Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Grammar

I have just been called racist,
For not wanting to correct someone's grammar,
Because his first language is not English,
And so I'm being a condescending humourer.

But if I don't speak his first language ,
Am I not assuming to translate,
Ideas formulated differently than my English brain would have?
What if I made a mistake?

I once wrote in Italian, though I hardly knew it,
And I felt it was a beautiful thing.
I know it probably was syntaxally horrendous,
But at least I knew what I was saying.

But it's alright,
Maybe I am racist after all.
After all, I write like English is not my first language,
And make it all ungrammatical.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Thanks Louis.

I have been wondering why that guy has whooped on, disturbing me. Probably, he is one customer-less editor that wants to work with me, cos I have been in deals with many of them.

Thank you so much for this poem, and I love it. Still, you are no racist.

Big hugs and much love.

Onyeka