JOHN AGARD – POET - PLAYWRIGHT Playwright, poet, short-story and children's writer John Agard was born on 21 June 1949 in British Guiana (now Guyana). His published poetry includes Man to Pan (1982), winner of the Casa de las Américas Prize, Limbo Dancer in Dark Glasses (1983), Mangoes and Bullets: Selected and New Poems 1972-84 (1985) and Weblines (2000). He is also the author of many children's books, including Lend Me Your Wings (1987), which was shortlisted for the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. John Agard lives in south-east England. His poetry collection We Brits (2006), was shortlisted for the 2007 British Book Awards Decibel Writer of the Year award. His latest poetry collection is Clever Backbone (2009).

Excuse me standing on one leg I’m half-caste Excuse me standing on one leg I’m half-caste. Explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say half-caste yu mean when Picasso mix red an green is a half-caste canvas? explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say half-caste yu mean when light an shadow mix in de sky is a half-caste weather? well in dat case england weather nearly always half-caste in fact some o dem cloud half-caste till dem overcast so spiteful dem don’t want de sun pass ah rass? explain yuself wha yu mean when yu say half-caste yu mean tchaikovsky sit down at dah piano an mix a black key wid a white key is a half-caste symphony? John Agard - Half Caste Explain yuself wha yu mean Ah listening to yu wid de keen half of mih ear Ah looking at yu wid de keen half of mih eye an when I’m introduced to yu I’m sure you’ll understand why I offer yu half-a-hand an when I sleep at night I close half-a-eye consequently when I dream I dream half-a-dream an when moon begin to glow I half-caste human being cast half-a-shadow but yu must come back tomorrow wid de whole of yu eye an de whole of yu ear an de whole of yu mind. an I will tell yu de other half of my story.

Angry? Confused? Political? What does it mean? At first, it is hard to 'get' what the poem is saying.  My pupils' first suggestion was that Agard was saying that - because he was 'half-caste' - he was only half a human being.      Of course, Agard is saying exactly the opposite!   He saying that it is we who only have half an eye, half a ear and half a mind!   Because we haven't thought fully about what 'half-caste' means...

John Agard Call alligator long-mouth call alligator saw-mouth call alligator pushy-mouth call alligator scissors-mouth call alligator raggedy-mouth call alligator bumpy-bum call alligator all dem rude word but better wait ….. till you cross river. What does it mean? Discuss!

Rainbow - by John Agard When you see de rainbow you know God know wha he doing - one big smile across the sky - I tell you God got style the man got style When you see raincloud pass and de rainbow make a show I tell you is God doing limbo the man doing limbo But sometimes you know when I see de rainbow so full of glow and curving like she bearing child I does want know if God ain’t a woman If that is so the woman got style man she got style