Jennifer Keane-Dawes, Contributor

Me dear mam,

Yu did know seh nuff fareign people fraid fe fry fish wid de head pon it? Sake a wah? De two fish yeye weh dem claim seh a look back pon dem. For, as me did tell yu one long time, a ooman me used to work wid a Kentucky nayly drap dung when me did gladly huppen de piece a foil wid de heap a snapper me madda did fry an sen fe har. Well, yu si me now? Me naw tek dat mek a problem.

Suh whenever me hab nuh little compulsory get togedda a my yard, an nuh really intend fe put meself outta socket fe nobaddy, a de one dem wid de broadest head das me a go fry an put out. Who waan mek fraid-a-it kin dem inna pupa lick. Mek dem galang ben up. Exercise good fe heart. An who doan want it leave it. Fish dear. An me neva outta bread an butter. But a one ting me know, dem cyaan seh me neva invite dem.

Come back again, a said way yu hab some smady a yard weh tek Massa God offa de crass how dem nuh eat pork. Only ham or de leany part. But try nuh gi dem yu fork fe tek a little piece. For a de heap a fork teet an gravy das dem a go lef pon yu plate. An a said way, after sickness an ole age tek Haile Selassie jaw bone mek pliaz. Some a de certain smady weh begin fe realize seh Selassie deh pon de verge.

Doubting Thomas

Das him was about fe dead an rotten like every other god except Jesus Christ. Weh wake up. Walk outta de grave. Show doubting Thomas Him two han middle weh dem did run de nail eena. Cook fish fe Him disciple dem breakfast. Bless dem. Promas dem seh Him soon come back an dem fe win soul fe de Kingdom of Heaven. An den Him kindly lif off to heaven like space ship. Missis ma, some a all weh did a blood fire Arnold an Trenton begin show respect fe all hog. When saying suh still, a nuh all smady like meself love fool roun de hog. For it really nuh good fe yu.

Suh me dear lady, all a dis fish head an Trenton bisniss come to tawt de other day a fareign when, like a spite me meet two diffrant smady eena row weh bin telling me bout some a de tings dem weh dem love eat for dem granny used to cook it gi dem fram de yeye deh a dem knee. One lady she seh das she woulda like fe invite me to har madda yard when she cook rat weh lib eena swamp water.

Well Pupa Jeezas tell me seh when smady receive me eena dem house me suppose fe eat weh dem set before me (Luke 10:8) But since me know in advance seh a rat dem a go set before me, dem naw ketch me a fe dem house. Come back again, me meet dis man little after me meet de rat ooman.

Well, him now mek me know seh alligator is a ting weh cyan lef offa fe him family menu. An after him talk an talk how much kine a way fe cook dung alligator, me begin fe focus pon one ting. Massa God love variety. An said way yu hab diffrant flowers an dawg, an puss, an goat, an cow. A said way all kine a culture people full up de world. Ongle one ting we haffi do. Show respect fe all man an mek Him be de judge.

Tek care!

Dr Jennifer Keane-Dawes is a professor of communication at Elizabeth City State University, a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System. Send your email to: jkd876@yahoo.com