So you point out to me

The difference between

The we and the them

The cool cooling out

And the hot getting hotter

No, colder

For this is the cold weather

But the man still needs to eat

And him need socks

For him feet

An him ‘oman feet

An di baby foot dem

Is col’ wedda

An di more

Mi rite

Di more yuh realize

Seh, it a more

Yuh

An wi

Than

We

And them

Words separate us

Like zinc fence

Or brick wall

And some still grow

Like bamboo shoots

But then they shoot

Up and up

And fence nor wall

Can be tall

Enough

To contain the spill over

Of our fears

And their cares.

But still,

We dangle bait,

Party late

Right under their noses

And expect

To abate the violence

That ensues

When money is misused

And they go hungry

As we pay thousands of dollars

For half drunk liquor.

But something must

Numb the pain;

Liquor for us

Bullets rein again

For them.

It’s a small price we pay

To release the pressure

Locked up behind zinc fence

Locked down by brick walls.

At least,

That’s what

We tell ourselves.