Jennifer Keane-Dawes, Outlook Writer

KEANE-DAWES

Me dear mam,

Sunday mawning gone a church, pastor talk it plain seh a heap a we weh claim seh we a Christian an weh love pack up weself a church a Sunday day time, need fe examine weself an we behaviah towards other people.

For if truth to be told, while Pupa Jeezas hab room at de foot a de crass fe all a we, some a we woan learn fe mek room right eena de said church fe other people. An a nuh lie. For de visit me bin visiting de said church away fram me yard, missis ma, me inna me deep prayaz one mawning when me feel smady a elbow me inna me side. Suh when me huppen me yeye. Dem lan pon dis helleba ooman. Weh nuh fit nuh description except a helleba ooman. A baddy blow me. Fe go dung pon de bench when she coulda did easily siddung some weh else. Well, me naw tell yu nuh lie. All prayaz an peace dat passeth all understanding fly outta me head.

Eating and eating

For while de choir mout a go roun an come roun like de heavenly hosts, me done sum har up long time as one a dem elder weh always a repent Sunday after Sunday yet woan stop tief out communion wine an add pipe water to wah lef. Suh wid all de singing an halleluia what did a galang, fe me mine did a go a hundred miles per hour seh all like she shoulda really glad seh God is not like man. For if me was God, an she a tief me communion. A woulda show har de right way fe repent.

For one Sunday mawning bright an early when him lif up da communion bottle like any rum head. Watch if teet an tongue wouldn't meet pon de heap scotch bonnet weh blen out to nutten an draw like sorrel inna de wine das siddung overnight a wait pon him? Cho!

But missis, talking dis an talking dat bout me feelings dat Sunday mawning, a de said way, like a spite, me meet pon four yardie one after de next weh mek me know how, after dem sell dem house an corouches a fariegn an come a yard fe work an mek a contribution. Dem meet pon some circle a smady weh mek dem feel unwanted like puss four foot inna boot. For missis, ascordin to de four a dem weh nuh know dem one anneda. Is like if dem mek nuh suggestion de fuss ting dem hear is dat "a nuh Merica dis". So for example if politician a tek government vehicle. Wid government gas. Weh poor people taxes buy.

Gal fren

Fe go pick up him sweetheart fuss dawta weh a tek private lesson fram him. Nuh question nuffi ask. For a nuh Merica dis. Suh nuh question shouldn't did ask dis man weh, as me did tell yu, used to use dis hearse a Satideh night time come carry him gal fren. Dress to puss foot inna har hobble skirt. G'a dance. Or de ambulance man up a Papine weh did used de ambulance run robot till police car tun crass way an put a stoppage to it.

But, me dear mam, me seh all dis fe seh das dis like de lost sheep who fa soul hab value to Massa God. A de same way ebry returning resident weh decide fe come back a yard should hab value to Jamaica land we love. For, bearing in mind seh we hab some yardie weh, fram dem lef, neva even memba how fe spell Jamaica, it shouldn't be das de one dem weh decide fe come en up a buy return ticket to backra country.

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.