WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE
By Norman Datt
I have to quote this gentleman who asked, “How do we mould a country?” Imagination, intelligence and integrity, sometimes simple decency, it works as well. Talking about gossip he remarked, “We can’t afford it; we’re a little nation. We need to think and act outside of our skins.
Every day must be about excellence without let-up, until we drop; where every person feels like a leader because every person is a leader.” He said that even a man who has a family is a leader, but stops being a leader when he beats his wife. “Then he becomes a word; coward, a coward. You can’t build a nation from cowardice, you can’t do it; you destroy it like that. Our country can be a very, very special place, but we need to take practical steps to make it real.”
WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE
Lets get to the very real story
And review our sorry history
Firstly our leaders vied for Independence
Its our right its to get rid of our hindrance
Promising progress with very lofty idealism
Then the Big Two accused us of Communism
Got instead a lukewarm brand of Socialism
Those were the hot days of Cold Wars’ ism
We ended up with a big dose of corruption
Racialism, bloodshed and sheer destruction
The people run away from their beloved Guyana
To England and to the cold harsh North America
Causing a huge brain drain leaving Guyana rudderless
Various parties struggling they too come up clueless
The good ol’ days when rigged ballots rained
And at the same time coffers were drained
As the other parties jump and take over
So did the people as some run for cover
But a simple Guyanese people we are
Don’t want to relive another Wismar
After 51 years we still have a chance
We’ve to stop this bias racial dance
Sadly politicians would never change
Its like telling a dog it has bad mange
The two races have to come together
Live again like sister and like brother
We have to be Guyanese again not a black man
Think like a Guyanese and not like a coolie man
Be accepted as real down earth Guyanese
You be Chinese, Amer-Indian or Portuguese
Maybe our last chance to make it
Or hate will drive us out of our wit
And politicians on both sides please pard!
Stop hiding, reciting playing the race card
There are some things we have to eradicate
Stop fighting one another and stop the hate
Talk to one another stop denying we’re steeped in racialism
Stop lying, face the fact, we have far too much nepotism
Govern for everyone bring back equality
Or drop the darn “e” and focus on quality
Pray to the one Above
For all we need is Love
Listen people take heed
For Love is all you need.
———-
Cyril, Keep up the good work. I’m the one who wrote about being a teacher and I thanked all my past teachers for my education and upbringing. You are doing a fine job; words are not adequate to describe your yeoman’s integrity.
Norman Datt
