Spoken Word: Oh God oh Lard!

Shelter living, and can't go home in your bed to sleep
Fed up and risking to feed ten goat and six sheep
Remembering that eerie sound that early morning
Facing the wrath with fear my manhood was dawning
All my inheritance is buried under that molten dirt
Petrified for my memory hurt more than it's worth
Reminiscing 'I'm not going back to Montserrat' he said
'When nature turn on you everything feel dread
Oh God 'oh lord'

Head low he said; "No no I'm not calling a name in vain"
There's rock falling I'm not going insane
Long Ground is burning, ash dust is coming
Whites is covered and guess who ain't staying
Tuitts is next and Bramble village then we dead'
Irate he yelled "get your ass up right now out of that bed
You are my father and I'm only ten years old
One more minute in bed you'll be too hot to be cold
Daddy! God! Oh lord

Run! Run! Let's get across and stay on high ground
We shouldn't be in here and no one else is around
Bruck-foot Joe gone, out run Slim son pan he donkey
Jim Bob speed gone he must be in North already
Come on Dad you tired come up this ravine and rest
Pyroclastic flow is rushing putting stamina to the test
Tomorrow the sun may never shine but we are here
The fact we are alive faith will take us everywhere
But one thing let me tell you this I will never go back
Whatever up East have to stay there hopefully intact
Look! Look! Daddy! God! Oh lord!'

Fire at my heels fear in my heart I was never so frighten
Sobbed everything burning the soil moving nature enlighten
We are nothing and everything we fight for is but dust
When nature shuffle the deck be firm or die is a must
Buildings crumble trees burn, cars crunch like empty cans
Simplifying our petty unreasonable angst as humans
Pity not of my mentioned fear for youth took me there
I still love Montserrat but with that volcano I'm ok here
Facing racism, stabbing, discrimination, school shooting
That memory is a mirage to this bar knowing is soothing
Twenty plus years in London sipping this island bush rum
And say "Dardy God o lord" like I'm from Long Grung

Note: William "Bubbles Galloway is our Resident Spoken Word contributor here at MNI Media.