A Midnight Woman to the Bobby
You' jam mout' mash like ripe bread-fruit;
You fas'n now, but wait lee ya,
I'll see you grunt under de law.
You t'ink you wise, but we wi' see;
You not de fus' one fas' wid me;
I'll lib fe see dem tu'n you out,
As sure as you got dat mash' mout'.
I born right do'n beneat' de clack
(You ugly brute, you tu'n you' back?)
Don' t'ink dat I'm a come-aroun',
I born right 'way in 'panish Town.
Care how you try, you caan' do mo'
Dan many dat was hyah befo';
Yet whe' dey all o' dem te-day?
De buccra dem no kick dem 'way?
Ko pon you' jam samplatta nose:
'Cos you wear Mis'r Koshaw clo'es
You fink say youts de only man,
Yet fus' time ko how you be'n 'tan'.
You big an' ugly ole tu'n-foot
Be'n neber know fe wear a boot;
An' chigger nyam you' tumpa toe,
Till nit full i' like herrin' roe.
You come from mountain naked-'kin,
An' Lard a mussy! you be'n thin,
For all de bread-fruit dem be'n done,
Bein' 'poil' up by de tearin' sun:
De coco couldn' bear at all,
For, Lard! de groun' was pure white~marl;
An' t'rough de rain part o' de year
De mango tree dem couldn' bear.
An' when de pinch o' time you feel
A 'pur you a you' chigger heel,
You lef you' district, big an' coarse,
An' come join' buccra Police Force.
An' now you don't wait fe you' glass,
But trouble me wid you' jam fas';
But wait, me frien', you' day wi' come,
I'll see you go same lak a some.
Say wha'? -- 'res' me? -- you go to hell!
You t'ink Judge don't know unno well?
You t'ink him gwin' go sentance me
Widout a soul fe witness i'?