Louise Bennett
Jamaica Oman
Jamaica oman cunny sah!
Is how dem jinnal so?
Look how long dem liberated
An de man dem never know!
Look how long Jamaica oman
- Modder, sister, wife, sweetheart -
Outa road an eena yard deh pon
A dominate her part!
From Maroon Nanny teck her body
Bounce bullet back pon man,
To when nowadays gal-pickney tun
Spellin-Bee champion.
From de grass root to de hill-top,
In profession, skill an trade,
Jamaica oman teck her time
Dah mount an meck de grade.
Some backa man a push, some side-a
Man a hole him han,
Some a lick sense eena man head,
Some a guide him pon him plan!
Neck an neck an foot an foot wid man
She buckle hole "so-so rib"
While man a call her "so-so-rib"
Oman a tun backbone!
An long before Oman Lib bruck out
Over foreign lan
Jamaica female wasa work
Her liberated plan!
Jamaica oman know she strong,
She know she tallawah,
But she no want her pickney-dem
Fi start call her "Puppa".
So de cunny Jamma oman
Gwan like pants-suit is a style,
An Jamaica man no know she wear
De trousiz all de while!
So Jamaica oman coaxin
Fambly budget from explode
A so Jamaica man a sing
"Oman a heaby load!"
But de cunny Jamma oman
Ban her belly, bite her tongue,
Ketch water, put pot pon fire
An jus dig her toe a grung.
For "Oman luck deh a dungle",
Some rooted more dan some,
But as long as fowl a scratch dungle heap
Oman luck mus come!
Lickle by lickle man start praise her,
Day by day de praise a grow;
So him praise her, so it sweet her,
For she wonder if him know.