats, walking-sticks.
We woods whisper. We whisper:
You will find in us
naked mask families
of gods, devils, clowns
and even faces of lions.
We woods whisper. We whisper:
You will find in us
whole naked families
of flutes, with one the bamboo,
one the deep-voiced didgeridoo.
We woods whisper. We whisper:
You will find in us
whole naked families
of carved girls and boys –
all faces of toys.
We woods whisper. We whisper:
You will find in us
whole naked families
of rocking horses.
We woods come and live in your houses.
Granddad’s Visitor
After a good, big supper
Granddad dozed off
in his comfy chair.
Granddad woke to see
he had a sitting visitor
looking at him with a strange smile.
Granddad knew the visitor.
He smiled, saying, ‘Hello!’
Getting up he moved towards
his visitor, stretching for
a handshake. Then horror
wipped away Granddad’s smile.
No one was sitting there.
Puzzled, Granddad shuffled
back to his chair and sat.
Looking up, he saw
the visitor was still there.
He knew the visitor.
He got up again to greet
his visitor. As he turned
round, he saw only the chair.
Granddad stood a while.
Then he sat down again.
When he looked up slowly
no one was there.
Mister-ry
Wild New-Forest Pony takes my apple.
Eats my banana too. Looks for more.
I stroke him. He follows me. So strangely
friendly towards me, he makes me
suddenly name him, MISTER-RY. And, more.
Next morning – shocks me out of bed.
Arched back with long legs and neck
crops grass, in our front garden. I
rush out calling MISTER-RY! MISTER-RY!
In a low rumble of a neigh, he comes –
long face pushing, nuzzling me.
Our dog, WORRIER, dashes about,
teasing MISTER-RY to play with him.
Picking him up, I put WORRIER lying
flat on the back of the horse. All
on his own he walks with dog rider
round and round the garden. Then, my go.
Holding neck and mane, I climb up,
sit erect, having my trotting ride
round the garden, when, along my
street side, a blast of applause shakes me
and goes on through my barebacked ride,
never stopping. I say, OK, MISTER-RY.
Sharp, sharp, he stops. I dismount,
looking. I see THE QUEEN. Clapping too
THE QUEEN is there, saying to me,
Give him a drink now. Give him a drink.
I run into the house. Get a bucket
of water. Come back with it, panting
with new disbelief.
No horse is there.
No audience is there.
In the far, far distance I hear
wild clattering of hoofs going,
going away . . .
Top Footballer Rap
See quicker kicker in the grass arena:
my Mister Wizard taker and a passer.
His kickers and headers clock-up top scorer
to rave-rage of the colour sports page –
to rave-rage of the colour sports page.
See quicker kicker in the grass arena:
meeting every ball as a challenge for a goal
and it’s a rabbit running how he hounds it –
passion man of a play-ball occasion –
passion man of a play-ball occasion.
See quicker kicker in the grass arena:
Mister Boot with foot with quick-quick shoot
getting loudest roar of the crowd
for footballer who is bliss –
for footballer who is bliss.
See quicker kicker in the grass arena:
quickest taker. Swiftest passer and blocker.
Shooter and goal finder. Opposition frustrator.
Man of endless daring with foot looting.
Prince of the football patch, whose ball snatch
again and again wins the match –
Mr Slappy-Slappy Happiness.
Mr Slappy-Slappy –
all happiness.
Mr Slappy-Slappy –
all happiness.
All happiness.
Looking at the Painting: ‘Fin d’Arabesque’ by Edgar Degas
She is that special expression of dance.
Other dancers are at ease off-stage.
She ends a programme and highlights it.
In performance with the company
her lines of movements all stood out
clean, in the music, rhythms.
Now concealing tiredness and aches
she performs end like beginning:
controlled, graceful, effortless.
Open-armed, she holds out her
bouquet, bowing to discipline applauded
for the triumph of dance.
And arms, legs, costume, encircling
her, she looks dreamlike, as if she blooms
under leaves-filtered moonlight.
Love of Love
I love the love turned movement
love and love turned enjoyment
I love the love turned light and seeing
love and love turned night and knowing
I love the love turned mother
love the love turned father
I love the love turned summer
love the love turned water
I love the love turned fire
love the love turned desire
I love the love turned diaphanous air in a whirl
love the love turned girl
I love the love turned joy
love the love turned boy
I love the love turned taste of sun
love the love turned smell of rain
I love the love turned death and birth
love the love turned earth
I love the love turned comfort when alone
love the love turned stone
I love the love of love
and how I feel a song of love
Longings
Longings come grabbing me lately
for a broad black belt,
the widest white hat,
pointed red shoes with
impossible high heels,
dazzing earrings, and silver
strings of spreading beads
brushing my waist.
Longings come itching me
to be much more leggy
sitting slimly crosslegged
having long fingernails.
I look in the mirror. God!
1 am small featured and so flat!
I have dirty hands and fingernails.
My hair cries out
for total reconstruction-work.
Longings hit me
to change my weekends
to see myself
newly
and totally unrecognisable.
Earth and Beyond
In shining silver suit streaked with gold,
tall and thin person stood beside me.
got collected up in cars and coaches
to be naked on beaches, while
steelbird stood there shiny-ready
for more come-and-go trips.
From My Sister’s Secret Notebook
Earthworm and Fish
Like a gown, it wears the ground
and in there it is found.
Outside, it wiggles and squirms.
It is a naked earthworm.
Like a gown, it wears water
and shares that living-quarters.
Outside, soon, fish is dead.
Is open air like heaven to a fish?
Seashell
Shell at my ear –
come share how I hear
busy old sea in whispers.
Moans rise from ancient depths
in ocean sighs
like crowds of ghost monsters.
Waves lash and fall –
in roars and squalls
with all a mystery ahhh!
Trapped
I only tried to set the trap
and didn’t expect it to snap.
Feeling such a sudden whack
I endured such a lonely shock.
I only tried to set the trap
and didn’t expect it to snap.
Flash of trap – with its spiked catcher –
fastened down my every finger.
Oh, how I cried and softly cried!
Getting so hurt, I could’ve died.
I only tried to set the trap
catch that banana-eating rat:
and didn’t expect it to snap.
Thinking Before I Sleep
It’s good seeing how –
like jaws biting into food
and scissors cutting into paper –
legs move, one after the other.
It’s good seeing how –
like leaves falling –
birds flutter down
with open wings to settle.
It’s good seeing how –
like a road or a foot-track –
water makes it own way, over
and between hills and rocks,
to flow on, in its own river bed.
Taking Action
I dream I am
high flying duck’s eyes
over an ocean, washed
in fire-splash sunset.
I dream I am
two swimming shark’s eyes
in search of swallowed
whole-fish dinner.
I dream we cross an open field
and face a lion in our track.
Making one group-body, oddly, we
come together, thrusting arms like horns
and flapping our clothes like fighting
wings, while we scream in waves
like ear-splitting sirens.
The lion turns and runs in terror.
I dream I am
colour pieces of feelings
in music-notes, jumping up
on the keys of a piano
playing it together.
I dream of a lot that puzzles me.
A Nest Full of Stars
Only chance made me come and find
my hen, stepping from her hidden
nest, in our kitchen garden.
In her clever secret place, her tenth
egg, still warm, had just been dropped.
Not sure of what to do, I picked up
every egg, counting them, then put them
down again. All were mine.
All swept me away and back.
I blinked, I saw: a whole hand
of ripe bananas, nesting.
I blinked, I saw: a basketful
of ripe oranges, nesting.
I blinked, I saw: a trayful
of ripe naseberries, nesting.
I blinked, I saw: an open bagful
of ripe mangoes, nesting.
I blinked, I saw:
a mighty nest full of stars.
Caribbean Playground Song
Say, Good mornin, Granny Maama
Good mornin, Granpa Taata.
Good mornin when it rainin.
Good mornin when sun shinin.
Good mornin.
Say, Good mornin, Miss Pretty-Pretty.
Good mornin, one-yeye Mista Shorty.
Good mornin when sun shinin.
Good mornin when hurrikaanin
Good mornin.
Say, Good mornin, Mista Big-N-Fat-Man.
Good mornin, Mista Maaga Man.
Good mornin when sun shinin.
Good mornin when hurrikaanin
Good mornin.
Say, Good mornin, Mista Lamefoot
Good mornin, dear Miss No-Toot.
Good mornin when sun shinin.
Good mornin when hurrikaanin
Good mornin.
Say, Good mornin, dear-dear Bush Miss.
Good mornin, dear Mista Touris.
Good mornin when sun shinin.
Good mornin when hurrikaanin
Good mornin.
Say, Good mornin, Granny Maama
Good mornin, Granpa Taata.
Good mornin.
one-yeye – one-eyed
Maaga – meagre or thin
No-Toot – No-tooth
Touris – tourist
Smooth Skippin
Skip a-show groun is evva too hot.
Easy. Easy. Whether thin or fat
a-listn poor man rattle quatty
as him go on all chatty-chatty.
Skip betta than doin a frog jump.
Skip betta than droppin on yu rump –
a-listn of lady at fireside
a-tell bout the prettiest bride.
a-tell bout the prettiest bride.
a-tell bout the prettiest bride . . .
a-show – showing
a-listn – listening
quatty – old sterling coins
a-tell – telling
Old Man Called ‘Arawak’
Cos he coughed, coughed and choked
as he smoked, smoked and smoked
spitter man old Daddy Brock
got named Smoker Arawak.
Got named Smoker Arawak.
Cos he ate only best bammy
made by best-loved granny
old man Mister Mack
got named Cassava Arawak
Got named Cassava Arawak.
bammy – a flat Jamaican cassava bread
He Loved Overripe Fruits
Hot sweaty body carrying treats
my Caribbean Grandpa came home
turned his pockets inside-out
and gave us runny, soft, sticky sweets.
Other times, the sweaty wet pockets
brought us bruised, overripe fruits
like bananas or blackberries
Three plums.
A mango.
or, sometimes, mangoes, plums
gineps, naseberries
or a tempting mixture of these.
Other times we knew how
to push, tussle, compete hard
to take off Grandpa’s boots.
Not always, but, often,
turned upside-down, the boots
carried small-change in them:
tipped out all round the floor,
as he smiled, seeing who got how much.
ginep – big-tree fruit, bunched like grapes: creamy flesh covers its stones.
naseberry – sapodilla-plum: having sweet brown flesh.
Queen and King Mullets
King says, Queen Mullet, mam
yu so prettily pinky white
Oh, I love yu lovely sight.
Oh, I love yu lovely sight.
Queen says, King Mullet, sar
yu beard is right.
Oh, yu beard is jus, jus, right.
Oh, yu beard is just, jus, right . . .
Mullet – goatfish variety with pair of long barbels below the mouth like a beard.
Doubtful Sayings
Take hot bad licks and nevva evva cry
you’ll give some back before yu die.
Eat a big bug and dohn cough it up
jaws’ll crack big nut with yu mouth shut.
Duppy eyes livin in a cut bamboo
will come to live in ragged ol shoe.
Dress in notn pretty and eat notn sweet
duppy’ll hol you han as yu walk on street.
Eat yu food up fram pearl dishes
yu’ll ketch fish beyond all wishes.
You’ll ketch fish beyond all wishes . . .
licks – blows
ketch – catch
Duppy Dance
You walk too-too late at night
duppies make your wrong road the right.
Around you, they rattle strings of bones.
And duppies dance. Duppies dance.
All along deep-deep dark road
duppies croak like huge hidden toad.
You hear distant scary bells toll.
And duppies dance. Duppies dance.
Duppies make horses’ hooves clop-clop.
Make some strange big birds flutter up.
Make you feel your skin gone shrivelled.
And duppies dance. Duppies dance.
Roaring, snorting, like ten bulls,
duppies rip off your clothes – one pull!
Skeletons prance all around you.
And duppies dance. Duppies dance.
duppy – a ghost
Getting Bigger Rap
Watch me getting bigger and bigger
stepping wider, walking taller.
Nothing easier in a tussle
but now I’m better when I whistle
Barring too, that only game called ‘dart’
I know much of who is who in sport.
And though no worm with book-intake look
I sometimes do know a latest book.
See me how my clothes are cut in style
all ready to walk down the aisle.
See how more and more I’m on the ball
and it’s little bother if I fall.
And it’s little bother if I fall.
Watch me getting bigger and bigger
stepping wider, walking taller higher
stepping wider, walking taller higher . . .
Woods Whisperings
We woods whisper. We whisper:
You will find in us
whole naked families
of roofs, floors, beds, toothpicks,
chest-of-drawers, bats, walking-sticks.
We woods whisper. We whisper:
You will find in us
naked mask families
of gods, devils, clowns
and even faces of lions.
We woods whisper. We whisper:
You will find in us
whole naked families
of flutes, with one the bamboo,
one the deep-voiced didgeridoo.
We woods whisper. We whisper:
You will find in us
whole naked families
of carved girls and boys –
all faces of toys.
We woods whisper. We whisper:
You will find in us
whole naked families
of rocking horses.
We woods come and live in your houses.
Granddad’s Visitor
After a good, big supper
Granddad dozed off
in his comfy chair.
Granddad woke to see
he had a sitting visitor
looking at him with a strange smile.
Granddad knew the visitor.
He smiled, saying, ‘Hello!’
Getting up he moved towards
his visitor, stretching for
a handshake. Then horror
wipped away Granddad’s smile.
No one was sitting there.
Puzzled, Granddad shuffled
back to his chair and sat.
Looking up, he saw
the visitor was still there.
He knew the visitor.
He got up again to greet
his visitor. As he turned
round, he saw only the chair.
Granddad stood a while.
Then he sat down again.
When he looked up slowly
no one was there.
Mister-ry
Wild New-Forest Pony takes my apple.
Eats my banana too. Looks for more.
I stroke him. He follows me. So strangely
friendly towards me, he makes me
suddenly name him, MISTER-RY. And, more.
Next morning – shocks me out of bed.
Arched back with long legs and neck
crops grass, in our front garden. I
rush out calling MISTER-RY! MISTER-RY!
In a low rumble of a neigh, he comes –
long face pushing, nuzzling me.
Our dog, WORRIER, dashes about,
teasing MISTER-RY to play with him.
Picking him up, I put WORRIER lying
flat on the back of the horse. All
on his own he walks with dog rider
round and round the garden. Then, my go.
Holding neck and mane, I climb up,
sit erect, having my trotting ride
round the garden, when, along my
street side, a blast of applause shakes me
and goes on through my barebacked ride,
never stopping. I say, OK, MISTER-RY.
Sharp, sharp, he stops. I dismount,
looking. I see THE QUEEN. Clapping too
THE QUEEN is there, saying to me,
Give him a drink now. Give him a drink.
I run into the house. Get a bucket
of water. Come back with it, panting
with new disbelief.
No horse is there.
No audience is there.
In the far, far distance I hear
wild clattering of hoofs going,
going away . . .
Top Footballer Rap
See quicker kicker in the grass arena:
my Mister Wizard taker and a passer.
His kickers and headers clock-up top scorer
to rave-rage of the colour sports page –
to rave-rage of the colour sports page.
See quicker kicker in the grass arena:
meeting every ball as a challenge for a goal
and it’s a rabbit running how he hounds it –
passion man of a play-ball occasion –
passion man of a play-ball occasion.
See quicker kicker in the grass arena:
Mister Boot with foot with quick-quick shoot
getting loudest roar of the crowd
for footballer who is bliss –
for footballer who is bliss.
See quicker kicker in the grass arena:
quickest taker. Swiftest passer and blocker.
Shooter and goal finder. Opposition frustrator.
Man of endless daring with foot looting.
Prince of the football patch, whose ball snatch
again and again wins the match –
Mr Slappy-Slappy Happiness.
Mr Slappy-Slappy –
all happiness.
Mr Slappy-Slappy –
all happiness.
All happiness.
Looking at the Painting: ‘Fin d’Arabesque’ by Edgar Degas
She is that special expression of dance.
Other dancers are at ease off-stage.
She ends a programme and highlights it.
In performance with the company
her lines of movements all stood out
clean, in the music, rhythms.
Now concealing tiredness and aches
she performs end like beginning:
controlled, graceful, effortless.
Open-armed, she holds out her
bouquet, bowing to discipline applauded
for the triumph of dance.
And arms, legs, costume, encircling
her, she looks dreamlike, as if she blooms
under leaves-filtered moonlight.
Love of Love
I love the love turned movement
love and love turned enjoyment
I love the love turned light and seeing
love and love turned night and knowing
I love the love turned mother
love the love turned father
I love the love turned summer
love the love turned water
I love the love turned fire
love the love turned desire
I love the love turned diaphanous air in a whirl
love the love turned girl
I love the love turned joy
love the love turned boy
I love the love turned taste of sun
love the love turned smell of rain
I love the love turned death and birth
love the love turned earth
I love the love turned comfort when alone
love the love turned stone
I love the love of love
and how I feel a song of love
Longings
Longings come grabbing me lately
for a broad black belt,
the widest white hat,
pointed red shoes with
impossible high heels,
dazzing earrings, and silver
strings of spreading beads
brushing my waist.
Longings come itching me
to be much more leggy
sitting slimly crosslegged
having long fingernails.
I look in the mirror. God!
1 am small featured and so flat!
I have dirty hands and fingernails.
My hair cries out
for total reconstruction-work.
Longings hit me
to change my weekends
to see myself
newly
and totally unrecognisable.
Earth and Beyond
In shining silver suit streaked with gold,
tall and thin person stood beside me.
