To the women of Carnival

Life is like carnival and everybody playin ah big mas. J'ouvert is childhood, the beginning, yuh full ah energy, and comfortable with being dirty.....which lil chile you know does like tuh bathe? Carnival Monday is the teenage  years and your twenties. You know the bacchanal ent really start yet but you still in tings and jus glad to be on the Road. Carnival Tuesday is when the shit does really start. You on the road early, face perfectly made up, jewels all over and a fabulous costume. Everything nice till bout lunch time. Den the sun start to bun up yuh ass, and all of a sudden you realise you feelin every mash foot and bounce yuh get. This is when the realities of life kick in. Bills to pay, work and more work. You realise you can't remember a time  in the recent past when you did not always feel just a little tired. Yes, this is the part of your Carnival Tuesday/life when your professional makeup sweat off and the jewels and glitter wine off. The end of the day is in sight (we all know from your 30's you start recognizing your mortality and how quickly the years are going by) so what to do? How do we make the most of our Carnival Tuesday evening? Well for those in a high end all inclusive band we keep our cups filled (Johnny Walker and Coconut Water works best) and this helps us along, sometimes we take a lil rest and jus chip along the road, still in the mix yet not really palancing yuhself. There is always the happy surprise of a man wid ah sweet wine, (please please not daggering), ah sweet wine.....where there's not a great output of energy needed to achieve a nice melodic groove (no spillage of the Johnny). You can rest your torso and head on his ample strong chest and he supports you, at least for the duration of the dance. In life, as in Carnival, this helps one along the journey. Some of us get caught off guard when the dance is over and the support and enjoyment of the sweet wine is gone and may spend the whole carnival searching for that same wine or a wine of equal sweetness only to be disappointed.

As I said, everybody playin ah big mas, is either yuh is ah dragon.......a person in the shell of grand ferocity, people pay you to not harass them even though you can't really breathe out fire. You could be a blue devil wid a tail and a pitch oil pan. Preferring the blue to the black you can't wash off. Playin devil because it easier than playin God. A Midnight Robber wid talk fuh so, A Sailor whose powder makes him sneeze, or even the Queen of the band, taking a loan or ah man to pay for her costume. What happens to us when Carnival done and the Big Mas we playin over? There is one constant in Carnival/Life, and that is your crew. We seldom play mas alone cause that would jus buss. The girls who help you get ready, they go with you to pee, you take pictures together and wine up on people together (especially if is sumbody man, there's safety in numbers) This entry is dedicated to all the girls who have been my companions while I palance myself and play my big mas. From Primary school, Secondary school, UWI undergrad, and once again UWI Post grad. Thanks for helping me get ready for the road, for bringing me a Johnny from the drinks truck, for taking a rest and eating lunch in the square and for chippin down the road arm in arm with me. Most of you are away on different shores now, some I have parted ways with and some are still physically in my life. However, our positions now do not negate your presence at a particular point in time and the value of that. For why else would someone play a big mas at Carnival other than to be recognized,valued, appreciated and loved as a thing of beauty.

DAVID RUDDER HIGH MAS

Our Father who has given us this art
 So that we can all feel a part
 Of this earthly (lesser) heaven....amen
 Forgive us this day our daily weaknesses
 As we seek to cast our mortal burdens on this city...amen
 Oh merciful Father, in this bacchanal season
 Where some men will lose their reason
 But most of us just want to wine and have a good time
 While we looking for a lime, Because we feeling fine, Lord....amen
 And as we jump up and down in this crazy town
Send us some music for some healing...amen

Our Father who has given us this art
 So that we can all feel as if we are a part
 Of your heaven....amen
 Forgive us this day our daily weaknesses
 As we seek to cast our mortal burdens on this painful city...amen
 And on this day when we come out to play and sway
 And do a little breakaway
 Some will say what they have to say
 But only you know the pain we're feeling.....amen

As it was in the beginning of J'ouvert
So it shall be on Carnival Tuesday ending (good vibes)...amen

Chorus:
 Everybody hand raise
 Everybody give praise
 Everybody hand raise
 And if you know what I mean....put up your finger
 And if you know what I mean....put up your hand
 And if you know what I mean....put up your finger
 And if you know what I mean then scream
 O, give Jah his praises
 O, let Jah be praised
 O, the Father in his mercy
 Send a little music, to make the vibration raise
 So Carnival Day, everybody come and celebrate
 Everybody come and celebrate
 See the ragamuffin congregate
 Everybody come and celebrate
 And everybody say, oo,a,a,oo,a,a I love my country
 oo,a,a,oo,a,a I feeling irie (repeat