Black to Britain

 

They came by ship on a voyage some years ago,

to a city which was paved with Gold, to the Mother Country of old.

Unskilled and often with trepidation they took their chance,

from the warm sunny balm of a tropical home where they did dance.

To a cold and blustery land of which they had dreamed,

and had read aloud from history books in school and learned.

A promised land yet war torn, bombed and forlorn,

they found a new home in a shabby dwelling of a different from.

A tenament with a ruthless landlord ,an unscrupulous man,

a kitchen bare with no furniture or comforts or even a pan.

They were not made welcome because of their colour, 

Christians yes but with a different sort of cover.

They set to work with little or no skills,

for meagre wages and the usual bills.

Some yearned to be home and cried themselves to sleep,

but there was no going back like a herd of sheep.

Perseverance and hard work in the frost and snow,

hardened them to make a future and make a go.

Children soon came as they struggled to make ends meet,

in fear and dread of living on the street.

The host nation warned, no dogs and No Coloureds here,

as their customary welcome was forever near.

Go back to where you came from and don't look back,

one insult after another was their best of luck.

Years have now passed and they do remain,

they now have the right to make their claim.

Arm in arm they labour with us and inter marry,

and so they do amongst us still happily tarry.

They came with nothing but clothes in a bag,

now they enrich us with a Caribbean cuisine

and a Christmas hog.

Never turn the stranger away from your door,

for it could be Christ your new neighbour.

Who is here to call and be your guest

as he was the very best.