Songs of Jamaica (1912)
Jim at Sixteen
Corpy,[1] it pinch me so,
De bloomin’ ole handcuff;
A dun no warra mek[2]
You put it on so rough.
Many a póliceman
Hab come to dis before;
Dem slip same like a[3] me,
An’ pass t’rough lock-up door.[4]
Mumma, no bodder[5] cry,
It should an[6] hotter be;
I wouldn’ heed you when
You use’[7] fe talk to me.
I run[8] away from you
Same as I tu’n out school,[9]
‘Caus’n a didn’ want
To stan’ under no rule.[10]
An’ though you send[11] fe me,
A wouldn’ face de home;
Yet still dem[12] find you quick
Same as de trouble come.[13]
Mumma, I know quite well
You’ lub fe me is ‘trong;
Yet still you don’t a go
Join wid me in a wrong.[14]
An’ so I won’t beg you
To pay fe[15] me to-day;
I’ll bear me punishment,[16]
‘Twill teach me to obey
* * * * * * * * * *
Mumma, you’ Jim get ‘way
An’ come back home[17] to you,
An’ ask[18] you to forgive
Him all o’ whe’ him do.[19]
I want you to feget
Dat I disgrace de name,
An’ cause de ole fam’ly[20]
To look ‘pon me wid shame.
You come an’ beg de judge
Before dem call fe me,[21]
An’ walk by de back gate,
T’inkin’ I wouldn’ see.
But ‘fore him let me go,
Him lectur’ me, mumma,
Tellin’ me how I mus’
Try no fe bruk de law.[22]
Mumma, I feel it, but
No eye-water caan’ drop:
Yet I wish dat it could,
For me breat’ partly ‘top.[23]
So, mumma, I come back
Again to be your boy,
An’ ever as before
To fill you’ heart wid joy.
NOTE BY THE AUTHOR. —On Friday I went to Court on duty for the third time since my enlistment. I happened to escort a prisoner, a stalwart young fellow, and as I was putting on the handcuff, which was rather small, it pinched him badly, making a raw wound. And yet he was so patient, saying he knew that I could not help it. Although it was accidentally done, I felt so sad and ashamed. The above poem grew out of this incident.
- From McKay's glossary: "corpy: corporal" ↵
- I don't know what made ↵
- This intrusive 'a' is common. 'Like' has the pronunciation of French lac ↵
- The door of the lock-up ↵
- Do not bother (trouble) to cry —i.e., do not cry ↵
- Intrusive again ↵
- Used ↵
- Ran ↵
- As soon as I left school ↵
- To be under discipline ↵
- Sent ↵
- The police ↵
- When the trouble came ↵
- You are not going to back me up in wrongdoing ↵
- The fine ↵
- And go to prison ↵
- Has got off and comes home ↵
- Asks ↵
- All he has done. Whe' = what ↵
- Pronounce fahmly ↵
- You came and begged the magistrate before my case was brought ↵
- Telling me I must take care not to break the law. Pronounce lah ↵
- He means, that the lump in his throat is more painful than tears ↵