The poem “Country Bwoy”written by Miss Lou (Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley OM, OJ, MBE) can be found in her book Aunty Roachy Seh
Me no like tung at all, at all!
Me no gwine go back deh.
De one no mo week me spen deh
Me meet crosses, eh-eh!
One day me walk dung King Street, an
Me go eena one store
– Me tink dem call i ‘Enterprise’
But me is not so sure.
Me tan up tan up bout de place
Look pon everyting
Tell me see one oman queeze sinting
And me hear de sinting ring.
Me-see one doorway open, de
Oman go tru de door.
Me ax one man a whe she gawn
An him seh up Five Prize Store.
Me tink to meself ‘Ah doan know
Whe Five Prize deh, but tan!
Ef de sinting cya har deh, it can
Cya me a foreign lan.’
Me member Lou whe gawn a sea
From me was a li bwoy
– Ah seh ‘Ah gwine go look fi har’
An me heart full up wid joy.
Me put me han pon de button,
De door open wid ease,
Me step een an seh to de man
‘Stap me at Cuba, please.’
De man meck up him face dis lacka
When it set fi rain me tink
So tun roun ax me ef me tink
Me eena aeroplane.
De ting start moves me feel like me
Drink bout twelve glass a beer,
Ah never know meself so-tell
De man seh ‘Come out here’.
Ah step eena one pretty place.
Ah nearly drop a grung
When ah see de straight-hair ladies
Jus walking up an dung.
One pretty gal step up so she
‘What can I do for you?’
Hear me: ‘Dis is Cuba, I presume.
Ah waan see Cousin Lou.’
De gal bus out a laugh an she
‘You’redizzy from de ride.
You’re from de country? Oh, poor ting!
Jus step aroun dis side.’
She show me some step so seh ‘Don’t
Ride on de lif no more.’
Me go dung forty step, an lan
Same place back eena de store.
Me pass boot, hat an claht, me go
Een an come outa door,
But all de tun me tun an twis
Me still eena de store.
Massa, me get eena temper,
Ah teck a oat an seh
Ah doan like tung at all at all
An ah hooden gu back deh.