GUEST POST: Ol' Time Jamaica

     Taking all Jamaicans back down "memry" lane we have Britton Wright again with another piece. The poem this time is entitled "Ol' Time Jamaica" and we are again greeted with the true raw patois which we all know and love. I have to yet again apologize to my non-Jamaican readers as with the previous one. I leave you with the promise I made before once more, I shall [At a later date] try to give you a complete English translation so you can get a better understanding of what is being said. Until then as usual, enjoy!

Come. Sidung. Mek wi tek a trip dung memry lane.
To a time before everybody start talk like dem jus come off a plane.
Go back to da space inna yuh brain weh yuh lef di ra chaa patois.Unuh memba?
Me young but me memba ol’ time Jamaica.
Me memba when 5 dolla coin did big an 20 dolla a did paper.
Me memba when da likkle place yah did safer and man and woman coulda walk late a night.
Who memba when di 2 dolla bill coulda buy a bulla fi save a life?
Unuh memba before Digicel when supermarket use to sell Cable & Wireless phone cyaad fi yuh call abroad?
People use to form line a phone booth.
Me memba as a likkle youth when man roun mi way use to shoot bird wid slingshot.
Mommy and daddy or yuh Granny use to gi yuh a Nanny fi go shop an dat coulda cook a big pot.
Unuh memba when wi a likkle pickney an wi use to climb fruit tree a river side, play hide and seek and marble?
Nowadays pickney jus lock up inna house a click mouse.
Dem whole weekend spent pon Facebook.
An dem wrenk! Quick fi tell yuh how yuh face look an love argue.
Not even fi ride bicycle dem cyant do.
Who memba di days of di past when if yuh a pass an step pon a man suede Clarks him woulda jus get cross an tell yuh bout yuh raaassstafari an walk off.
Now? Try laugh wid a hothead and see if him nuh pop lead til yuh drop dead an drown inna yuh own red. It dread star.
Who memba wi sweet Reggae music before di ear waves refuse it?
Unuh memba when dancehall use to buck a every stall an corner shop before it flop an start soun like Hip Hop?
Me memba long before unuh a watch show pon Flow when TVJ did name JBC an tv use to sign off.
Mi jus cyant get mi mind off distant days when tings did greata.
Dis is just di medz of a youth a reflect pon a place dat use to be. Jamaica.