| By Tessa GreenePerformed by the children of the Police Outreach Programme DEAR SANTA,Me ah write you because meh heart seh that you does give people things.Me gat me momma, Annie, Curtis,Camo China NFL Jerseys, Brian, Kelly and Lil Bo, Uncle Marky, Aunty Lola, Neisha and Clem-Clem.Santa, I want you fuh bring a gift fuh all de people pon me list.Don’t mind de spelling, ah promise next year ah gon do better.You see me mudda gat it hard fuh mine we whole yearI does look at she and think, I gon wuk and help she when I get bigBut I is only twelve, I got a long time fuh meet the age fuh wuk.Santa, this year all ah want fuh Christmas is fuh me mudda be happy.A know things hard all over, but yuh gon still mek gifts at the North Pole, right?You don’t get blackout down deh.Boy if yuh come, I gon show yuh whey we does get water from.De four foot drying up with all this El Nino business. It really ruffSanta, ah know yuh busy but yuh think yuh could bring one of dem fancy fancy stove with plenty hole fuh de fire, so momma can put more than one pot on.Ah mean we nah gat all dem pot, but ah sure we can find some old saucepan in de dump.Santa, de dump is whey we does find plenty things fuh use.We did want a comb long and Bobo, he did find one.Ah mean it got missing teeth like Granma Mabel but at least we does still use it.Santa, we does get shoes, sometimes different colour and size, but we does mix and match dem and wear.Is when things gon change fuh we?I know is Christmas, but where de Christ dem men in black pants and white shut all ah tell we bout?Sometimes ah does feel like we nah deh in dis good book they talk aboutYou can talk to Christ fuh we this Christmas, right?Let me mudda get a lil case with things.You see we fadda lef long long fuh America.Me mudda did tell we neighbor Lulu dat he must be dead in jail because is ten years since he gone fuh better and she nah hear from he.I think ‘Merica nah wan good place, because neighbor Raddick son de go and then come back.Mamma seh he is a deportee.Then Uncle Son Son bin go and we hear he deh a jail house fuh trafficking in cocaine.Is how so much bad things ah happen over deh?Me rather stay ya and wuk when me get big.Anyway, when you get me letta, nah shove it in a corna, remember awe.Me nah beg you, ah ask me ah ask.Mamma seh is a difference – she say we poor but we proud, we does ask not beg.So yuh know, she also say we must say thanksSo me ah seh thanks up front fuh yuh help.Na mind how de paper smell, me tek it out from under me lil sista bedding.An yuh know mamma say she swear that child does wet she bed just fuh let lil water touch de floorMe ah go now. Me ah look out fuh de things dis Christmas.Me nah go sleep, me ah deh right hey fuh watch fe you.Santa don’t fuhget we, bring all we gift and leh all awe be happy. |
