Postponing the parking

Early in my music life, when I was trying my wings, a major influence was the work of the late Louise Bennett of Jamaica.  ‘Miss Lou’, as she was affectionately known, had become a legend in her time for pioneering the use of dialect in her poetry, and she was an inspiration to novice writers of my stripe.

Her ability to use dialect, combined with her unique sense of humour, was a perfect model for me.  In particular, the fact that she was drawing crowds to see her alone on a stage, reading nothing but her dialect poems, served to encourage me that I was on the right path of aiming my work at Caribbean audiences, singing about the Caribbean and confidently using dialect words and expressions. 

Miss Lou became known for her humorous barbs at the colonial set then ruling the region, and for her elevation of the power and humour of Jamaican dialect; she was a cultural beacon.  I have mentioned her before, but she came to mind again recently with the various contortions we have been seeing in society here, and so today, with a bow to the lady, here is an example of what Louise Bennett might have had to say about Guyana if she were living here today.

Postponement

Dis word dem call “postponement”

Lawd it full o’ tricks

Lawyers use it all de while

When dem in a fix.

 

Chief Justice in Guyana

When him don’t know wha’ fe say

Him stand up, bang de gavel

An’ seh “Court postpone today.”

 

Sugrim pon him wedding night

Him wife started fuh moan

She seh, “Darling is migraine time

Honeymoon postpone.”

 

Sugrim seh, “Mi understand

Migrane headache does bun

But de cash mi give you every month

Postponed till headache done.”

 

Politician you s’posed to meet

He office ‘pon de phone

“De meeting you supposed to have?

Sorry, um postpone.”

 

“Why de meeting put off?”

Mi ask her if she knew

She said, “Sir, de meeting postpone

An’ de reason postpone, too.”

 

You know Big George in Vreed-en-Hoop

Him get on very rough

Him beat him wife like cake mix

Nuff tumble ʼbout and cuff

 

She father hear de story

Blood fly up inna him head

Him squeeze George by him neckbone

Like when yuh kneadin’ bread

 

George wife bawl an’ beg fe him

She father seh “All right.”

Him tell George, “Bwoy, de cut tail

Postpone till Friday night.”

 

You see this word real powerful

It cover plenty sore

It even cover permission

To build a koker door

 It cover when a millionaire

Try fuh buy a church

De congregation congregate

And lef’ him in de lurch

 

Mi hear him lawyer call him

And tell him pon de phone

“Yuh know dat church yuh wan fe buy?

Yuh money get postpone.”

 

De parking meter nonsense

Dey best postpone that quick

People stop coming into town

Shopping in Crabwood Crick

 

A fella say de parking rate

“Is madness brother man

To pay de parking meter

I have to sell me house and land.”

 

A man tell me to meet de cost

To park in town, was murder

He had to strip and pawn he clothes

And drive home in he bukta

 

A chap I know named Fred Lindo

He live in Vergenoogen

To pay to park his brother send him

US cash from foreign

 

So tek me stupid advice bro

Tings in Guyana dread

De mortgage runnin overdue

Yuh wife run off wid Fred

 

When yuh finish pay fuh park

Yuh can’t buy bread and cheese

Raise yuh hand and beg “Dear Lawd,

Postpone tomorrow, please.”