Classic Poem

No palm me up, you dutty brute,
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 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 t'ink say you's 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 wah'?—'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'?