Split cuts the caye in two — Hurricane Hattie did that back in '61
Mangrove side and pelican side and one dog not chasing anything
Darnell's got a cooler — ice gone tired, lid cracked at the hinge
"Weh yuh deh pan, mahn" — cold one in your hand before you think of asking
Like names could wait till after the first sip
Sign on the wall says Go Slow — Darnell looked up at it
Said "Dat sign talking to you"
And turned back to the blue
Hand-cut pole, a line on the water, a scar on his shoulder nobody asked about
Jimmy asked if the fish were biting today
Darnell said "Sometimes fish got plans"
And went back to watching where the line met the bay
Go slow, mahn — this caye don't read a watch
Seven men after Iris, post by patient post
Darnell doesn't preach it — hands you something cold
Lets the afternoon make the argument for him
He said Iris came through in 2001 — took his sister's roof clean off
Miss Leona's stove, both skiffs rolled black
Three minutes, maybe four — he couldn't tell you exact
Said "nothing we couldn't fix if we had the daylight back"
Seven people stayed when the rest went north to family
By week three they had walls, by week four somebody found the church bell
Said it didn't feel like courage — felt more like stubbornness
Said "you go slow or you just don't come back, mahn — that's the amount"
He said the sea just borrowed, and it always pays again
And roof leaks worse when you curse the rain
Darnell's pole hasn't moved six inches, sun to sun
Says the barracuda don't watch a clock — so he quit wearing one
Go slow, mahn — this caye don't read a watch
Seven men after Iris, post by patient post
Darnell doesn't preach it — hands you something cold
Lets the afternoon make the argument for him
I said "You ever think of leaving?"
Darnell laughed down into his beer
Said "Leave where? My dead know my address
My mother's mango tree still here"
Pelican missed a fish by inches — tourists clapped like that was the show
Darnell pointed with his bottle and grinned
Said "Even birds, mahn
Even birds go slow"
Go slow, mahn — this caye don't read a watch
Seven men after Iris, post by patient post
Darnell doesn't preach it — hands you something cold
Lets the afternoon make the argument for him
By sunset Darnell had one beer left
Warm as bathwater, label half torn
He gave it to Jimmy for the walk back
Said "Tomorrow slow come early, you been warned"
Sign still saying Go Slow on the way out
Same as it's been saying since '61
Even birds, mahn
Even birds