Callum James
Participant in: WORRRD Up 2022
Coached by: Dr. Adrian Augier
Literature: Master Class (2022)

About Callum James

1st Place Winner - WORRRD Up 2022

Callum James Bio

Callum enjoys writing poetry, playing football, sightseeing and hiking. He has a myriad of aspirations which includes becoming a performance poet, a business owner, a published author and writer. Callum also has a special interest in sociological research and perspectives. He asserts that on journeying to becoming a performance poet it's in his job description to compete in his College's poetry slam.


Callum's Work

Master Class by Callum James

A masterclass
by the master.

Class, let's get to work.

So we in maths.
Time for some stats.
We have a 16% crime rate.

That could be
because of the 12.5% rate
of VAT,

or maybe just that,
de country in a state.

17% of people unemployed?
Remember the times
when you enjoyed
the joy
of receiving new toys?

Think of the boys,
and girls
with dreams
of diamonds and pearls,
but their parents
oppressed by de world.

Now class,
we see the relationship between
the classed
and the outclassed,
the X
and Y
the jobless,
the heartless

and why,
some people will put everything at stake
just to see a piece of steak
on their plate,

because no matter how hard
they try,
they go always get defeat,
because financially,
they at de feet
of de rich.

And if anyone of y’all have a itch or a twitch,
I will effortlessly dismiss y’all
like a Chris Gayle six.

Y’all think I lie?
How come some people
cah reach the sky.

If love was something
money coulda buy.

The rich would survive
and the poor woulda die.

That was just for any member of
Babylon
in disguise.

Anyways, let’s get back to class guys.

Unemployment equals Crime Rate,
Vat feeding de state
making rich fellas
say checkmate,
while we say “check mate,
he doh have nothing to put on his plate.”

Okay class that was great.

Now we’re going straight
into Language Arts.

In this session
we will erase
the connotation
which
suggests

Kwéyòl is only used
for aggression.

Why the first Kwéyòl
words we learn
are the curses?

Why not one of
Sessene Descartes verses?

Allow me to give you a glimpse
of what Creole is.

Y’all ever try to eat a dry rice?
Class, I know we can testify,
there is no need for a
test to find
out if a dry rice could be nice.

Kwéyòl is the sizzling sensual seasoning
dat making any meal fulfilling
like fry chicken with a spice.

Imagine being able to say “Doo doo ou ka gadé bèl bél bèl, kor an diwi ki pa mantjé sèl sél sél”
You’d believe only a “Sweetie you look really nice”
would suffice?

Gasa I cah even say that twice.

Doo doo
ou ka gadé belle belle belle, AA!
kor an diwi ki pa mantjé sèl sèl sèl, Bondyé!

Imagine being able to
celebrate
the art of your language.

Language will then serve
as a bandage
to nurse
the wounds
from those
savages
of the ages
and

Ah!!
As I say savages,
time for your history lesson.

Y’all believe
Christopher discover?
Y’all feel admiration for admiral Rodney?

Well, check how easy
we’ll break down the mystery.

Why do you think black
people living in misery?

Of course we are
products of our history.

De white man
waltz into Amerindian land,
like an intruder
jumping into a carnival band,

take de African
and say look.

Give everybody who feel to say NO
a life-threatening jūk
and brand all slaves
after names
in de holy book.

In the name of Mathew
Mark
Luke
and John.

Come on.
Lemme drop de bomb.

You doh think that’s wrong?

Black people perceived as just stupid and strong?
Compared to King Kong?

All we can do is sing redemption song
because black men inherit the culture to die young!

While whites surrounded among,
acres of stolen agriculture.

Hear how they come to conquer.

They brainwash the Africans and
wash their hands clean clean like Christians.

They called us stupid negros
like the hair on their stupid knee grows differently,

preaching about white God, white God,
because they wanted white supremacy!

Let’s understand our story.

We stop playing a long time ago.
We not toys in no toy story,
and still they lack the grace
to tell us sorry.

Pddddddddrrrrr!
Okay class that was the bell.

Thank you for being so attentive.
The main objective
of today was to
win
at life

by
transforming our knowledge
to liberate our dreams.

We’ve come to the end of this masterclass,

by the master,

class.