Turn the Broomstick Up
Sis Mavis, rheumatism ridden,
drinks ginger beer, eats sweet bread,
rakes up forgotten stories, pierces old wounds.
Grandma’s anger smolders.
Eyelids heavy in the afternoon heat,
we become listless prisoners in armchairs.
Grandma sneaks into the kitchen and
turns the broomstick up.
We hear the car chugging up hilly island road.
Behind the wheel is a slick vendor.
Bed-spreads, suits and dresses load the trunk--
Things we’ll pay down on and pay up on forever.
Grandma, peeping through the lattice, shouts
“turn the broomstick up.”
Relatives appear like ghosts on a haunt.
They seek handouts or a place to dwell
until they get back on their feet.
They cause budget strains, crammed quarters
and strife. Mammy’s eyes say
“turn the broomstick up”.
We see them coming. Pairs, carry pamphlets,
wear kind faces and ready smiles.
Religious tales fall out of their mouths.
Thoughts of conversion stir in their heads.
They persuade those with eroding faith
to join their Kingdom Halls.
Stop them crossing the yard!
They will turn us into Watch Tower zombies.
Turn the broomstick up!
It’s not only the dead who invade our homes.
© Althea Romeo-Mark
"salt de broom": Definition: "A local tradition has it that a broom turned upside down and salted will get rid of guests who have overstayed their welcome."
Source: Page 108, What a Pistarckle!
Definition: To turn a broom upside down inside the house means to keep away evil spirits/jumbies.
...Source: I Love my Virgin Islands Accent group/Virgin Islands Dictionary
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