We Survived Three...Recollection

If you tink Hugo win bad or Louis
Well,
1998 hurricane Georges come pon we

He bring wid he lightning, rain and tunder
Water gush dung e’ry path and gutter
Tree neck bruk,
Limbs akimbow
Tree root a cockup  
Leaves fall dung like tears a sorrow

Man, a blow de win blow
Splitting de board house in three
Pushing it over like a harrow

Are-me-look-a-me-wuk-ya!

See we scrambling under de bed like cockroach
A run from fowl,
Man, we jam weself in a carner
Wey all ah we can hold

Shhh… ah calm, de eye passing

See we peep out from under de bed
Like turtle head out a shell…
Man, weather tun up outside once more
We duck back under for sure

De tail wind licking and whipping
‘Lectric wire screeching
Ghaut belly aching
From de big stone rumbling

When e’ry ting dun
We crawl out luk a crab out a hole
A wah dis we a see,
De latrine garn wid de fig tree
‘Lectric wire tangle up in a de breadfruit tree
Miss John ah call Marie,
“Marieeee! Marieee!”

E’ry body a check pon we
Since we board house bruk in three
Except de rep in the constituency

“Well are you no gat no wey to live”
“This damn Georges didn’t give one wretch’

Well at least we gat life we say, we live to see today!


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Andrea Olivia Ottley was born and raised in the Federation of St.Kitts and Nevis. She is a mother of five children who enjoys motherhood as well as the kaleidoscope of life. She is a poet, a writer and a photographer who believes the world to be art in its natural and creative sense. She writes largely as a mean to comfort herself using native vernacular and vibrant descriptions to create her own voice and style in the world of Caribbean Literature.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Quite Interesting, What seems like an ineffable adventure you portray it well.

Anonymous said...

Very refresshing, the imagery and sound, I was transported into the poem and into the Caribbean beat:

Tree neck bruk,

Limbs akimbow

Tree root a cockup

Leaves fall dung like tears a sorrow

Cleo said...

An excellent recollection with the rhythm of our land during hurricane time. Yes we lived to see today.

Anonymous said...

Oh Ollie. You are talented. Its obvious where you heart is. Keep writing.

Pussang said...

It is a very well written poem. You continue to exert this positive energy in your writing. I am very proud of your accomplishment. God Speed!

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