Ole Talk is a popular West Indian term, steeped in tradition. Many regard it as light or idle chatter but it goes beyond that. There is serious Ole Talk which transcends idle conversations, exaggeration, or plain shooting from the mouth. It can involve talk on current events, politics, culture and school days, as well as trends in behavior and fashion. Ole Talk is any talk and can take place in any set¬ting. Parties and social soirees are perfect settings to Ole Talk. A group of people playing dominoes or other card games might, at the same time, engage in serious or frivolous debate whilst the tension of the game ensues. It is not unusual for someone to interrupt the chat by saying “under the Ole Talk, hear this,” only for a major discussion to follow on an impending hurricane. Ole Talk follows no rules of engagement. Talkers move with ease back and forth between topics of great importance and less so and of great importance again. One aspect of Ole Talk is humor. This speaks volumes of the ability of West Indians to juxtapose adversity and hardship with hilarity. One can Ole Talk about a hurricane and the death and destruction it brings whilst extolling the humorous nature of everyday behavior. In this book, Reflections and Ole Talk, I play the role of the Ole Talker. It is not a researched book and the thoughts emanate from my head in the way I remember them. This book is not based on detailed character studies. I relate stories and pieces written in free verse style, based mostly on my experiences of growing up in Grenada as well as my many encounters on return visit. The subjects are varied and like a true Ole Talker, I sometimes digress before returning to a topic. I explore themes that will grab the interest of people who live in the Caribbean, whilst also targeting those who left for England, Canada, America and other places years ago. There is always a yearning for the stories of yesterday and when done in the language or the Ole Talk which formed part of their youthful days, prominent memories are evoked. There are many people who find enjoyment in reminiscing about a life they knew so well. West Indian slang and expressions are very colorful and there is music in the spoken word. Many of the words derived from English and French. I make use of such words to bring the messages across more powerfully. For those who are not too familiar with the terms used, I provide a glossary. There will be discussions over usage or spelling of the colloquial expressions I use. I chose to write them in the vernacular; the way I heard and remembered them and the way my peers interpreted them. The book, though based on my experiences in Grenada and a little about Brooklyn where I currently live, deals with topics that people all over the world will easily identify with. The stories are human stories. When Sweet Papa curses the politicians, one quickly realizes that there are Sweet Papas in all corners of the world. The curious nature of people is seen in the piece entitled Joe Joe Come Back, where a woman goes to great lengths to discover whether it really is Joe Joe who returns. I remember writing a story in my typical Ole Talk style. I put that story on the Spice Islander TalkShop, a discussion forum popular amongst Grenadians and friends in the Diaspora and at home. I received an e-mail from an old man who told me that he had read my story and my mention of the boat, Carib Clipper, brought tears to his eyes. Decades ago, he had taken that boat to Trinidad. He emailed, “I read your story and you made an old man very happy tonight.” It is my wish that this book, Reflections and Ole Talk, will cause people all over the world to feel happy. Anthony “Wendell” DeRiggs TATOES.