[ Here goes our poet again. This time reacting to recent decisions to tax even salt used to flavour foods]. It’s titled “Tax deh pon salt, literally “taxation on the salt”. Its not just about taxing salt however as you will see when you read.

Again its written in our unique Jamaican dialect (internationally known as Patois). its’s a great way to learn our language while learning of our culture and literary skills through poetry. Contact negril.com’s team for interpretation to your language where necessary. ]

 

TAX DEH PON SALT

-          By Joan Andrea Hutchinson (April 2009)

 

SOMETIME MI DID want to be a people

A animal or a bug

But today mi glad bag bus an mi happy

Because mi is a slug

 

Mi say Bap Bap Bap an Booyaka

Mi shout Yippy-di-deee

Oonoo nearly gi wi high blood pressure

But now wi life salt free

 

Free like a bird in a tree becaw Man A Yard

Say salt fi hug up tax

Free fi  nyam dung oonoo gyaaden a night time

An live life to di max

 

Oonoo tink say wi slug is just a nuisance

Claim say a just one ting wi want

Fi entime oonoo gyaaden start fi prosper

Wi come nyam dung plant

 

Oonoo come wid oonoo backle a salt a night time

A come throw salt pon slug

Wicked oonoo wicked an evilous man

A set a cold, hard hearted thug

 

And di cheap salt weh oonoo buy, bun hot yuh know

Woii … di discomfort an di pain

Cheap oonoo too cheap fi evenbuy slug pellets

Dat woulda be more humane

 

Front a public oonoo defend di poor an disadvantaged

Down to di criminal oonoo hug

Read Bible an pray loud, den come a oonoo yard

An a dash salt pon slug

 

All some a oonoo so call deestant  an tapanaris

Wid oonoo high moral ways

Oonoo miss one lickle leaf, and di badwud oonoo cuss

Slug haffie cork slug aise

 

Mi think say some a di ooman dem a bun wi

Caw dem know dem body done

An a company dem a look becaw dem husband

Out a street a gi dem bun

 

So Man a Yard, mi nah gi nutten right or wrong

Mi nah say nutten a nobady fault

But mi kin stap bun mi an mi can live in peace

Becaw  tax deh pon salt.