Jamaican Culture: Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley — Miss Lou, Jamaican Icon

Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley or Miss Lou, OM, OJ, MBE

It's back to the culture site of Blogging now and a post on someone who is, without doubt, the most Iconic of Jamaican's along with people like Bob Marley and lately Usain Bolt. Miss Lou.

If you are not Jamaican and have no real ties to Jamaica you may not have heard of Miss Lou, real name Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley born in Kingston, Jamaica September 7th 1919, Jamaican folklorist, writer, and educator. Miss Lou passed away July 26th, 2006. No doubt there will be many events to mark this great lady's birthday.

I would like this Blog to be part of the celebrations and so I will reproduce my own favourite poem by Miss Lou "Colonization in reverse" the poem in patois about the first Jamaican's to leave for the United Kingdom aboard the Windrush and other vessels. You can see a lot more from this great website dedicated to Miss Lou

Colonization in Reverse - Louise Bennett

Wat a joyful news, miss Mattie,
I feel like me heart gwine burs
Jamaica people colonizin
Englan in Reverse

By de hundred, by de tousan
From country and from town,
By de ship-load, by de plane load
Jamica is Englan boun.

Dem a pour out a Jamaica,
Everybody future plan
Is fe get a big-time job
An settle in de mother lan.

What an islan! What a people!
Man an woman, old an young
Jus a pack dem bag an baggage
An turn history upside dung!

Some people doan like travel,
But fe show dem loyalty
Dem all a open up cheap-fare-
To-England agency.

An week by week dem shippin off
Dem countryman like fire,
Fe immigrate an populate
De seat a de Empire.

Oonoo see how life is funny,
Oonoo see da turnabout?
jamaica live fe box bread
Out a English people mout'.

For wen dem ketch a Englan,
An start play dem different role,
Some will settle down to work
An some will settle fe de dole.

Jane says de dole is not too bad
Because dey payin she
Two pounds a week fe seek a job
dat suit her dignity.

me say Jane will never fine work
At de rate how she dah look,
For all day she stay popn Aunt Fan couch
An read love-story book.

Wat a devilment a Englan!
Dem face war an brave de worse,
But me wonderin how dem gwine stan
Colonizin in reverse.

http://www.jamaicantreasures.com
Email lisa@jamaicantreasures.com
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