Love poems

Dear World,

As we celebrate Love Day, Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of Lent and focus on whatever sacrifices we’re going to make for 40 days and nights, I put my brain and fingers to work in the creation of some Suburban Girl JA® original love poetry.

Now, it’s nothing compared to what Poet Laureates produce, but trust and believe that these poems are a hit, if I do say so myself.

In keeping with the general theme of ‘love’, and perhaps even self-sacrifice, and renewal, I have mixed my native tongues of Patwa, English, and a fusion of both to write the five pieces presented here.

Now, I don’t care what anyone says about defined love languages. My love languages are a dime a dozen, and one of the top ones is “Talk to me in the language of food, and I might fall in love with you.” Haha!! I don’t eat a lot, but I love food, and I tend to show love through food and drinks.

Anyway, enough about that. Here’s to the debut of my poetic journey.

Dumplin & Buttah

Knead d flour and make a dough 
Shape it up ina couple cyaatwheel, yuh already know

Drop dem inna some bwailing wata and watch it bubble
Then when it ready, turn it off and ready up yuh tastebuds fi chubble

Tek dem out pipping hot. 
Careful doh, yuh nuh wah get bunnup by d pat

Grab yuh buttah and dawb on some
Den watch it melt, eat it, but watch fi yuh gum

A one a d sweetest ting eva when yuh nyam dumplin and butta
Dats exactly ow me love fi love you... piping hot and ready fi melt everytime mi genuinely seh, "Baby, Mi luv yuh"

- The Suburban Girl JA®

Cornedbeef key

Baby. Yuh hold the key to mi heart.
Just turn it inna d lock & you and me will never part

A d same like how yuh have key fi corned beef.
Mi know seh the love yuh av fi me nuh shaky like nuh leaf, yuh nah guh cause mi nuh grief

Of course, mi heart can unlock in other ways, but those are not the right ones
The key is it and will forever be
It's a match made in heaven
Me and smady son

Yuh look good too ennuh, 
No donkey nuh bite yuh
Nuh tree nah grow inna yuh face
And if yuh run a race, a you agguh win first place.

- The Suburban Girl JA®

Schewpeas 1

If yuh really love mi and nuh deh pan nuh weird ting,
Get down on one knee and gimmie dat ring

If yuh really love me and the love is true
Everybody affi know. Suh stop gwaan like yuh new.

If yuh really love mi and is the knot yuh wah fi tie
Pray bout it to God and look up inna d sky then ask mi if I'll do, then wait pon mi reply.

If yuh really luv mi mek sure seh yuh can cook
Cause mi nuh plan fi inna d kitchen a sweat & av you a look

If yuh really luv mi and wah mi fi stay
Cook some good schewpeas an tie mi. All ef it too salt, Mi wi luv yuh same way.

- The Suburban Girl JA®

Schewpeas 2

They say the way to a man's heart is chruu him belly.
That's good.
Cause if I love you enough I'll prepare your food like we inna one deli

Tell me your favourite meals an a me dat a mek it.
You're about to be in love bwoy, and you aint gonna regret it!

I'll have you singing me love songs and doing the most. 
Next ting yuh know, we at our wedding and a bare people a gi wi toast

I'll make you soup for Satdehs and sick days.
On Sundays: rice and peas, chicken and veg & potato salad with mayonnaise.

And when you least expect, I'll pop out that schewpeas. 
Boy, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging me, please.

That is it ennuh, that's all
The formula is in the food.
In love? Dats where yuh gonna fall

- The Suburban Girl JA®

Tea – Self love

Tea is the cure all and be all of all things "make it good agaaain"
Have gas? Head a hurt yuh? Otherwise sick? Drink likkle tea and is a clean heart, mind, body and soul you'll attain.

Now, let's be honest
The likkle batta earz and tough foot gyal dem yuh love - always far from anything modest

The last one had a tree in her face, ongle good fi tek up space, 
Shi did bleach out, look pale, nain haa too much sense, and did fayvah heng pan nail

Suh tell me why mi mus tek up my good good self and deh wid you?
Me love myself too much fi subject myself to dat, yuh doh even av a clue

My past might have caught me slipping in dat deh hole deh
But now? Mi know myself and mi love myself 
Suh, mi nuh bizniz wah yuh affi seh.
Move an gweh!

You may call mi uptown and gwannie gwannie
Mi alright wid dat
At least mi set miself apart from you. Yuh crawnie crawnie like and yuh fayvah bat!

Den a ow tea drop eena dis?
Bwoy mi not even know
All mi can seh is me drink mi bush tea and purge miself and allow myself to grow...

...Lef you and all you stand for
All so that I can be better than I was before.

- The Suburban Girl JA®

I must say, I wrote these poems, initially, out of boredom, for jokes, and being idle. However, it’s blossomed into another form of self-expression, and I love it! I wrote all these poems in the span of three and a half hours on February 13, 2024! That’s amazing, in my opinion.

As for audience captivating content, I am, firstly, my own audience. All others will gravitate if the love I share suits them. If it doesn’t, then that’s fine too. Build it, and they will come, the saying goes. I’m building.

Lessons

In true Suburban Girl JA® fashion, I like to extrapolate teachable moments. In this case, there aren’t many teachable moments except that:

– we shouldn’t be afraid to love each other in our own ways and also in the ways that our desired wants to be loved.

– we should love ourselves and have the courage and strength to identify and call out that which is not for us or our benefit. That requires a whole lot of mental and emotional fortitude.

– there are no standards to what love languages should be. If you love through food – whether sharing a meal or cooking one – then damnit, that’s part of your love language.

How do you love? How do you want to be loved? Does it include self-sacrifice? What about renewal?

Happy Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of Lent.

Signed in love,

The Suburban Girl JA®