ON THE ROAD AGAIN (abridged)

 

When I was a little boy on the dusty road of Goodlands
I was told I was a ‘Telgu’.
My ‘Telgu’ father fathered a child with a ‘non-Telgu’ girl
Before marrying my mother
A ‘Telgu’ girl from Quartier Militaire
Where she had learnt Tifrer’s and others’ Creole songs
Which she sang to me:
• Pa bate li misie,
• Ler mo ti kontan twa Lilinn,
• Kari lalo milatres,
• Roule mon’pti Sir Zil,
• Nwar, nwar, nwar do mama,
• Charli – O, aret bwar diven banann …

My ‘non-Telgu’ friends who spoke Creole and Bhojpuri
Loved to tease me.
For them ‘tel’ was ‘oil’ and ‘gu’ was ‘shit’
And so I was – what was I? –
Oily shit or shitty oil?

Continue reading “ON THE ROAD AGAIN (abridged)”

KARAY SO

(pou Gerard Sullivan)

©DEV VIRAHSAWMY AND ICJM

Dan Balaklava, voun dan marekaz
Finn tir so sapo, kabos so ledo,
Bes so latet net pou dir namaste
Mazeste beton ar kasket lapay.
Lao dan lezer avion tou kouler
Pe fer lake pou debark konnteyner
Ranpli ar vakans nisa ekzotik,
San bliye masaz nisa erotik.
Laba dan dilo kargo konteyner
Fouy mama-lamer, desarz so pwazon
Dan matris lavi ler lizie kaylous,
Zorey pa tande finn tourn zot ledo.
P.I.B pe kas pake, klos lesiel,
Dezel Pol-Nor.
Karay so!

Tae! Nouvo lespas, nouvo resours!
Alala bel-bel devlopman!
Fini resesion, fini enflasion!

Karay so!
Glason finn klose!

******

Parvati pe anter so zanfan;
Seki dan so vant bien malad;
So mari, Bramma, anba later;
Enn mem maladi finn koken
Lavi enn fami.
Pourtan ti dir li protez so fami!
Fam pa gagn drwa dir non;
Parvati sede pou gagn lape
Me olie lape pe gagn lamor,
Enn deryer lot.
Karay so!
Glason finn klose,
Finn fini pran dife.

******

Vila delix pou foulous dideor,
Pa fer nanye si mal-gagne;
Teren golf; zarden exo-erotik;
Sekirite elektro-elektronik;
Pa bizen gardien kanpman,
Ni servant maf;
Job spesialize pou spesialis nisa.
Laba dan vilaz Jamila
Lafontenn koul sek;
Later pel-pele deklar fayit;
Manze dideor tarde pou vini;
Tibaba pe fen.
Karay so!

******

Morisia ledan pouri,
Exper dan fel CPE,
Fer sourir kari-ledan,
Sey kont zetwal dan lesiel,
ABBA! (Pa per gagn poro)
So ABC pa depas D,
Fer koumadir E.
Profeser Liniversite
Bat tanbour sixe,
Kalite iniversel.
Tapaz tanbour touf zenosid kiltirel.
Karay so!
Glason finn klose!

******

Pie mang fleri dan liver;
Divan glase bril so dime;
Flanbwayan larg petal rouz
Avan so fey ver ouver.
Mama-Later gagn kongolo;
Nepli kone kan met triko;
Gagn so-fre; tranble-transpire.
Karay so!
Glason finn klose,
Finn fini pran dife.

******

Continue reading “KARAY SO”