John Agard's "Half-caste"

I've returned to poems, and I'm also working on honing my poetry analysis skills (for my own pleasure, nothing major).  As I mentioned before, poetry is not really my thing, although I've enjoyed many poems.  For the past few months, I've been particularly enjoying the poems here at POEFRIKA (Rethabile Masilo's and others).  And since I visit the site quite often, I added it to my list of addictions. 

For the next week or so, I'm focusing (again) on Guyanese poet, John Agard.  The following is his poem "Half-caste."  I enjoyed (I'm still enjoying) it.  Hope you do too.   

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 yu 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 don’t want de

sun pass

ah rass

explain yuself

wha yu mean

when yu say half-caste

yu mean when Tchaikovsky

sit down at dah

piano

and mix a black key

wid a white key

is a half-caste symphony?

Explain yuself

wha yu mean

Ah listening to yu wid de keen

half of mih ear

Ah looking at yu wid de keen

half of mih eye

an when I’m introduced to you

I’m sure you’ll understand

why I offer yu half-a-hand

an when I sleep at night

I close half-a-eye

Consequently when I dream

I dream half-a-dream

An when moon begin

to glow

I half-caste human being

cast half-a-shadow

but yu must come back tomorrow

wid de whole of yu eye

an de whole of yu ear

an de whole of yu mind

an I will tell yu

de other half

of my story

I've heard that to hear Agard recite this poem is to experience it at that level where inflections and pronunciations make words truly come alive.  Here's a sample of how "Half-caste" sounds when Agard says it.

Comments

[Rethabile]

Thanks for the hat tip. And for this poem, as well.
Rethabile

[c.d.valere]

My pleasure, Rethabile. And thanks for stopping by again.

[Rethabile]

The clearest (no static) reading I found is here (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/Half_Caste_01.wav). Cheers.