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Sport 25: Spring 2000

Jamaica farewell

page 162

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

page 163

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