Well, de battle is on, and what is coming to light is dat Common-is-him and Social-is-him dat both dwell and feast in de Capit-all, are still very un-Common and un-Social among de masses. Patches Knights, one of de foundation members of de Black Power Movement here, was saying dat way back in de 1960’s, ah group ah dem started dis Black Consciousness Movement and from day one, dey were branded from one name to de next; one extreme to de other, from Black Power to Radicals, to Common-is-him, it softened up wid in-fill-traitors to Social-is-him and even got softer and flattered down to de Progressives.{{more}} But like de starving horse, lock-up, while de grass was flowering on de Capital-is side, dey came to de conclusion dat de eeeziest solution was to join dem if yuh can’t beat dem, and when yuh get inside, tek charge.

So said so done. Today de Progressives who were out dey only smelling de cheese and de coffee, are now sitting round de head-table on Boards cheering, drawing fat salaries and allowances, no longer smelling Cheese and Coffee but feeding pon de fat ah de land, doing absolutely nothing productive in de process. Wid tings going so good foh dem, dey have to mek sure it doesn’t change, in fact it must last foh-ever! Dat means going back to basics, back to way dey started, people must Social-lies, but not in de Common-is manner. De I-dare is to Capital-lies as dey tek control ah all de Capital.

Actually it does not surprise me when ah hear all de “join de band wagon” Progressives, chanting down everybody living in de Capital, who dare to say dey will not Socaial-lies or live among de least Common denominator. One has to overs dat dis is literally cutting down dey Breadfruit tree, ah serious threat to de planned Civil-lies-I-say-shun. Just fan-see Progressives are paid massive heart attack Treasury Bills, just to talk all day on Radio or write epistles in de press in defence ah dis Common, Social Yu-foh-Ralph!

And if I must play wid de Prime Ministers own words, his explanation is dat de Social-is-him dat we will be getting is different from that of Castro and Chavez. But de problem is us, according to him we are too “back-ward” in our thinking, to overs and appreciate his brand ah Social-is-him. Li-Za calls it Gun-solve-is-him! Oh what tangled webs we weave.

Doesn’t de PM’s explanation remind us of Aesop’s story wid de King who wanted ah suite dat was different to anyting de other Kings wear. Ah smart Taylor convinced Massah King dah he could build him an invisible suite, that would permit him to parade in de streets naked, and his deception, his indecent exposure would be taken care of wid dis invisible suite. “But”! he cautioned de King, “only you and those loyal subjects and objects who possess de vision of ah Progressive, would be able able to see de beauty in my Invisible Suite’. Can’t you hear Marsah King rebuking his loyal subjects and objects: “All yuh would have to be ‘back-ward’ and ‘un-tutored’ in yuh tinking, if yuh all don’t visual-lies dis new concept in tailoring dat I want to introduce”. When would Massah King cool out from de-rag-ah-terror-I-sing people wid names like Back-ward and Un-tutored.

But our Massah King has already stripped himself stalk naked, nothing more to hide, yuh looking foh someone who is Common, well Common-is-Him! His Palace guards and Loyal objects are in shock, dey can’t believe dat dey have been exposed to de “naked truth” as de King strips into his Invisible Suite. Inside de Palace their silence is deafening de King; and outside, de lickle Idiot boy, snatty nose girl, differ-Cult Choose-hans drawing people’s attention to de fact dat de King parading in de Palace naked as he born. Dey begging Massah King to put on his Invisible Suite and come outside and call de date. Dey saying, E-batty-dey-ah-doh! Ooops dat should be “His buttocks is at the door”!

CANDY MAN FOH MISS CARIVAL

Ah want to congratulate all de Miss SVG contestants foh trying dey best to win de Scholarship. Let’s hope Miss SVG, de young lady Matthews, goes on and win Miss Carival. Lie-Za is firmly convinced dat comedian Candy Man was de best contestant foh de night, he won in all three categories and should ah win de crown. He had de Best Talent, he won de Best Swim Wear category, didn’t even put on his sling-shot swim-wear, just held it in de air. His Evening Gown was most original and his answers to de questions had more humour and content dan de others. So Lie-Za say SVG should enter two contestants foh Miss Carival, Miss Mathews and Candy Man! I believe dat Candy Man wid his unique style, will put SVG way Sir Louche left off! And wid dat, is gone ah gone again!

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.