When Granny

Song-bird shut dem mout' an lissen,
Church bell don't bother to ring,
All de little stream keep quiet
When mi Granny sing.

De sun up in de sky get jealous,
Him wish him got her style,
For de whole place full o' brightness
When mi Granny smile.
First a happy soun' jus' bubblin'
From her belly, low an' sof',
Den a thunderclap o' merriment
When mi Granny laugh.

De tree dem start to swing dem branch dem,
Puss an' dawg begin to prance,
Everyt'ing ketch de happy fever
When mi Granny dance.

Everybody look out fe Granny
Mek sure dat she satisfy, 
For de whole worl' full o' sadness
When mi Granny cry.

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