Krio

Mi at sidɔm saful

Mi at sidɔm saful by Anni Domingo

1. Mi at sidɔm saful bikɔs a no se

pan ɔl we di wɔl tɔnɔbɔ ɔlsay

sɔm pɔsin dɛn de we de wok

de ɛn nɛt fɔ ol wi ɔl tayt

so natin nɔ go ambɔg wi.

2. Mi at sidɔm saful bikɔs a no se

pan ɔl we wi de bay wisɛf,

ɛn wi nɔ de niya wi kɔmpin,

wi ɔl na wan ɛn de fil ɔl

wetin wi kɔmpin de fil.

3. Mi at sidɔm saful bikɔs a no se

pan ɔl we ɔlman lɔk insay os, in wan gren,

di wɔl dɔn big. Wi de tɔk naw sɔm kayn we

wi nɔ mɛmba se go apin wan de. Ɔlman na

wan, ɛn wi bisin bɔt wi kɔmpin dɛm.

4. Mi at sidɔm saful bikɔs a no se

dɛm wan dɛm we nɔbɔdi bin de braskitul sɛf,

na dɛm de bifo naw. Dɛn nɔ de na grɔn igen,

wi abop pan dɛm. Na so wi ɔl de klap fɔ dɛm.

5. Mi at sidɔm saful bikɔs a no se

wi kin manej naw witawt bɔku bɔku tin dɛm.

Na pɔsin, nɔto tin dɛm, go mek wi layf bɛtɛ,

Ɛn tɔn dawt ɛn tabitabi to op fɔ tumara.

6. Mi at sidɔm saful bikɔs a no se

Dis lɔkdɔng ya so, nɔ min se wi fasin insay.

I mek wi at swɛl big so te wi ebul fɔ

pre fɔ dɛn wan dɛm we dɔn lɔs dɛnsɛf

ɔ dɛm bɔdi dɔn brok wit tumɔs wahala.

7. Mi at sidɔm saful bikɔs a no se

ɔl dis bɔku plaba go tap wan de.

Ivin na dis kres kres tɛm ya so

Wi dɔn fɛn tru sori-at ɛn ajo,

ɛn wi at de sing wit jɔy.

8. Mi at sidɔm saful bikɔs a no se

tide na bunya, ɛn wi nɔ no wetin go kam

tumara bambay. We wi ɔl sidɔm na os

di grɔn dɔn gɛ tɛm fɔ de mɛn insɛf.

9. Mi at sidɔm saful bikɔs a no se

ɔltin we de insay wi at, na di sem tin

we bin de fɔstɛm, bikɔs ɔltin na wan

i sidɔm na wi at, ɛn fasin wi to aw

wi tan lɛk dip insay, to udat wi bi.

10. Mi at sidɔm saful bikɔs a no se

wi dɔn gɛt bɔku bɔku tɛm. so lɛ wi

tinap, lɛ wi lisin ɛn memba se,

wi tranga, ɛn bay ɛn bay, wi go ebul

fɔ blo kam dɔng igɛn .

Anni Domingo is a British-Sierra Leonean actress in Theatre, Television, Radio and in Films.

Note: Ms Domingo would like to acknowledge Amadu Bangura and Esme James  for helping with

official Krio orthography in this poem.

A sabi yu

A sabi yu, as a tɔk yu dɔn vɛks, wan chans yu nɔ de gi mi fɔ se wetin de na mi chɛst

A sabi yu, wetin pipul dɛn gɛt fɔ se bɛtɛ pas yu pikin in pen

A sabi yu, a kin wan kam nia yu so bɔt yu se a de ambɔg yu, so?

A sabi yu, as yu adɔp, wok nɔ go wɛl, ɛnitin a tɔk naw na pwɛl

A sabi yu, a taya fɔ ɛxplen, bo, mi mama yu de kɔz mi bɛku pen

A sabi yu, as a tɛl yu di tru, yu se a disrɛspɛktful, bɔt mama a nɔ fityay yu

A sabi yu, nɔto ignɔ a de ignɔ, na fred a de fred yu

A sabi yu, yu nɔ kia bɔt mi, wetin na os, klos ɛn plenti it we mi spirit ɛmpti

A sabi yu, as yu kɔl mi so, mi at de kɔt, bɔdi de nav... 'wetin a dɔn du bak'

A sabi yu, mi ɛn yu fɔ wok as tim? bɔt mi at ful, wetin egen a fɔ tot fɔ yu

A sabi yu, yu nɔ de tray fɔ mek dis wok, yu jɔs de mek tings wɔs, yu want mek a listin to yu bɔt yu nɔ wan yɛri wetin a gɛ fɔ tɔk

A sabi yu, we a vɛks ɛn go naw, yu bigin kɔl lɛk natin nɔ apin

A sabi yu, as a kam sidɔn na pala so, yu bigin ala pan mi, aw mi na disapɔyntmɛnt, yu rigrɛt we yu bɔn

A sabi yu, a kɔmɔt na os, o naw yu mis mi? a min yu tɔk se mi ɛn yu nɔto padi!

A gi yu mi ɔltin, a cray fɔ yu te, ɛvri nɛt a de beg Gɔd mek ɔltin fayn bitwin yu ɛn mi, bɔt yu nɔ bi want dat so natin nɔ lɛf egen

A sabi yu, na bikɔz ɔf dat mek a de rɔn pa yu, wetin egen a fɔ du?

Isha Razak is a Sierra Leonean student based in the UK