Sport 25: Spring 2000
Jamaica farewell
Jamaica farewell
‘the others knit gollywogs
but mine is a coloured doll
you see?
a real girl
with gold rings in her ears
and a red rib dress
with actual pants
they don't come off
she's smiling at you
with nice lips
and plaits
that stay done up
her skin is chocolate
her eyes are black’
her son the grown boy dead
in the photograph
wearing an expression i thought
he was killed by The War
but Mum says he was knocked down by a tram
on the way to school
what happened to his father
the Great Aunts live together
they have an outside bath
who is the boss?
we sip sour squash and
sit still
on a wood settee or
run outside
round
and round
the grapefruit tree
to melt us
when we leave
they give us money