Seedlings on Mavis Bank

Pass mi di cutlass, Keisha, and come stand close Di rust tek di leaf dem, and di hillside look like ghost Seven acre brown from di ridge to di gully Bank man send a letter, and him write it real ugly But mi father plant this slope with a mule and a song And him father before him, so wi know it can be long Put yuh thumb inna di soil, feel how it cool Dem nuh teach yuh dis part inna di big high school Likkle green ting, push up, push up Mist a come and feed yuh, drink up, drink up Mi nah go see di day yuh branch dem bend But somebody a go pick yuh, somebody at di end Likkle green ting, climb, climb, climb Everyting good tek a long, long time Four hundred seedling inna black plastic bag Mi back a bawl out, and mi knee dem a lag Keisha carry water up di track pon har head Seh, Grandpa, why yuh planting, when yuh soon reach yuh bed? Mi laugh till mi cough, and mi tell har dis Who plant di shade tree weh yuh sit under, miss? Nobody yuh know, him did dead long before Him work fi yuh shadow, and him never ask fi more Likkle green ting, push up, push up Mist a come and feed yuh, drink up, drink up Mi nah go see di day yuh branch dem bend But somebody a go pick yuh, somebody at di end Likkle green ting, climb, climb, climb Everyting good tek a long, long time Rain wash out di bottom row inna one single night Mi siddung pon a stone till di morning come light Neighbour Mister Bogle walk up slow with a hoe Seh, mi did lose fifty too, come, mek wi go Him sons all gone a Brooklyn, and him land a get thin So wi work him row and my row, and wi both begin Two old man and a child and a flask a hot tea Laughing up a hillside like wi twenty-three Grandpa, how deep? Grandpa, how far? Grandpa, how long? Grandpa, who for? First small flower come out white pon di stem Mi call har from di house, mi seh, come look pon dem Smell like jasmine and a morning from long ago She seh, mi get di college letter, Grandpa, yuh know Agriculture, UWI, she a go study di rust Come back with a microscope, and fight it from di dust Mi tek off mi hat, and mi look down di hill Seven acre green, and mi can't stand still Likkle green ting, push up, push up Mist a come and feed yuh, drink up, drink up Mi nah go see di day yuh branch dem bend But somebody a go pick yuh, somebody at di end Likkle green ting, climb, climb, climb Everyting good tek a long, long time Fourth year, first crop Tell har mi seh Roast it dark Drink one fi mi