Me and the Kettle

Ah shudda listen the first time mommy call

To come wash the dishes and clean the yard

But with me eyes glue on the tv and me legs sprawl

Me pretend me na hear, and turn to card

As a black woman pickney why me behave hard ears?

And wait on the second call when she voice done change

Ah shudda come out the house with my face showing fear

Instead of the frown and push mouth at such a close range

She grab me by the collar with her face so fierce

Her voice expressing the price I’ll pay

Ah feel the sting as my skin was pierce

From slaps that wipe the frown away

Ah twist and turn until ah get free

Then run down the hill at a fast pace

Ah knew that mommy couldn’t outrun me

So ah figure that was the end of the case

Clung, clung, clung on the coconut tree

Ah kettle bounce off close to me head

Ah mek one duck, ah drop to my knee

Ah said this was it, ah thought ah was dead

 Hahaha me cousin dem laugh out

Oh lard, the kettle nearly out e light

All that time mummy continue to shout

Me still on the ground ah tremble with fright

For months to come is ‘bout the kettle track and field

Me cousin and dem still ah laugh at me

But all me learn ah pickney who na hear ah feel

And next time mommy call, get up and do me duty

Ah Swallow me Tonsil

 So daddy wake me brothers ah early morning

All the “Rise and Shine” couldn’t stop the turning

With the dew and the coldness, their mouths were push

At the thought of walking through all the bush

By evening time dem had a change in mood

So dey look fi mango, orange and other food

As the sun get hot, daddy send them home

But that was the time they choose to roam

Up and down Missa Bayee land

Dey run and jump to touch the banana hand

Dem know for sure if Missa Bayee did see

He wudda curse and shout and complain to mammie

Yet just for fun Jacob pretend

Look Missa Bayee ah come around the bend

He tek off with one piece ah lightning speed

Sure that Rufus wud follow his lead

Like a road runner he head down di track

Him neva even see the banana tie-back

De piece ah string give him one clothesline,

He fall so hard, nearly bruk him spine

Yet Jacob hold he throat with fear on him face

No longer concern about winning the race

Me brother run to him full up ah fright

Cause Jacob seem ready to read his last rite

Rufus hear a weak croak, when he try fi counsel,

“Call daddy, tell him me swallow me tonsil.”

Rufus eyes light up, there were laughs galore

Him belly starting hurting, he cudn’t tek it no more

This was no joke for Jacob at the time

He was still in shock, thinking he gwine dead in e prime

But this didn’t stop Rufus who was now on the ground rolling

He cudn’t wait to reach home and tell arwe everything

If anything, is me mammie ah blame

If this was public me brother wudder shame

If yo touch up yo tonsil, she put it in we head,

It go fly down we throat and kill arwe dead

For years to come we still laugh at de joke

Even at times imitating Jacob croak

But even though we all find dis story so funny

It just goes to show the influence of yo mammie

Ah how me grow up

Today me ah hear bout Dragon ballz and peekachu

Nintendo, Play station and xbox too

Apart from that social media in control

Everybody behaving like outside cold

Who na have facebook, Ah tweet and hashtag

Others online buying puss in a bag

D pickney dem kno much about technological device

Concern with brand and quality, but hardly the price

It cause me to reflect on the old time days

Dolly house, pitching marble and paper boat race

Down by the river, we spend a lot time

Catching crayfish, lobsters or simply jus lyme

Na talk 'bout the evening when moon ah shine

Ah then we happy, its games or story time

Hide and seek in grassroots was the sweetest game

But ah the jumbie stories, shhhh na call dem name

Ah often wonder if it was cause we poor

No TV in the house, nothing to allure

Even when rain ah come we still outside

Down the muddy hill, we tek turns to slide

None ah we obese, which is a complain nowadays

Nutritionist ah now encourage outside games

So put down the gadgets, ley we play outdoors

Come see if u nah go enjoy yourself more

Copyright (C) 2014

Please leave a comment. If you have a critical eye for poem, a constructive criticism will be appreciated. You can also suggest a suitable title for this poem. For my international readers, the poem is a mixture of English and the Vincentian Creole. 

Two Jack ah Lantans?

 So daddy tell we a story one moonlit night

About a period in life when there was no street light

Two men travelling from opposite directions

They couldn’t see their hands, they were dark in complexion

Briskly they walked, along the long winding road,

No fear for the crickets, the owl or the toad,

But when their head connect and they saw something flash,

They didn’t stop to wonder or see with what they clash,

For they both heard the stories about the Jack ah lantan

That travel at night to suck blood from human,

They didn’t wear no skin, and had eyes like fire,

So no need to halt; who would stop to enquire?

So off they sped in the direction from which they came,

They will sleep at a rum shop with no pain and no shame,

For this situation has left others dead

Not with some bruises and simply a bump on their heads

The next day will come, they would let others know,

About the Jack ah lantan that travel the streets of Mespo,

But what are the chances, said one man to another,

That these men stories are so similar to each other?

Could it be that they were both very drunk?

And the flash appeared from when their heads clunk?

Though reasoning was sound, convinced were the men,

It must be two jack ah lantans, we nar walk that road again

Gun Shooting Reinvented

Me na dead, me na dead

My cousin Jack often cried

The bullet na catch me,

‘Cause behind the tree I hide

The shooter was angry as he tried to explain

I see you clear, clear, clear

You move from the tree into the plain

But the issue remained impossible to resolve

With no proof of wound, who can say

Who was right or wrong

So up came an idea into another’s head

Let’s reinvent the game, let’s use green banana instead

No more pow pow pow with sticks call guns

We will sail a banana and knock you down

Truth be told, it was more about the ouch and pain

If you get hit by the banana, who can complain?

For sure yo will dead now, Jack the shooter express

Ah go mek sure the banana stain left pon’ yo chess

So the new gun shooting start with a bang

Every man line up with green bananas in their hand

It was game for the athletic and those with no fright

Banana ah sail to the left and to the right

Murder oye, you hear a man shout

Everybody know say Johnny Brown out

Jack was grinning, ah kill um dead

Ah bet he na say, he na dead he na dead

Others laughed though they hid behind trees

Gun shooting reinvented, was a done deal,

A game that continued till the last man stand

With a grin on his face and a green banana in his hand

Jumbie Stories Sweet

Three small picknies sit by the outside kitchen

Not sure if them ready fi the story to begin

Daddy tipped the flambo with a smirk on his face

The light was now bright, but still our hearts race

Our eyes tear opened as he started the first

About the river bridge in Mespo whey people say curse

With no electricity during those times

The pitched black night was when the ghost chose to shine

In a long white dress, she often appears

No man too big for her to instil in them fear

We jumped a little as daddy screeched out her sound

The place was so silent we can hear our hearts pound

Go bring me the salt mummy shouted to my brother

The silence was broken as we looked at each other

Daddy started to laugh at the look on his face

But mommy was upset and started to pace

Why you does frighten the pickney them, she shouted at him

Na dem want hear jumbie stories, he replied with a grin

Go follow him, he said, all three ah you go

Nothing na dey in the house to frighten aryo

We took a lighted candle and headed in the house

Nobody talking, we quiet like a mouse

Our toes were being mashed by each other’s feet

No one wanted the back, no one wanted to lead

We shuffled along till we got to the table

The shackle of fear no longer had us disabled

For as my brother grabbed the salt we all rush for the door

Although Jumbie story sweet, we never want hear no more

A second will come, but on another night

Once we get a good rest and sleep off the fright

Maybe next time we go hear about Jack o’ Lantern

Frog with bow tie or the Obeah man

Copyright Rose-Ann Smith 2014

The Power of "Pull String" or Networking in Job Hunting

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140523152349-336067-networking-a-novel-approach

There is a thing that Caribbean people call "pull string", which is where you get a job because someone you know in the institution sets you up. Pull string has been used in a somewhat derogative manner as often times, we believe that persons get jobs that they are not qualify for, while others who may be highly qualified are left at the wayside. Hence, I choose to use the term networking to describe how relationship with others may help you advance in life. 

I reflect back on my second job. I was in church I think, when my sister in the Lord, who know that I was job seeking, told me that a teacher is needed at a school and I must call this lady. I called the lady and was told to come in for an interview the following day. I did not write a cover letter or a resume. The next day, the interview was more of an introduction to the school, the classes I would be teaching and the staff. The job was mine. How many of you are in a job position, not necessarily based on your job application, but more so your connection with others?

Networking is highly significant in our modern economy when it comes to job hunting. It is not enough to advance yourself academically and then send in some random applications hoping that someone will hire you. While this may work, you will find that most of the times, you get a reply saying, "No job available at this time, but we will keep your application on file". Keeping your application on file means little because hardly ever would someone look through the great number of applications on file to contact you should another vacancy becomes available.

Connecting with the right people and a large number of people provides several benefits. You can get knowledge of job positions that becomes available in an organization and are known several months in advance before they hit the newspaper. You can have persons recommending you to job providers based on their relationship with you. You can obtain a job simply through the recommendation of another with your resume and cover letter accepted just for formality. 

So while you may be an introvert, know when to burst that shell and become a extrovert. Do not burn your bridges. When you leave an organization, leave in peace regardless of the reason you left. Your boss may just know another boss who you are about to come in contact with. As much as you can, take advantage of workshops, conferences and social events, which will help you to increase your circles. However, while you are doing all these improve your qualifications and make yourself more marketable. By doing this, you will feel content to know that when you get that job, it is not just simply a "pull string" based on a position with no qualifications, but one based on a position for which you are highly qualified.