As national Heritage Month draws to a close, local poet Sandra Garland has penned a riveting piece of poetry that reminisces island living back in the day. The spellbinding piece, entitled ‘Heritage Vibes’, captured domestic affairs, school atmosphere and overall community engagement and activities.
Heritage Vibes
Its six o’clock in the morning,
The kids are stretching and yawning,
The adults are already about the lay
Of a usually busy day.
There’s water to draw from the tank on the hill,
And this requires the children to fill
The water drums which now sit without,
Considering the island has a drought.
There’s firewood to gather from Taylor’s Hill,
There’s sweeping the yard, and the troughs to fill
For the donkeys and chickens and the cows if they come
Lumbering and lowing, bringing the mosquitos home.
The children are scampering and not wasting time,
These chores must be done before the clock strikes nine.
And one of the first lessons a child must learn
Is the clock – as time they must always discern.
And now at breakfast with bodies washed clean,
Kids are awaiting a meal that’s not mean,
Grits and bread and scrambled eggs,
And cocoa laced with sweet milk and mutmegs
With bellies now full they are off to school;
Homework was completed last night as a rule;
And now anxiously awaiting the teacher’s marks,
Hopeful they won’t have to repeat these tasks.
The school clock strikes the hour of four,
And the student politely file through the door,
They are in for an afternoon of great fun,
Playing hopscotch and marbles, eating candy and sweet bun.
And so has ended another day
And it’s time for a bath and checkers to play
Then it’s off to bed and everyone’s snoring,
Knowing full well tomorrow won’t be boring.
Sandra E. Garland
National Heritage Month
October 17, 2021
Well said Salt Cay Queen