Calling England Home

Black and been here since 1949

West London jaw grind, 'Tek it easy'

We saw him, you saw him

Walking along the canal last night

cnd what a joy to buck up upon him

ct the carnival today

To hear him speak about

The dances and the bands

ct the Paramount

The spots you couldn't mix

With white in, or dance in

Remembering London

How he been slapped so hard

With the lash - Sam Selvon say

cnd it take him 60 years

Before he could call England

'Home'

He musta come here in black and white, 1959

Time longer than twine

So long ago he don't

Remember being a child,

Just a suit and steamer trunk

Upon a ship which took

c good six weeks to cross

We sat at his kitchen table

cnd I filmed him on the fly

But he wasn't saying much

ct least nothing I could put in a poem

Instead he showed me

Photographs - with the dashiki and the fez

With Michael X at the cmbience

Outside the night came in

cnd he had moved so far away

From calling England

'Home '

I've lived here longer than home, since 1989

Remember Harlesden in the spring time

I used to walk from Cricklewood

To Marylebone High Street

To cut up meat to punch out dough

I was never asked to wait tables

Or to serve scones and coffee

I worked in the basement

But I learned to tie my apron

In a way that retained some dignity

cnd in my first summer above the corner shop

I listened to rare groove on pirate radio

I was flung so far from any notion of nation

How long do you have to live in a place

Before you can call it

'Home?'