Mai Buk Ah Kriol/Inglish Poaymz

By Sharon Louise Mejia

This book was inspired by parents, teachers and students of the Salvation Army School in Belize
City, the Pilgrim Fellowship Mennonite School in Hattieville, and the Hattieville Government School.
Having taught at each of these institutions for several years, it was my privilege and joy to
prepare students for various occasions such as end of school programs, September Celebrations,
Christmas Programs, and the Festival of Arts. Some of the poems were performed as skits, while
others were recited by individuals wearing appropriate costumes. Several parents and
teachers have encouraged me to compile the poems and to distribute them to schools so that
more Belizean students can benefit from them

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728334080

Book preview

MAI BUK AH KRIOL/

INGLISH POAYMZ

Sharon Louise Mejia

© 2019 Sharon Louise Mejia. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3407-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3408-0 (e)

Published by AuthorHouse 11/29/2019

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Scholarship Program

The proceeds from sales of this book will be used for awarding scholarships to needy students through the Progressive Education Assistance Team (PEAT).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book was inspired by parents, teachers and students of the Salvation Army School in Belize City, the Pilgrim Fellowship Mennonite School in Hattieville, and the Hattieville Government School.

Having taught at each of these institutions for several years, it was my privilege and joy to prepare students for various occasions such as end of school programs, September Celebrations, Christmas Programs, and the Festival of Arts. Some of the poems were performed as skits, while others were recited by individuals wearing appropriate costumes. Several parents and teachers have encouraged me to compile the poems and to distribute them to schools so that more Belizean students can benefit by reading them.

I must express my gratitude to Mr. Leroy Green, who worked with the Ministry of Education and the National Institute of Culture and History for his helpful guidance and critique. I am also grateful to Honorable Patrick Faber, Minister of Education, for his kind words of encouragement, and for his support. A big thank you to my son, Lovoy Ruben Mejia for assisting with the selection of images in an effort to illustrate various sections of the book. Above all, I give God the glory for blessing me with such wonderful talents. It is my sincere desire that all who read this book will learn the Belize Kriol, and will develop an appreciation for the language.

THANKS

The Belize Kriol–Inglish Dikshineri was used in standardizing the Kriol language used in this book. Thanks to Silvana Udz and Myrna Manzanares for allowing me to use their expertise. A big thank you to Mr. Deryck Satchwell for taking time from his busy schedule to assist with editing as well. I hereby express sincere gratitude to Mr. Lawrence Vernon, the official editor and consultant in pushing the book forward and ensuring that I met deadlines.

DEDICATION

Mai Buk Ah Kriol Poaymz is dedicated to my husband, Mr. Reuben Mejia, who supports me when I am inspired to write even if it is in the middle of the night or in the wee hours of the morning. To my son, Lovel Mejia for reciting the poems in public since he was a little boy at

Hattieville Government School, up until now. To all the students who have eagerly performed at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts during the Festival of Arts and have won gold. Your names are too numerous to mention, but you have all been my joy and inspiration. I also dedicate this book to the memory of my beloved parents, Uriel Maine and Gloria Clarke (Meighan) who used to listen to me tirelessly as I recited for them so that they could critique the work. Since they are no longer able to do so, I am grateful that my husband and children have taken on that role. Above all, this book is dedicated to all of its readers at home and abroad who challenge themselves to read the Belize Kriol.

FOREWORD

The ability of poets to express their thoughts in poetry is not necessarily confined to those persons overtime that have been described as ‘greats’; but rather can also be found in our humble Belizean poets. What is important in writing and sharing their thoughts is that these be composed, preserved and disseminated as widely as possible to those readers who wish to benefit from the poets’ wisdom.

Sharon Mejia has taken on the awesome task of expressing her thoughts and experiences in poetry – and not any type of poetry – but poetry written in the Kriol language. She has put together a collection of 18 poems which challenges us to understand her feelings about her society, her years spent as a teacher in dealing with students and parents, and the emphasis she places on a roots setting to which readers can readily identify.

Kriol is the language spoken by many Belizeans, especially the Creole people of Belize. The writer is quick to dispel the perception that Creole is a dialect of English, but assures us that it is indeed its own language with grammar and spelling rules. The Kriol Council of Belize has reinforced this with its publication of the Kriol-Inglish Dikshineri.

Sharon’s inspirational gems in Kriol, which she has also translated into English, make for pleasurable reading experiences, giving credence to the saying that in any language: Poetry is the language of the soul. She has joined the writers of diverse backgrounds who have become an integral part of the development of Belizean literature. It is surely the short stories, novels, plays, and splendid poetry that has captured Belize today!

For many years Belizean teachers have been hampered in their efforts to better educate because of the lack of knowledge of the Kriol language. Mai Buk Ah Kriol Poaym by Sharon Mejia will be