Category Archives: Jamaica

About Poets: SALENA GODDEN

"House by the Railroad," Edstevenson Hopper, 1925

About Poets: LINTON KWESI JOHNSON

"House by the Railroad," Edward Hopper, 1925

About Poets: JAMES BERRY

"House by the Railroad," Edward Hopper, 1925

About Poets: KEI MILLER

"House by the Railroad," Edward Hopper, 1925

About Poets: BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH

About Poets: YRSA DALEY-WARD

"House by the Railroad," Edstevenson Hopper, 1925

About Artists: HURVIN ANDERSON

"House by the Railroad," Edward Hopper, 1925

About Poets: DEAN ATTA

About Poets: KAREN McCARTHY WOOLF

Clasics in Ñspel: OKAY, BROWN GIRL, OKAY, by James Berry

OCE, BRǍN GRL, OCE

Jemz Béri

• • • • • • • • • • •

Jozi, Jozi, I am oce
biyñ brǎn. I rmembr,
evri de dusc n dōn gt born
fṛm ɖ luvñ v nît n lît
hu wrc tgɖr, lîc marid.

N ɖe wd lîc t se t y:
B at scūl on n on, brǎn Jozi,
lîc ʈǎzndz n ʈǎzndz n ʈǎzndz
v ćildṛn, hu r brǎn n ẃît
n blac n pel-lemn culr.
Ol ɖ tîm, brǎn grl Jozi z oce.

Jozi, Jozi, I am oce
biyñ brǎn. I rmembr,
evri minit sún in ɖ scî
n grǎnd v ɖ rʈ wrc tgɖr
lîc marid.

N ɖe wd lîc t se t y:
Rîd on p a gwñ esc̣letr
lîc ʈǎzndz n ʈǎzndz n ʈǎzndz
v ppl, hu r brǎn n ẃît
n blac n pel-lemn culr.
Ol ɖ tîm, brǎn grl Jozi z oce.

Jozi, Jozi, I am oce
biyñ brǎn. I rmembr,
ol ɖ tîm brît-scî n brǎn-rʈ
wrc tgɖr, lîc marid
mcñ forists n fūd n flǎrz n ren.

N ɖe wd lîc t se t y:
gro n gro brîtli, brǎn grl.
Rait n rīd n ple n wrc.
Rîd bus or tren or bot or erplein
lîc ʈǎzndz n ʈǎzndz n ʈǎzndz
v ppl, hu r brǎn n ẃît
n blac n pel-lemn culr.
Ol ɖ tîm, brǎn grl Jozi z oce.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Stanley Royle: Portrait of a West Indian Girl; Doncaster Museum Service.
Stanli Roil (1888–1961): PORTRIT OV A WST INDỊN GRL, Doncastr Ḿziymsrvis

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

Clasics in Ñspel: MONEY, by Benjamin Zephaniah

MUNI

Bnɉmin Zef̣naia

•  •  •  •  •  •  •

Muni mc a rić man fīl lîc a big man
It mc a pur man fīl lîc a hūlign
A wn peṛnt faṃli fīlz lîc a rufịn
N ɖoz hu hv it w’nt gv y enʈñ
Muni mcs yr frend bcm yr eṇmi
Y start si ʈñz vri sūṗfiṣ́li
Yr lîf z livd vri arṭfiṣ́li
Unlîc ɖoz hu liv in poṿti
Muni infcts yr īgo
Bt muni brñz y dǎn
Muni cōzz probḷmz enẃr muni z faund
Fūd z ẃt w nīd
Fūd z nesṣri
Let m gro mî fūd
N mc dem īt dem muni
Muni mcs a sñr sñ a lod v crap
Muni cips horsz runñ rǎnd ɖ trac
Muni mcs maṛjz
N muni mcs dvors
N muni mcs a stydnt ʈnc abt ɖ cors
Muni mcs cmrślz
N cmrślz mc muni
N f y d’nt hv muni
Ɖen y woć mor TV
Muni cn sev s
Bt yt w fīl dūmd
Plenti muni brnz in a ńclir muśrum
Muni ca’n mc y hapi
Muni ca’n hlp y ẃn y dî
An ɖoz hu hv it cntińli liv a lî
Ćildṛn r dayñ
Spîz r spayñ
Refyjīz r fliyñ
Poḷtiśnz r layñ
N dīlz r dn
N webz r spun
Nwn cīps ɖ ʈrd wrld on ɖ run
N ɖ bruɖr fīlz betr ɖn ɖ bruɖrz nxt dor
Cōz ɖ bruɖrz got muni
bt hiz bruɖrz got mor
Ɖ bruɖr ʈncs a bruɖr’z nt a bruɖr
cz h’z pur
Ẃn a bruɖr cilz ɖ uɖr ɖt z ic̣nomic wor
Ic̣nomic wor
Ic̣nomic wor
It me nt b ɖ īst n ɖ wst enmor
Bt ɖ norʈ n ɖ sǎʈ
Ʈrd wrld fōl ǎt
Śŭgr an ôl
Ɖt z ẃt it’s abt
Ic̣nomic wor
Ic̣nomic wor
Śots fîrd fṛm ɖ stocmarcit flor
So w wrc fr a livin
W trî an w trî
Wɖ so litl tîm fr ćilin
Lîc w’r livin a lî
Muni mcs a drīm bcm riaḷti
Muni mcs riyl lîf lîc a fanṭsi
Muni hz a habit v gwñ t ɖ hed
I hv sm fr ɖ reni de undnʈ m bed
Muniprobḷmz mc it hard t rlax
Muni mcs it dificlt t gt dǎn t ɖ facts
Muni mcs y wrśp vaṇti n lîz
Muni z a drug wɖ līgl hîz
Muni md m g ǎt an rob
Ɖen it md m g lcñ fr a job
Muni md ɖ nrs
N ɖ doctr iṃgret
Muni baiz frendz y luv t het
Muni md sleṿri sīm alrît
Muni bròt ɖ Bîbl
An ɖ Bîbl śon ɖ lît
Vicṭri t ɖ penilis
At grasrūt sorsz
W cm t maś dǎn marcitforsz
W cm t maś dǎn marcitforsz

•  •  •  •  •  •  •

bt on ɖ uɖr hand:

CLASICS IN ÑSPEL

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