Poem: There’s a first time for everything right?
Contributed article and Poem by Sharon Howell
About a week ago, my father and I went to a bus stop in Hackney to get a 106 to Clapton roundabout as I was visiting a friend of mine who lived in Haunault, so we had a long way to go!
We waited for a bus and as I had my 2-year-old son with me and like all single mums can relate, the first bus was full so we had to wait for another bus. So as we struggled with all our belongings we went to find a seat at the main stop and sat and waited for the next one.
As we waited as I was very observant, I noticed a young caucation couple join the bus stop a little way down from the actual stop with their young child also. So as the next bus came along my father and I got on with all our bags and belongings. Now I noticed the male, was giving some sort of negative attitude that I thought was a bit unnecessary.
I had no idea what his issue was. We have a right to get on the bus like everyone else without abusive comments. We were actually there first, from the start and had waited like everyone else to get on the bus.
At first, I thought, just let it go, he is probably drunk or something. But he was with a young child and kept raising his voice and being very threatening and aggressive and I was with my child and my dad was with me I felt I had to defend myself!!!
Poem: There’s a first time for everything right?
You bigot
You racist thug!
You wanna chat to me?
Make me forget my humanity?
You disrespect my dad! You disrespect me!
Tell him to go back to his own country?
You are so rude!
How dare you intrude!
So renk and feisty
who are you?
Yes, we are black but that aint the end of dat!……….
Don’t forget the years,your forefathers took we inna captivity as unwilling participants to isolated foreign lands!
Ripped from the comfort of our mother’s land at gunpoint!
Taken and locked in chains from head to toe,not knowing where we a go?
Packed like sardines beaten and shamed, treated like cattle regarded worse than dogs! even worse than yu wud treat a hog!!
Sold to the merchant by spies and crooks!
As if we nu deserve a second look!
Then examined like objects hoarded into their ships with no shame
How can these people be human
and treat we this way?
Then from port to port, some weaker ones dying on the way other slaves wishing they could have gone that way!
I can not believe this happened here
all around England and all over the world
traded like silver and gold as if we nu have no soul.
We were humans we deserved more!
So how da heck can you call me a whore?
…………..Who are you?
Mr jack the lad
you think you’re so bad coz you got black fren?
get off da bus
you have no sense your judgement is clouded and you’re sitting near a fence!
you have no idea about my people so don’t open your mouth!
if I did not have a mind I would give you a clout!
Don’t talk about money coz my dad was told of a land flowing with milk and honey they told us how difficult it would be to gain all this money.
To strive with the cold beating in our face
and on top of that be discriminated because of our race!
Don’t chat to my dad!
You can not walk a day in his shoes!
coz the work that he did paved the way for all of YOU!
Go back to my own country? One day I will! But I’m not finished here yet there’s still lots to do!
Don’t blood me!
are you God?
can you judge me?
Don’t even try to call out my name!
chances are you got Africa running through your own veins!
I am black african Jamaican!
A girl born here like you!
So don’t try to intimidate me
and chat like your crew
don’t chat bout your frenzs
COZ YOUR FRIENDS AINT YOU!
Coz they neva heard you when you cussed down my dad!
Being a disrespectful yout
tinkin you’re bad!
I wished they heard you, I wish they had!
Coz they would see that you hating
Twisted and bitter!
and I’m sure if you had your way
You would call me a NIGGER!
It’s not my that you have so much issues
If you want a pity party
Here tek a tissue!
Do you want me to pay coz your insides are hollow
shouting and spitting
What are you thinking?
So go home
with your pickeny
and take all that negativity with ya
You don’t know my people!
and our constant battle
To just get through life from day to day
with every mountain so far away!
I never thought I would ever hear this ting!
But surely
There’s a first time for every ting!
Poem by Sharon Howell
