“Jamaica Labrish ~ Louise Bennett”
“Colonizing in Reverse”
———————————
Jamaica people colonizin
Englan in reverse.
By de hundred, by de t’ousan
From country and from town,
By de ship-load, by de plane-load
Jamaica is Englan boun.
…
Dem a-pour out o’ Jamaica,
Everybody future plan
Is fe get big-time job
An settle in de mother lan.
…
What a islan! What a people!
Man an woman, old an young
Jusa pack dem bag an baggage
An tun history upside dung!
…
Some people don’t like travel;
But fe show dem loyalty
Dem all a-open up cheap-fare-
To Englan-agency.
…
An week by week dem shippin
off Dem countryman like fife,
Fe immigrate an populate
De seat 0′ de Empire.
…
Oonoo see how life is funny,
Oonoo see de tunabout,
Jamaica live fe box bread
Outa English people mout’.
…
Wat a devilment a Englan!
Dem face war an brave de worse,
But I’m wonderin’ how dem gwine stan’
Colonizin in reverse.
(in Bennett 1966: 179-180, qtd. Mühleisen, 19.)
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