---

Poem by Archimedes Faulkner

NA SO I BIGIN

Dɛn lɛf dɛn os fɔ go na fam
Usay dɛn kin go wok ol de
Wetin apin o, ɔ wetin nɔ apin
Dɛn nɔ tɔn bak te tide.

Na wetin apin o, na wetin apin?
Sɔm se dɛn yɛri katakata na rod
Pipul dɛn de rɔn ɔlɔbɔt
Trɔbul dɔn kam na tɔng.

Dɛn kam lɛk se dɛn na trenja
Gud pipul we wan fɔ du biznɛs
Wit rɔm, tabaka, gɔn pawda, ɛn bid
Fɔ tredin wit wi pipul dɛm.

Bɔt wi pipul dɛm lɛk trenja
Ɛn lɛk fɔ trit dɛm fayn
Bɔt na de di trɔbul bigin
Bikɔs dɛm bin sabi bɔt dɛn nɔ no.

Wetin apin o, na wetin apin?
Dɛn dɔn kech dɛm o, dɛn dɔn kech dɛm
Dɛn dɔn kɛr dɛn go o, dɛn dɔn kɛr dɛn
Lɔdamasi o, lɔdamasi.

Dɛn trenja dɛn dɔn kɛr dɛn go
Insay wan os we de pan wata
E! Gɔd, usay dɛn de kɛr dɛn go?
Mi, a nɔ go si dɛm igen.

From “Beg sɔl nɔba kuk sup: An Anthology of Krio Poetry”

(Ed. Sheikh Umarr Kamarah & Marjorie Jones, SLWS, 2013).