The Mardi Gras Indians
They Came Alive
Right after the turn of the century
The Mardi Gras Indians came alive...
The tribes came from all over the city
From the different wards where they still survive...
Downtown Indians use sequins and feathers...
Uptowners use feathers, rhinestones and beads...
The main part of every costume is the patch...
A message from the heart is what it reads...
After a year of making their costumes
Using all the velvet and sequins galore...
The chiefs are ready to share their magic
And keep their costumes a secret no more...
Spy Boy stands out in front
Making sure no tribes are near...
He communicates with First Flag
In case a gang is sharing fear...
Once the Big Chief gets his signal
He leads the tribe safely through the hood...
He protects his tribe from danger
as any brave Mardi Gras Chief should...
When two tribes would come together
They use to settle any bad score...
But today the tribes are friendly
And gang fighting they do no more...
‘Me no Humba, you be Humba’
Is what one Chief says to the other...
At the end of the Mardi Gras season
All the tribes become one, my brother...
© 2020 Jeffrey Pipes Guice
Photograph: Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee
About the Creator
Jeffrey Pipes Guice
Jeffrey worked for years in New York City and Washington D.C. while traveling throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and even spent some time in Antarctica. But the true discoveries came from inside himself, and that poetic journey is shown here.
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