Haircut Rap

Ah sey, ah want it short,
Short back an' side,
Ah tell him man, ah tell him
When ah teck him aside,
Ah sey, ah want a haircut
Ah can wear with pride,
So lef' it long on top
But short back an' side.

Ah sey try an' put a pattern
In the shorter part,
Yuh could put a skull an' crossbone,
Or an arrow through a heart,
Meck sure ah have enough hair lef'
Fe cover me wart,
Lef' a likkle pon the top,
But the res' – keep it short.

Well, bwoy, him start to cut
An' me settle down to wait,
Him was cuttin' from seven
Till half-past eight,
Ah was startin' to get worried
'Cause ah see it gettin' late,
But then him put the scissors down
Sey, 'There yuh are, mate.'

Well ah did see a skill an' a
Criss-cross bone or two,
But was me own skull an' bone
That was peepin' through
Ah look just like a monkey
Ah did see once at the zoo,
Him sey, 'What's de matter Tammy,
Don't yuh like the hair-do?'

Well, ah feel me heart stop beatin'
When ah look pon me reflection,
Ah feel like somet'ing frizzle up
Right in me middle section
Ah look aroun' fe somewhey
Ah could crawl into an' hide
The day ah mek me brother cut
Me hair short back an' side.

From Give the Ball to the Poet: A New Anthology of Caribbean Poetry