I Got Flowers Today
(Dedicated to Battered Women)

I got flowers today!
It wasn’t my birthday or any other special day.
We had our first argument last night;
And he said a lot of cruel things that really hurt;
I know that he is sorry and didn’t mean to say the things he said;
Because he sent me flowers today.

I got flowers today.
It wasn’t our anniversary or any other special day.
Last night, he threw me into a wall and started to choke me.
It seemed like a nightmare.
I couldn’t believe that it was real.
I woke up this morning sore and bruised all over.
I know he must be sorry.
Because he sent me flowers today.

I got flowers today!
It wasn’t our anniversary or any other special day;
Last night he threw me into a wall and then started choking me;
It seemed unreal, a nightmare, but you wake up from nightmares;
And I woke up this morning sore and bruised all over—but I know he is sorry;
Because he sent me flowers today.

I got flowers today!
And it wasn’t Valentines Day or any other special day;
Last night he beat me and threatened to kill me;
Make-up and long sleeves didn’t hide the cuts and bruises this time;
I couldn’t go to work today because I didn’t want anyone to know—but I know he’s sorry;
Because he sent me flowers today.

I got flowers today!
And it wasn’t Mother’s Day or any other special day;
Last night he beat me again, and it was worse than all of the other times;
If I leave him, what will I do? How will I take care of the kids? What about money?
I’m afraid of him, but I’m too scared and dependent to leave him! But he must be sorry;
Because he sent me flowers today.

I got flowers today….
Today was a special day—it was the day of my funeral;
Last night he killed me;
If only I would have gathered the courage and strength to leave him;
I could have received help from the Women’s Shelter, but I didn’t ask for their help;
So I got flowers today—for the last time.

I am gonna keep repeating for Rihanna to read somewhere in the hopes it helps her stop being her to wear in Catholic Church?

Can we really blame? I mean errant schoolteacher and purported calypsonian Mac Fingall has two songs related to vaginal skills – Bacon (as in bare…) and “You’re Eating Too Much, Percy!” (say it fast, especially with a St Philip accent) On the other hand, domestic abuse itself is glorified in Madd‘s “Days Of Our Lives” when a housewife did no work all day long to watch “Doug & Julie” (characters from the obsolete series on CBC tv) and she was threatened by her senior citizen husband Rudefus who promised to “…drive his hand in her jawbone!” These Kadooment tunes are mythical  personas in Barbadiana, revelled each year they air.

As I’ve mentioned before, my mom got her divorce on grounds of Physical Cruelty, before the Nisée Decree, many of my father’s pals called Mom to try and persuade her to drop charges and let the matter get swept away – whether for the good of the newspaper they both did marketing for or for their political affiliates. Luckily, Mom was of sterner stuff…

Yet even after the divorce, my father tried many times to victimise, badger and harrass her for daring to leave. You don’t think will choose a good moment for the same with ?

What message is this sending young girls in Barbados? If you get a lash, take it and reconcile the (sic{k}) Union! This is the Cultural Ambassador of Barbados? But no, when I dare to critique? Bajans declare it is ME who is the ! 😉