A poem by Glenis Williams for Lambeth UNISON’s Black History Month event 2018

1948 the 500 arrive 70 years ago.—(rem good habit morning… n greet in street…) old days minors of abc, parents sitting room plastic covers, gram, crochet tings, cabinet you clean sound…n music music…n jelly n carnation milk n bread n condense milk…n room with paraffin heater…. so bless we parents dem.

1948 we parents cum here wid me

Now my god dem a try rush we

Afta we parents cum rebuild Mother country

Now is a big wake up call – uh nuh see

Place full a…

 

We never know is all im hearing

Yet system try to destroy collective memory learning

Just know dem who cyan remember…ton senile seen

 

So stand firm and up fe uself

Don’t mek dem put u pon shelf

Wen you got mouth to feed.

No meke dem bounce de food outta you family and elders plates

Don’t mek dem rush we

 

One time in 80s in dead of night

4 skinheads jump out of car…rushing to me

Mi turn round under street light , dem see me bright lipstick bright

Sed is only a bird….phewwwww……TRUE SCARRING STORY

 

Me seeing Now so much bad situation mek me angry

In deeze past years much..painful stress ful hostility

Of so much discrimination u nuh see as woman with disability

But resilience is in we ANCESTRAL DNA AND MEMORY

 

So stand up and fight, Is de anniversary

Not just of Windrush

But of our beloved Son .Stepen seen and not forgetting

The new cross 13…..mmmmmmmmm

 

Some ah u like de song bredda grabalicious

So when u tink. Im alright Cho man….

U best watch out for unseen plan

Stand up show you going nowhere

Where you come from …croydon…staying right here

Wit me windrush parents and me single mother family –

Fear no foe..and foe ah dem fe  fear

Dem cudda never rush we

 

Yes stand up show you going no where

Daddy always sed no start fight, but if it come finish it

Caw..we going no where

So one lick mek u learn fast resilliencey

N don’t EVEA MEK DEM rush we

 

When injustices come

Remember Stephen

Remember New X

Remember G fell…..tell to u children dem de traditions and stories

Keep u self and family and community strong caw den

Dem cudda NEVA  rush WE!!!!!!

© Glenis Williamson 2018