Dutty ToughSun a shine but tings no bright; Doah pot a bwile, bickle no nuff; River flood but water scarce, yawlRain a fall but dutty tough.

Tings so bad dat nowadays whenYuh ask smaddy how dem doDem fraid yuh tek tell dem back, So dem no answer yuh.

No care omuch we da work faHard-time still een wi shut; We dah fight, Hard-time a beat we, Dem might raise wi wages, but

One poun gawn awn pon we pay, anWe no feel no merrimentFor ten poun gawn pon wi foodAn ten pound pon we rent!

Saltfish gawn up, mackerel gawn up.Pork en beef gawn up, An when rice and butter readyDem jus go pon holiday!

Claht, boot, pin an needle gawn upIce, bread, taxes, water-rateKersine ile, gasolene, gawn up; An de poun devaluate

De price of bread gone up so highDat we haffi agreeFi cut we yeye pon bred an allTurn dumplin refugee

An all dem marga smaddy wehDah gwan like fat is sinAll dem-deh weh dah fas wid meAh lef dem to dumpling!

Sun a shine an pot a bwile, butThings no bright, bickle no nuffRain a fall, river dah flood, but, Water scarce an dutty tough. Louise Simone Bennett CoverlyCensus by Louise BennettBut Government fas, eeh mah? Lawd!Me laugh so tell me cry,Me dis done tell de census manA whole ton-load a lie.Him walks een an sidung like isEena my yard him grow,An yuh want hear de fimilar tingsDe man did want fi know.Him doan fine out one ting bout me,For fi-me yeye so dryMe stare right eena census faceAn tell him bans a lie!Me tell him seh dat all me parentsDem is still aliveBut me modder she dead twelve earsAnd me fader him dead five!Me tell him seh de fowl an goat-demDoan belongs to me,Me dah care dem fi me sisterDaughter son what gawn a sea.Him ask me if me married, meGet bex and tell him Gawn!For no man never ax me datDeh question from me bawn.Him ax me when me bawn, me tellHim dat ah is not sureBut me nable-string plant wid de oleCotton tree outa door.One time him question me so fasMe couldn lie so quick,Me hole awn pon me heart an belchAn form like seh me sick.Him ax me ef me feel bad, ah sehJus like ah gwine to dead:Me stumble, so him hole me hanAn lead me to me bed.Him seh him gawn, hear me: Goodbye- Me meck me voice soun sof.Him tip-toe go weh; an me jump upAn bus out in a laugh!CUSS CUSSGwan gal yuh fava teggereg,Ah wey yuh gwine goh do?Yuh an yuh boogooyagga frenDem tink me fraid o' yuh? Goh wey, yuh fava heng-pon-nail,Is me yuh want fe trace?Me is jus de one fi teck me hanAn leggo pon yuh face. Fe me han noh jine chu ch an me nawPay licen fe me mout',Me wi tell yuh bout yuh--se yahGal noh badda get me out. Me noh know is wat kine o' chu'chFe yuh mout' coulda jine,Yuh lip dem heng dung lacka wenMule kean meck up him mine. Gwan, me an yuh noh combolo,Yuh foot shapeless an langLike smaddy stan far fiing dem awnAn meck dem heng awn wrang. Fe yuh foot fava capital K,Koo pon yuh two nose-hole!Dem dis big an open out likeMiss Tane outsize fish bowl. Goh wey, yuh kean bwile sof eggBut still yuh want get ring,Noh man na gwine fe married yuhWen yuh kean do a ting. Is grudge yuh grudgeful, me kean cookBut me ben goh dah good school,Me got intelligency yuhIlliterated fool !Me sorry fe de man yuh getDe po' ting hooden nyamWhen you ackebus him salt-fishAn bwilivous him yam