Ribbit: A Calypso of the Islands

In January 2001 I e-mailed a friend in New York.  For some reason we began to punctuate our conversations with frog calls: ribbit!  He told me he was not at home but in the U. S. Virgin Islands.  So I sent him this lyric.

Ribbit: A Calypso of the Islands

You be in de ilans, mon!
Lots o wata, lots o sun!
Drinkin all dat ilan rum ‒
Ribbit!

Snowin up in New York City.
Weather dere be really shitty!
Down de ilans, warm an pretty ‒
Ribbit!

Lites be on, but I don see why
Sted o rum we drinkin Nehi.
Rather be in U S V I ‒
Ribbit!

February gonna bring
Snow an slush an ever’ting!
Why you don stay dere till spring?
Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit!