The annual Spoken Word Competition organised by the Catholic Commission for Social Justice was held Saturday, November 20 under the theme The Ever Wider We.

Here is ‘She Doh Know Nah’ by Tada-Marie Boneo who placed second.

(Steups)

You know what this lady tell me?

I was minding my business

Just so easy easy

She step to me saying,

“You’re an eyesore, you look filthy and you smell nasty”

Like she doh know who is me

I is the vagrant from Grande

Ah say

I is The vagrant from Grande

She doh know nah

I ugly?!

Can’t she see

The ribs framing abs on my flat stomach

She hopes to achieve

But she doh know nah

She doh know bout starving for 3 days a week

Cuz you doh have nothing to eat

My diet is not for the weak

Can’t she see the way

My hips sway

For these gaps on my thighs

She prays

But she doh know nah

She doh know bout walking outside KFC

For the chicken grease smell yuh chase

Cuz that plenty for twenty

Only works if you have the twenty to spend in the first place

She.. Doh …know nah

Like she cah tell

How sweet I smell

A trail of fruit flies bloom with every step I take

When I pass so

People just move and clear the way

I walk on red carpets all day

I sleep on designer garbage bags

My clothes seasoned with age

The rips and tears

Gucci can’t even hope to imitate

She doh know nah

She doh know nah

I am the only gift for Jesus’ birthday

When people come by me and say

“The Pope said, The ever wider we,

I am giving alms to charity”

But it seems to me like that

Ever Wider We a lil narrow

Cuz after Christmas Day

They does gone they way

But I don’t know nah

She doh know bout that mental strain

To try to keep a smile on your face every day

When people say

“She cyah geh a wok?! watch she”

But who go interview me

When I ain’t  bathe since it rain

These clothes I wear

For five years they marinate

They doh know nah

And she skin up she face…and call me lazy

Eh heh?! Well I didn’t forget she

She ent know how hard I train

Honey, I is a certified beggar

She doh know nah

I had a brother and a sister

While they went to school during the day

I start my lifelong profession

High…Way… beggin

For their education

I had to pay

I couldn’t afford to go to school after SEA

But what does it matter

Anything I say

She not going and retain

Is best I talk to myself

Up to now

She doh know how deep her words stain

She doh know nah

(Steups)

Hah lord

She really doh know.

SOCIAL JUSTICE QUOTE

FOR THE WEEK

“Charity is at the heart of the Church’s social doctrine. Every responsibility and every commitment spelt out by that doctrine is derived from charity which, according to the teaching of Jesus, is the synthesis of the entire Law.” (2)

–Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,

‘Caritas In Veritate’

CCSJ Social Justice Education Committee