The Biter Bit

[“Ole woman a swea’ fe eat calalu: calalu^[1] a swea’ fe wuk him^[2] gut.”-JAMAICA PROVERB.]

CORN an’ peas growin’ t’ick an’ fas’
Wid nice blade peepin’ t’rough de grass;
An’ ratta^[3] a from dem hole a peep,
T’ink all de corn dem gwin’ go reap.

Ole woman sit by kitchen doo’
Is watchin’ calalu a grow,
An’ all de time a t’inking dat
She gwin’ go nyam dem when dem fat.^[4]

But calalu, grow’n’ by de hut,
Is swearin’ too fe wuk him gut;
While she, like some, t’ink^[5] all is right
When dey are in some corner tight.

Peas time come roun’^[6] —de corn is lef;
An’ ratta now deh train himse’f
Upon de cornstalk dem a’ night
Fe when it fit to get him bite.^[7]

De corn-piece lie do’n all in blue,^[8]
An’ all de beard dem floatin’ too
Amongst de yellow grain so gay,^[9]
Dat you would watch dem a whole day.

An’ ratta look at ebery one,
Swea’in’ dat dem not gwin’ lef none;^[10]
But Quaco know a t’ing or two,
An’ swear say^[11] dat dem won’t go so.

So him go get a little meal
An’ somet’ing good fe those dat steal,
An’ mix dem up an’ ‘pread dem out
For people possess fas’ fas’ mout’.^[12]

Now ratta, comin’ from dem nes’,
See it an’ say “Dis food is bes’;”
Dem nyam an’ stop, an’ nyam again,
An’ soon lie do’n, rollin’ in pain.