Pan Pride

By Archbishop Emeritus Robert Rivas OP

 

So dem say refleck an sistren an bredren, is refleck ah refleck.

Ah surprise at mehself when ah begin tuh see d tings ah seein a what ah hearin when refleckin.

Come wit me an lemme tell you what ah see an heard when ah pray an refleck on meh country fuh Independence Day, 2025.

Ah call it, PAN PRIDE.

 

Pan prominent!

Pan tuh play.

Pan reach.

Pan on d Coat uh Arms!

Pan in front we

in aspirin’.

Pan beside we

in achievin’.

Pan sweet!

Pan music

in d Trini soul.

Pan on d road.

Pan on d Avenue.

 

Pan goin’ places.

Look wey Pan reach

in d middle uh we iconic

Coat uh Arms.

Pan in d right place, man!

Ah feelin’ d beat,

D heat

an d vibes;

Ah feelin’ nice;

Ah check meh pulse

an meh pride level

rite whey ah want it:

high an up dey;

ah full ah pride fuh meh country!

Ah love meh country!

But breddaman,

we eh reach yet.

Whey we goin?

Listen nuh!

Like we ent believin’

in weself no moh:

“Tuhgether we Aspire;

Tuhgether we Achieve;”

still true, true, fuh all ah we.

Why we shootin’ each udder?

Why we treatin’ one anudder so,

like nutten?

We makin life cheap;

we fuhgettin we brought-upcy

an we human dignity.

Like we t’row we moral values

in d gutter.;

like we doh care

about nutten an nobody!

Pan is harmony

an we spoilin’ d beat.

 

Pan all over d lan.

Give pan space man,

fuh grace tuh expan

an heal d lan’.

Come on nawh!

Doh stup d ban;

doh stifle d independence

an choke we celebration

wit yuh bad plan.

man, tink about yuh bredda;

tink about yuh sista.

Lewwe have moh compassion

an mercy on we communities.

Finish hate nuh.

Stup d lyin nuh.

Stup d killins nuh.

Mek a change nuh.

Lewwe wuk tuhgether nuh.

We country need we

but we ent listenin’.

We country bleedin’;

it hemragin;

it hurtin’ bad, bad, man!

 

Pan on D Avenue!

Plenty room fuh awl ah we.

“Together we Aspire;

Together we Achieve;”

What a dream we had!

Like we losin’ we vision;

like we losin’ we dream;

like we want tuh perish

an die out

an we doh care.

whey d virtues

an values we use tuh treasure?

Sagaboy say he ‘fraid

tuh go tuh tong;

too much holdin’ up

kidnappin’ an sampatin’.

Sagagyul, we own Tan Tan, say:

tings eh d same no moh.

Two ah dem weepin’

an appealin’,

fuh sumting better

fuh ev’rybody:

an end tuh crime

an all kinda hurtin’,

disrespect an’ violence.

Dey trouble bout d youth

an who leadin’ dem.

 

Pan on d Coat uh Arms:

“Pan Pride”;

tuh big we up!

We culture bornin,

Evolvin’ farse,

ah tell yuh!

Let pan beat fuh peace

in we broken hearts

an downcast spirits.

No pan, No TRINIDAD!

Doh spoil d beat nuh!

Pan sweet too bad!

Pan soodin!

Pan healin’!

Leh we mek T&T great nuh!

Ah want it

but how we go do it?

 

Pan in Church

does lift we up.

Beatin he pan,

D PREACHER say,

an ah hear it mehself,

on Independence Day:

“Beloved, be gentle,

humble, sensible

and listen well

to what the Bible says

and all the holy books

in the hands of good women

and dedicated men

in our multi-religious nation.”

But D PREACHER smart,

he start torkin D people tork

an he say:

 

“Leh we change we language nuh,

respeck ole people moh;

stup dem home invasions,

bole-face robberies

an ev’ry kind ah corruption nuh;

high up, low down an all rong!

Wat we doin eh good nuh!

Lewwe treat people better nuh.

Doh say dem ugly tings nuh.

All dem ugly tings,

D bullyin’,

D domestic violence,

D hurtful words,

disrespeck

an d bad manners

makin’ we look ugly tuh weself

an rong d world.

People go fraid we

an ent bodder wit we

no moh.

What go happen

tuh we greatest show on urt:

we Ca-ni-val;

an d excitement uh Knight Riders

challengin’ d Amazon Warriors

in CPL T20 cricket, at Tarouba?

If is jumbie we want;

is jumbie we go get!

Losin we frends an forrin family:

Dat! We doh want fuh we country.

Lewwe search fuh d light nuh.

Lewwe light up d dark places nuh.

Ev’rybody LISTEN:

mek it yuh duty

tuh wuk tuhgedder

wit yuh bredda an’ sista

buildin ah culture uh peace,

non-violence an’ love,

unity an’ harmony.

Lewwe put more empatty,

compassion an’ sincerity

in we behaviour as Trinies

in D lan uh D Trinity,

we homelan’

an blessed country.

 

Pan beat resonate!

Time tuh stup destroyin d soul

uh we beautiful country.

What about d next generation?

What will be deer inheritance?

We chirren tuhday need sumting better.

What example we givin’

we young people an we chirren?

Like we cyah fine d word ‘respeck’

in we dictionary!

D culture uh death prevailin’.

Instead uh investin’ in guns,

udder weapons uh destruction,

drugs, gangs, d controlin’ tactics

an all dem bad tings we doin’;

lewwe invest in Discipline,

Production an’ Tolerance.

 

Pan enlightenin!

D Bible teach we

what is good fuh we

an ah tellin yuh plain

wit Micah, d prophet:

‘Act justly;

Love tenderly;

Walk humbly

with your God’(Micah 6:8).

Humility, we fraid dat word.

Simplicity, we ent reddy;

we too greedy.

Honesty, whey it gone?

Dat is we problem.

Wake up, bredren;

D nation bleedin

an fierce vampires

drinkin d blood!”

What a preacher!

He mek me listen

an ah tank God fuh d message.

 

Pan bold!

Yuh hear d Gospel:

“The humble will be exalted.”

Dat is we pan story

in we Coat uh Arms.

Look at dem proud birds

in d heraldry

holdin up d pan

wit dignity.

Move up higher:

Pan-Woman!

Pan-Man!

What embody dey,

tell we sumting about weself.

Look at d lan, d sea, d hills.

All dem tings inside we.

Dey mek we who we are:

bold, resilient, brave,

joyful, lovin’, faithful,

strong an’ hopeful.

Dis is we heritage.

Reach fuh d olive branch

an’ bear yuh Coat uh Arms

like real Trini bredren

an’ sistren!

 

Pan high up!

Doh lose hope nuh.

We go win if we keep aspirin’,

an’ believin’ in God.

We go win if we believe

in d power uh good

tuh overcome evil.

We go win by wukkin’ hard

an’ maintainin’ a clear vision

uh what we want fuh we country.

Dis is not a time fuh selfishness

or any kind ah mediocrity

but fuh change, uprightness

an’ good servant leadership

tuh guide we country.

Lewwe also see what d Almighty

want fuh we!

In prayer an’ reflection,

lewwe ask Papa God,

in His merciful kindness,

tuh walk wit we right now,

heal we lan’

an keep we SAFE an’ UNITED!

 

God bless our nation.

God bless you.