Stop the Brutality

Stop the Brutality

Not long ago it was Abner Louima
And the young Black woman in California
The teenager in Brooklyn and Rodney King
I cannot understand what is happening
Now we have it right here in the Bronx
These barbaric acts we must all denounce
If this thing continues indefinitely
We wouldn't see another century

Right across the river in new Jersey
A tiger needed one shot for eternity
But a poor Black man just out for a snack
Was shot nineteen times most of them in the back
Now I am afraid to go out after eight
For I might end up with the same fate
Amadou Diallo was healthy and sound
Now he is six feet underground

Rev. Sharpton and Jesse Jackson
Are doing what is supposed to be done
Organizing marches and protest meetings
So everyone can express their true feelings
But the Mayor has seen only one thing wrong
Using too many shots to bring Diallo down
We'll use different bullets next time he said
But make sure them fellows end up dead

I'm appealing to the President and his cabinet
Stop this now or you will regret
And if they cannot put an end to this problem
A foreign Power might do it for them
I do not know what is in store
But stranger things have happened before
Let us all pray to the Almighty
Before Democracy is replaced with anarchy.

Fish Vendors

Fish Vendors: 1st Feb 1998

Passing through a fish market the other day
Hear what the fish vendors had to say
Come and buy fresh fish from me
And you'll be getting quality
Get your fish this fresh fresh fish
Cheap and good for any dish
Jean said put all to the test
You'll see that my fish is the best

Chorus
If you fish was clean and nice
I wouldn't mind paying the correct price
But selling it for a little bit
There must be something wrong with it

I said Joan if your fish is on sale
Why did you scrape off all the scale
She said the size you cannot miss
And some men like seeing it like this
I know it doesn't smell too good
But believe me it is healthful food
Just rub some salt and lime juice in
Be careful with the gills and fin

Chorus
I said lime and salt might kill the smell
But it will burn your fish like hell
I think some clean water will do
Then your fish will look brand new

Pauline declared it's after five
But look my fish is still alive
I keep it covered all the time
And you can see there is no slime
I sprinkle water when it is hot
Now my fish is ready for the pot
Thyme cube aji and blackpepper
Will produce a fine flavour

Chorus
But I told her: if you cover your fish with a cloth
It doesn't seasoning for a broth
Whether it's medium thin or fat
It can be eaten just like that.

Reading

Reading: 29th May 2004

Reading is educational and a lot of fun
And I recommend it to everyone
Even if you have glaucoma or a cross-eyed look
You will enjoy reading almost any book

I read Hansel and Gretel and Tom Sawyer
Rip Van Winkle, Robin Hood and Gulliver
Oliver Twist, Black Beauty and Clyde Barrow
J. Edgar Hoover, Eliot Ness and Clarence Darrow

My education consisted of three primary schools
And I adhered to all of the rules
Brushing my teeth, m y fingernails clean
I really respected matters on hygiene
Loved spelling, geography and nature-study
Fraction was the subject that discouraged me
But I read about Joan of Arc and Catherine the Great
Julius Caesar, Napolean Bonaparte and Henry the Eight

In 1953 I had the unusual privilege
Of shaking hands with Sir Alfred Savage
Who proceeded to interrogate me
On matters relevant to the community
Now I began to read a lot more
And learned about things I never knew before
The construction of the Panama Canal, the Berlin Wall
The evils of slavery and that wasn't all

It is my desire to see our youths learn
And I will seek the assistance of Franklyn Langhorne
Osmond Maison and others including Teacher Jennie
To begin a campaign against illeteracy
It will not be easy to carry this though
But if the Honeybear has made it they can too
I read about Patience and Tolerance
And I know success comes even when there's little chance

I read a little as you can see
The only books I didn't care about Necromancy
But I read about Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan
Hubert Critchlow, Jai Kissoon and Harold Lutchman
Dr. Edward Simon, Lionel Luckhoo and J.O.F. Haynes
I also read articles on No Pains No Gains
I am now a retired Senior Citizen
And someday I'll be reading about My Children.