This year to celebrate National Poetry Month and to take part in the April A-Z Blogging Challenge, I’ll be posting two poems a day, one written by me and another poem written by one of my favourite poets. The title or first word of both poems will begin with the corresponding letter in the Blogging Challenge.
Today I’ve also added a third challenge, Charli Mills at Carrot Ranch, weekly Flash Fiction Challenge based on a 99 word prompt. This weeks’ prompt is write a ‘hello or a goodbye’
Today I offer you Half Caste by Luccia Gray, and Half Caste by Guyanese poet John Agard.
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My poem is about a group of school children who meet a new girl. Here’s their ‘hello’ and her ‘goodbye’.
Half Caste by Luccia Gray
She was doing her homework.
They were playing around.
‘She’s not like us,’ they whispered.
‘She’s different,’ he complained.
‘Odd clothes, funny accent,’ she smirked.
‘Let’s say hi to the new girl.’
‘You’re not English,’ they said.
‘I was born here,’ she protested.
‘You’re only half English,’ they replied.
‘Right or left?’ she challenged.
‘You’re colouring’s wrong,’ they complained.
‘My tanned colouring’s fine,’ she replied.
‘You’re half caste,’ they said.
‘Look at me, I’m quite whole,’ she insisted.
‘You’re half caste,’ they chanted.
‘At least I’m not half stupid,’ she sighed,
Said goodbye and turned back to her books.
***
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Half Caste by John Agard
Excuse me
Standing on one leg
I’m half-caste
Explain yuself
Wha yu mean
When yu say half-caste
Yu mean when picasso
Mix red an green
Is a half-caste canvas/
Explain yuself
Wha u mean
When yu say half-caste
Yu mean when light an shadow
Mix in de sky
Is a half-caste weather/
Well in dat case
England weather
Nearly always half-caste
In fact some o dem cloud
Half-caste till dem overcast
So spiteful dem dont want de sun pass
Ah rass/
Explain yuself
Wha yu mean
When yu say half-caste
Yu mean Tchaikovsky
Sit down at dah piano
An mix a black key
Wid a white key
Is a half-caste symphony/
Read the whole poem here http://www.intermix.org.uk/poetry/poetry_01_agard.asp
John Agard was born in Guyana in 1949. His mother was Portuguese, and his father was Caribbean. In 1977, he moved to Britain.
This poem was written in response to those who referred to him as ‘half-caste’. In spite of the humour, bitterness and anger also comes across in his words.
He uses the overused and often meaningless expression ‘Excuse me’ as he sarcastically apologizes for being half caste.
I love the rhythm of the poem and the way he compares his mixed racial and cultural origins to a Picasso painting or a symphony by Tchaikovsky.
Agard finally challenges the reader to explain himself and realise how inaccurate and offensive the expression is.
The girl in my poem on the other hand isn’t angry or embittered because she is assertive and clever enough to get on with her own life and ignore some narrow minded people one is always bound to bump into in life.
By the way, it’s a unique experience to hear Agard read the poem himself. Watch it here!
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Rereading Jane Eyre 
John Agard was the first ‘real’ writer I ever saw in the flesh and I’ve taught his poem so many times. I loved the new spin you’ve put on the idea.
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Thank you, Linda. I’ve never seen him in person, but I’ve used his poems and videos in class too. I love the way he interprets his poems💖
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Loved that you added the prompt into your A-Z poetry month challenge. The tones of each piece comes through, and I like your school girl’s attitude despite the stupidity of the taunts toward her. And John Agard’s poem has such voice I can hear him in the words. I love his analogies of half caste to Picasso and Tchaikovsky.
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Thank you, Charli. Great to receive and feel your support💖 John Agard is a wonderful poet.
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Two lovely poems by two great poets. I enjoyed yours, Luccia, and thought “Good on her”. Then I read Agard’s poem too. I hadn’t heard of him so enjoyed the reading, but even more the listening. The poem becomes even more powerful in his telling. Thank you for linking to the video. It added so much to my experience.
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Thank you, Norah 💗 John Agard arrived in the UK 50 years ago. I like to think things have improved since then, and minorities and girls / women are more empowered, that’s my impression, but sometimes I wonder…
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I agree. Sometimes the steps taken forward seem to evaporate on closer inspection.
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Loved the gumption of the school girl. Great job!
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Thank you.💗 Sometimes it’s better not to argue with fools😀
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