Poem: The Junk in Junkanoo - Nassau, Bahamas

Do as I say but not as I do,
but who told you that you could
put the junk in Junkanoo.
I was fine when our ancestors moved it
to Bay and Shirley Street.
I was even willing to pay an added fee
to sit on the wooden seats.
But when you single-handedly
moved my “pride”
to Cable Beach without conferring with me
I got a little upset;
And when you spent our money
on all them metal bleachers
I wanted your hide for placing us in debt!
You told me that
you was going to triple the cost in sales;
But even the man from
the University of Farm Road
knew that that was going to fail.
You computerized the ticketing process
but you messed up the procedures
by slashing the price.
Empty gray metal structures
on national television
are a waste of taxpayers’ money,
even if they look nice.
If you had only gone thru
the proper channels
and sought joint authorization;
then you wouldn’t have stepped in this mess
and would have avoided causing this country
utter frustration.
True wisdom knows that small steps
and mini-sacrifices
must be taken to reach any goal,
But if a man lacks the patience
to listen to experience and to reason
then he jeopardizes the sanctity of his soul.
Your intentions were good,
but your gross commercialization of our culture
will not do.
It is up to the people (and only the people)
to decide how much junk to put in Junkanoo.

By Sean R. E. Munnings
The Raga~Lover

Copyright © 2006 Sean R. Munnings, all rights reserved.
Written in 2004