After di Eye Pass

Quiet. Hear how it quiet. Not one bird. Morning come up grey over Old Harbour Bay Everyting wi know get carry away Boat dem up inna di mangrove like toys Nobody a talk, not even di boys Church have no steeple, shop have no door Somebody good table a float by di shore Wi walk down di beach road, slow, in a line Everybody looking fi a mark or a sign Miss Pearl a hold one shoe in har hand Stand up like a statue pon di wet black sand Weh yuh deh, weh yuh deh, Mass Clive? Sea so calm now, like it never did a thing Weh yuh deh, weh yuh deh, Mass Clive? Tell mi who a go mend di net come spring Oh, di wind gone home and di sky turn blue But mi still a call, mi a call fi you Him did go back fi di engine, that a all him seh Three more minute, and him soon come back this way Thirty-eight year him a work dat one boat Sold every goat fi keep it afloat She tell him leave it, she hold on to him sleeve Him kiss har forehead and him turn fi leave Wind start bawl like a woman in pain Next ting yuh know, it a sideways rain Dem hold on all night inna di schoolhouse hall Twelve likkle pickney and a crack in di wall Weh yuh deh, weh yuh deh, Mass Clive? Sea so calm now, like it never did a thing Weh yuh deh, weh yuh deh, Mass Clive? Tell mi who a go mend di net come spring Oh, di wind gone home and di sky turn blue But mi still a call, mi a call fi you Forty-one boat Nineteen house Di old almond tree Di bridge to town Di photograph of Mama Every seine, every pot But hear mi, hear mi Wi still have what wi got Army truck come on di seventh day Rice and tarpaulin, dem couldn't stay Politician come with a camera crew Stand inna di mud inna one clean shoe Sister Pearl never look up, never turn har head She a set out a plate fi di man weh dead Every evening, she walk to di edge of di tide Pour out one cup a him coffee, and stand side by side Wi nuh tell har nothing, wi nuh seh a word Is only di water that she want fi be heard Weh yuh deh, weh yuh deh, Mass Clive? Sea so calm now, like it never did a thing Weh yuh deh, weh yuh deh, Mass Clive? Tell mi who a go mend di net come spring Oh, di wind gone home and di sky turn blue But mi still a call, mi a call fi you Is six month now and di first boat paint Blue and white, and named fi no saint Wi call it di Clive, and it sit low and strong Likkle Andre at di oars, and him sing Clive song Him have di same way a squinting at di sun Pull in one snapper, and him holler, look, one Miss Pearl come down with har hand pon har chest She cook it with thyme, and she give him di best Sea so calm now Sea so calm Weh yuh deh Weh yuh deh Quiet.