Fu You Tongue Heavy Lakka 56

Book excerpt: This collection is a look back at the body of work by Iyaba Ibo Mandingo. It includes his early work, the works written after his 911 arrest and detainment by homeland security and the latest work following his return to Afrika. "Fu You Tongue Heavy Lakka 56" is Antiguan patois. It is a favorite saying of Iyaba Ibo Mandingo's Great Grandmother, "Rozzy" Guy. It means you have a lot to say. As the grandchild of former enslaved Africans she remembers the elders talking about the heavy plows they used during slavery and the days of shooting hard labor (sharecropping) that followed. The size of each plow was designated by a number stamped on the handle. 56 was the number of the heaviest of them all. It was a perfect way to honor his Eguns (ancestors) and the perfect title for a collection of poetry