The works reflect the Bahamian way of life, both past and present.
A satirical approach has been taken in dealing with many of today's typical, topical and timely subjects in The Bahamas.
I travel back in time
To the days of my youth
And I remember a happening, a tune,
A softly spoken word, a caress;
So real, so very real.
And then it is gone.
I ache for the moment again
But time has played a trick on me.
I am older now,
My youth is spent,
But not the memories of the happy times,
Or the sad times.
Those were the good old days
Although, in my youth, I did not realize it then.
I am older now and wiser
And though I yearn for the past,
I can never return,
But for a fleeting moment,
A moment when time stands still.
Life must go on and I must follow
Leaving my imprint as I journey onward.
Life'
A fleeting moment in the annals of time.
james j. catalyn 30/6/92
(Winner of the National Library of Poetry
Editors Choice Award, 1997 and published
in "The Sands of Time' Anthology, 1997.
Somma us is afraid to say
We tink e would lower we life station
Sayin' tings der Bahamian way.
If cuteness was termed a disease
Mos' Bahamians would catch um, I know
Cause in our minds we mus' please
People from places we don' even know.
We radios don' wan' acknowledge
Dat Bahamianese is der ting
An' dey get yer more confuse up
Pronouncin' words soundin' like American.
We tounge already done tie up
Our W ge' mix up wit' V
Our T H ge' tie up and twis up
Wit der "T H" soun' come flyin' out as "T".
We can' say "gimme". Is "give me"
We can' say "yinna", is "yall"
We can' say "whichin" cause you see
We spokes more politely dan all.
We ge' "cross eye", "parrot toe", an' "plop eye"
An "big nose" an, "calm head" too
An when yer see someone wit, plenty backside
She ge' more dan enough "bungy" fer two.
Den is words like "big up" an, "swell up"
Das when yer in der fam'ly way
Den yer ge' "cut eye" an' "suck teet" an '
"stoke up"
If yer stick yer mout' in what udder people say.
Le's leave our cuteness behin' us
Le's be proud a our language, we own
An' if udders should laugh an' make fuss
As dem, if dey der Queen English own.
Le's show dem we could talk jes' like dem
Any time, anyplace dey name
But when we tergedder wit' each udder
We language is der name a der game.
Is time we be proud a we culture
Stick up your nose an' truly be pleased
To show udders we proud a we heritage
Das why we talkin' Bahamianese.
james j. catalyn (c)
altered, July 1996 (c)