Jamaican Proverbs

Miss Pauline she, she loves
To keep up with style
And dress in the latest fashion
All de while
But the felt hat was a mistake
And miss by a mile
So when she arx me how it look
I just turn to her and smile
And say
“Not everything suit alligator, suit crocodile”

And when Miss Berta big bwoy Boris
Was jus’ a likkle yout’
Him use to gwan bad
And t’ink say it cute
But him go way too far
When him pick and uproot
My coco, sweet pitata, yam and breadfruit
So me warn him arf good
And tell him de truut
“Anytime plantain waan dead, it shoot!”

Anyway de odder day
Mid did have a big problem
Cos Ivan did a come
And de roof waan men’
An’ de retaining wall waan buil’
From me no know when
An’ mi a pray an’ a fret
‘Bout my twelve pickney dem
But in de midst of despair
Me just say to meself “Gwen
Stop worry ya me chil’
If you fe drown you can heng”

Now me an Mas’ Johnny
We deh from de start
From we a live inna one room
An’ a push ol’ hand cart
But me frien’ dem say
Johnny no good
An’ t’ink we should part
But me t’ink dem is jinal
An’ a try fi fin’ fault
True Johnny buy Camry
An’ buil’ suit from good clart
So me tek time part dem company
Far like how me salt
“You might see a man face,
but you don’t see him heart”.

Deborah © 27/09/04