Sun a shine but tings no bright; <br />Doah pot a bwile, bickle no nuff; <br />River flood but water scarce, yawl <br />Rain a fall but dutty tough. <br /> <br />Tings so bad dat nowadays when <br />Yuh ask smaddy how dem do <br />Dem fraid yuh tek tell dem back, <br />So dem no answer yuh. <br /> <br />No care omuch we da work fa <br />Hard-time still een wi shut; <br />We dah fight, Hard-time a beat we, <br />Dem might raise wi wages, but <br /> <br />One poun gawn awn pon we pay, an <br />We no feel no merriment <br />For ten poun gawn pon wi food <br />An ten pound pon we rent! <br /> <br />Saltfish gawn up, mackerel gawn up. <br />Pork en beef gawn up, <br />An when rice and butter ready <br />Dem jus go pon holiday! <br /> <br />Claht, boot, pin an needle gawn up <br />Ice, bread, taxes, water-rate <br />Kersine ile, gasolene, gawn up; <br />An de poun devaluate <br /> <br />De price of bread gone up so high <br />Dat we haffi agree <br />Fi cut we yeye pon bred an all <br />Turn dumplin refugee <br /> <br />An all dem marga smaddy weh <br />Dah gwan like fat is sin <br />All dem-deh weh dah fas wid me <br />Ah lef dem to dumpling! <br /> <br />Sun a shine an pot a bwile, but <br />Things no bright, bickle no nuff <br />Rain a fall, river dah flood, but, <br />Water scarce an dutty tough.<br /><br />Louise Simone Bennett Coverly<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/dutty-tough/
