Riba and Maco Man

By Millicent Byrne

Riba done play she fus tennis game

and come home limping like she was lame.

Her concerned friends asked, “wha’ yuh go do,

now mas back on de road in twenty-two?”

A vet from T-dot’s Caribana,

when Sixty-Seven was Road March winner,

Riba went to all carnivals since.

No bruk foot gwine impede her presence.

She’d never miss that celebration

recognizing Emancipation

where the Caribbean diaspora

brings Lakeshore global vibes and flava.

Sake a de foot she’d just sit and gaff,

Exchange, “sak pase, n’ap boule?”, and laugh,

but well laid plans often don’t advance.

Like Shadow, she was compelled to prance.

When time come to fete and dingolay,

she hop on one leg and break away.

De neighbor live in a corner house,

whatever him see, him run him mouth

he give fatigue and got nuff ole talk

he even opine on how she walk.

Yuh better mek sure dat yuh don’t slip,

‘cause Maco Man seh yuh got bad hip.

But when him see how yuh jump and wine

dat same fas’ man, change him mind.

Him search for commesse and kyan find none,

not even in de mud mas wid yuh rum.

Den he watch yuh on de Boulevard

like you in a T&T pan yard.

Maco Man seh dat yuh foot look fine

an’ allyuh gwine buss an ole time lime.

              – 2-

When de bacchanal did done fi true

him seh yuh kyan find yuh left side shoe.

Maco Man seh yuh fling it ‘way

when yuh sing lavway and dance bélé.

But I mus’ see dat wid me own eyes

I think he was fabricating lies.

Allyuh ever hear bout s’mady dese days

going in fete fi sing dem ole lavways?

But tell de truth it aint bad fi know

de roots of mas, kaiso and extempo

and, if de chantwell and calinda

mix up wid de chutney and soca.

Now some personal words on Fifty-Five

and to those who keep Caribana alive,

who amongst us there in sixty-seven,

could have foreseen what’s now written?

“North America’s largest cultural event”

Am I the only one who didn’t?

Bravo to the visionaries, creators, and doers!

You well deserve our admiration and our flowers.

Oui Papa! Boonoonoonoos!

July 12, 2022