Fools We All Are

 

 

A promise is comfort to a fool

Especially to them that wait:

I must be one; I am convinced,

I was thinking here of late.

 

My life is full of promises

Therefore I must be a fool

And waiting on each to be fulfilled

I find comfort my trusted tool.

 

In one’s work there is a promise

To work and then get pay

And one works with expectation

Especially as it nears payday.

 

 

Married people are fools

Comforted by conjugal ties

And if you are married like I am

For years on “I do” you’ve relied.

 

Children rely on promises

Certainly they too are fools,

Trusting in what adults promise

Both at home and at school.

 

The electorate or illiterate,

Not sure which of the two I am,

Especially if it’s a priority need

We would dare to trust a man.

 

The eager conman lies in wait

For another trusting fool

And with his assured pleasing facade

Opens up his bag of tools.

 

“I won’t be caught again,” we say

And that is, till the next time,

Up comes another smooth talker

And we do not recognize his kind.

 

Fools we all are, by now you see

We have to trust somebody,

A promise is comfort to a fool

That means both you and me.

 

At work, at school, at play

Promises is a way of life

And every time a promise is broken,

There is likely to be strife.

Some promises are stated

These are the contractual kind,

Often we sign on the dotted line

But not each and every time.

 

Some are just word-of-mouth

“Lend me and I’ll pay you back”

An event or time is stipulated

But concerning both there is lack.

 

Think back in your mind

And note how trusting you are,

An event will surface, I am sure

Such an event cannot be far.

 

A promise made and not kept

Makes that victim a fool,

If a victim’s experience has been yours

Comfort was that conman’s tool.

 

Trust in God and not in man

God is the source of all comfort

But be aware that in everyday life

There are predators of all sorts.

 

Stewart Russell © May 2019

 

A Wonder to Ponder

 

From heaven

To the earth

To a grave

 

From a cradle

To a cross

To a crown

 

The Father’s gift

For

Mankind’s drift

To

Heal sin’s rift

 

Heaven’s glory

Earth’s story

Redemption’s song

 

Spells out the story

Of the One that came

To man’s aid

In the Father’s name

Jesus the Christ

Made the sacrifice

And gave his life

To pay sin’s price

 

Walked among men

Met their needs

Showed them love

Instead of greed

 

Healed the sick

Fed the poor

Befriended the friendless

And so much more

 

Chose a band

Of motley men

Taught responsibility

To each of them

 

 

They wondered

And blundered

And one his chance

He totally squandered

 

Coming again

For his to claim

All who believe

In his holy name

 

Are you numbered

Among the lot?

Are you sure

Of an eternal spot?

 

Confess your sin

Walk close to him

And an eternal home

You shall win

 

Jesus the wonder

You need to ponder

The only hope

For sin’s plunder

Accept him

Today!

No longer

Delay!

 

Satan waits to

Waylay

All that

Stray

 

The world

Is amused

When Jesus

You choose

 

But hell

Awaits them

That continually

Refuse

 

Stewart Russell © December 2017

 

Lies in the Bible

 

 

The Bible is full of lies

And this may be considered true,

But not truly full of lies

Is my considered view.

 

It would be wise to ask

What people mean, though,

By the Bible is full of lies

Whenever they say so.

 

Is it in its history?

Is it in promises unfulfilled?

Is it in its incredible claims?

Tell me if you feel so still.

 

Many a person says this:

The Bible is full of lies,

And often without explanation

They are apt to criticize.

 

In the very first line

I said that this is true,

That there are lies in the Bible

Is more than just my view.

 

As early as in Genesis

The biggest lie was told,

The serpent lied to Mother Eve-

Boy, wasn’t he bold?

 

 

He even implicated God

Saying that God also knew

And Eve was horribly deceived

Into accepting Satan’s view.

 

Abraham twice and Isaac

Lied because of fear,

Stalwarts they certainly were

But lies they also shared.

 

It surely ran in the family

For Sarah also lied,

When denying she had laughed

And unbelief was implied.

 

Jacob did also lie

Being a grandchild of Abraham,

His sons too, to cover their tracks,

Lying was their plan.

 

 

Laban, Jacob’s uncle,

Deceived the love-struck Jacob

Giving him Leah instead of Rachel

Whom Jacob had not loved.

 

Potifar’s wife had lied to him

And Joseph did implicate,

He had given her a resounding no

And she was full of hate.

 

Rahab misled her country men

To protect the Israelite spies,

As a result, her life would be saved;

What a blessing in disguise!

 

Saul had promised David

Merab, his daughter to wed

But recanted on his promised word

And gave her to another instead.

 

Also, the husband and wife

That lied to the apostle of God,

It was through the Holy Spirit

They were exposed as frauds.

 

 

They had lied to Peter

But weeks before Peter had lied,

When he said “I know not the man,”

It was Jesus he had denied.

 

There are lies in the Bible

As shown in the foregoing proof

And the very fact that there are,

Substantiates this truth.

 

Do note that people tell lies

And in the Bible people lied

But the saving truth that's in the Word

Should never be denied.

 

Yes, there is a greater truth:

Jesus is the Word of God,

He’s the Way, the Truth, the Life;

Go spread this truth abroad!

 

Stewart Russell © May 9, 2021

Not As You Thought

 

 

It had flown in earlier

A brightly painted plane,

The landing gear was different

It definitely appeared strange.

 

“How will it land?” I wondered,

After all it had to land

But I guess in such situations

The pilot has a plan.

 

A considerable time after

I saw the plane again,

This time it was flying so low

I thought that this was insane.

 

“It is flying too low,” I shouted,

“It is going to crash!”

So out of the bedroom I went

And up the passage in a flash.

 

It canted on a side

And headed to the ground,

A school was in its way

And that is where it came down.

 

I live quite near the airport

Just outside the flight path,

And when I realized it was dream

I could only laugh.

 

I was sitting by the side door

At my wife’s family home,

It was night I remembered

And I was there alone.

 

 

Suddenly I heard a car

And a lady from it alighted,

When I saw who the person was

I was absolutely delighted.

 

She looked and me and smiled

Amused by my surprise

For surely I had thought

It was someone in disguise.

  

But then I heard another voice

A very familiar chuckle,

“How could it be?” I asked myself,

By now I was really puzzled.

 

  

I knew I couldn’t be dreaming

It was much too real for that,

I was absolutely convinced in mind

That what I saw was fact.

 

However, I guess I must tell you

It was really just a dream

The chuckle I heard was Michael

And my sister-in-law, Pearline.

 

“A night of dreams,” I hear,

“Just dreaming his night away.”

But all this happened, I must say

At the earliest light of day.

 

The chiming clock went crazy

And chimed at a quarter past two

So I got up from the bed

And did what I had to do.

 

I got me a new battery

And installed it in the clock

And then fixed the faulty chimes

That chimed when they should not.

 

Rather than going back to bed

I did what I like doing,

That is, as you may have figured,

I sat and wrote a poem.

 

Not the one I am writing now

That would not make sense,

If that’s what you actually thought

You must be really dense.

 

When I went back to the bed

It was already light

So that the dreams I dreamt

Didn’t happen during the night.

 

With the first one I was happy

That it was only just a dream

But not so with the second one

Involving Michael and Pearline.

 

 

But things are just as they are

And we must live with that,

Some things we cannot change

And a dream is not a fact.

 

Stewart Russell © April 23, 2019

 

Hi Granny

 

 

I am writing this letter slow

Since I know you can’t read fast,

I am here in England; it’s cold

But I am having a blast.

 

I haven’t gone to school yet

Because I don’t know where to find one,

Everything gets lost up here

In that I am not alone.

 

We saw the sun the other day

Up here it’s a UFO,

They had forgotten what it looked like

Since it doesn’t often show.

 

I experienced a little mishap

With the washing machine,

Having thrown in my shirt and pants

That’s the last of them I’ve seen.

 

I put in my shirt

And then I pulled on the chain,

I did the same with my pants

And I never saw them again.

 

Taking a bath is quite challenging

Because it is much too cold

So back to washing my face and hands

Just like in the days of old.

 

I boarded a bus just yesterday

And had to sit at the back,

As soon as I entered the driver said

The back is for the blacks.

 

The front seats apparently

Were all made for the white

And a black doesn’t get to sit in one

Whether it is morning, noon or night.

 

One would have thought that all that stuff

Had gone out with the flood,

Our complexion might be different

But we have the same colour blood.

 

I was watching Jessie Owens

When I was writing this poem,

Once you were born black

That was a crime back then.

 

But one black man by name of Jesse

Stood up against all Germany,

Four gold medals he won

They were dumbfounded at his ability.

 

Ability knows no colour

Ability knows no creed,

Jessie showed the whole world that

When they saw his superior speed.

 

But Granny

How did I get here?

I mean writing about all this,

Let me get back to my experiences

Even though I will shorten the list.

 

Tomorrow I will go out

And look for the school again,

Today I was looking for a black school

But down came the rain.

 

Everyone knows a bajan disappears

As soon as it begins to rain,

A fire we will run to if there is one

But rain for us is like pain.

 

I probably won’t find one

Since there are all painted white,

To find a black school around this place

You would have to search at night.

 

Perhaps I will change my mind

And look for work instead

But right now Granny, I’m feeling tired

And will soon be in my bed.

 

There’re not many whites around

The dwellings where I am,

Something tells me quite clearly

That this is a deliberate plan.

 

Just before I go off to sleep

I must tell you something more,

Please don’t be mad at me, Granny

Granny, please do not be sore.

 

I had meant to send to you

A crisp five-pound note

But when I remembered to put it in

I had already sealed the envelope.

 

I hope you will forgive me, Granny

I will remember the next time,

So until I write to you again

Love from you grandson, Glyne.

 

Stewart Russell © July 2018

 

Revelation, Revolution, Resolution

 

 

Quite close, you may say

And they must be related too,

And you would be right

For, certainly, that is my view.

 

These words jumped out at me

As I thought about salvation

And not long after this,

I began to see their connection.

 

The order you see is important

Just as is stated in this title,

Think about the salvation experience

And you would see how vital.

 

O, they are family, most definitely,

Out of one emerges the other,

But bear in mind each one’s position

Or else, there will be much bother.

 

 

First there must be revelation

And not revelation of any kind,

It must come from the Word of God,

Do not trust the worldly signs.

 

Some detail many ways to God,

Some religions point to their gurus,

But the revelation from God is clear

That Jesus is the only truth.

 

Some testify of reformation

And speak of an outward change,

But this change doesn’t reach inside

The heart must be rearranged.

 

The revelation that is from God

Initiates the real revolution,

It is the heart change that is necessary

From which emerges resolution.

 

A change from within to without

And not from without to within,

This work must be done from inside

For therein lies the root of sin.

  

At the heart of this matter

There is a spiritual rebirth,

Initiated by a heavenly revelation,

It is not of this earth.

 

 

Next, comes the revolution

That is the change from within,

A man must be born again

To take care of the problem of sin.

 

Thirdly, comes the resolution

Determining the way we walk

In adherence to the Holy Spirit

In our conduct, our service, our talk.

 

Together they constantly work

Somewhat in the way of the Trinity

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit

This is our true Christianity.

 

Stewart Russell © July 2019

 

My Family

 

 

I know a certain family

That hailed from Branker’s Gap,

They were fed in earnest

On stew food and corn meal pap.

 

Everton was the father

And he married a pretty girl,

Her name is Violet

She is a precious pearl.

 

The children numbered seven

Two are now deceased,

Only girl among the crew

Still batting at the crease.

 

It’s a happy family

Full of love and unity,

Carl, Mac, Mylan and Harriet

Then comes silly me.

 

 

Hear the truth of the matter though,

Stewart is not the craziest,

The one whose name is Mylan

Believe me, he is the real test.

 

Just to look at him

He’d make you split your side,

Struggling for their breath

Some have laughed until they cried.

 

Some of you speak Spanish

And others may have learnt Greek,

Mylan’s tongue is Chinese

You’d crackup if you hear him speak.

 

Brother Carl is the oldest

Like Mylan he lives overseas,

He too can be crazy

But not like Mylan, if you please.

 

What can I say about Harriet?

She’s our sweet and adorable sis,

She is not crazy like the rest

But she is the only one we kiss.

  

I haven’t forgotten Mac

I’ve just left him for the last,

He’s not as crazy as Mylan

But Stewart Mac’s definitely gone past.

 

 

Dad Russell left in two thousand nine

For eighty-seven years death defied,

Mamma Russell stands at eighty-seven now

Having achieved that just this July.

 

At the time of his passing

Just six months shy of six decades,

Almost sixty years of wedded life

They most certainly achieved top grades.

 

Almost five years since that day

We still hold dear his memory

He was a great husband to Mum

And the responsible head of our family

 

Can we ever forget him?

Certainly not even though life continues,

For much of what we do now

Is still influenced by Dad Russell’s views.

 

Let me back up a little bit

To tell you how it was growing up,

Though poor with many mouths to feed

It was not always a bitter cup.

 

 

There were hard times, yes

But the good times far outweighed them,

Dad and Mum Russell never slacked

In providing for their children.

 

Several aunts also came to our aid

Such as Aunts Baby, Clytie and Lou,

Gran-gran Edna in that company also

And with aunts and uncles came cousins too.

 

Share and share alike

Seemed to have been the motto of this group,

And when times got rough

They sure knew how to review and recoup.

 

From my earliest memories

They had taught us how to care,

Nothing was ever too little

That we weren’t encouraged to share.

 

Dad had set the example

On those nights he bought Ruby’s fish,

Even those who were not at home

Would find theirs in their dish.

 

It was never ever the case

That the one who was out should be home,

His share would still be left

And he could eat it on his own.

 

Birthdays were never forgotten

And Christmas for us was a treat,

Always a gift on your birthday

For Christmas: new stuff from head to feet.

 

 

How can I forget our church excursion?

This was usually held in August,

Moving from the Carrington church

Rain fall or sun shine that was always a must.

 

On these special occasions

It was hard to sleep the night before,

We would just lie in bed awake

Anticipating food, fellowship and fun galore.

 

I could also mention

Guy Fawkes on the 5^th of November,

Bandits, bombs, rockets and more

Boy that was a fireworks night to remember.

 

When family visited from the country

They came with produce from their ground

That was another exciting time

On which all of us would gather around.

 

Well seeing I was the youngest

They would poke real fun at me,

I became the butt of their jokes

And they all thought that was funny.

 

 

I grew tired of them from early

And went to live with my aunt in St Andrew,

My hair was red and I spoke differently,

I was named country buck by the home crew.

 

But one day I grew up too

And they couldn’t have it all their way,

They became the objects of my fun

And more often than not I now have my say.

 

I am the sanest of the boys

Not Mac as most of you may think,

But when we get together

We become a crazy four-fold link.

 

Carl migrated in sixty-two

He returned here in two thousand eight,

Mylan came in to join him

Many nights we were up till late.

 

The first time in forty-six years

The five siblings had been together,

We enjoyed every moment of it

It didn’t matter what kind of weather.

 

 

One Friday night in Oistins

Was an absolutely splendid delight,

We ate fish and traverse the town

Like the tourists do on Friday night.

 

The music was ‘licking down’

But we did not care about that,

We were just happy to be together

After forty-six years and that’s a fact.

 

The four wives cannot be left out

Though the lone husband had passed on,

Patrick, I am sure we’ll see him

At that bright and glorious dawn.

 

  

Dad and mum Russell were delighted

To have the clan under one roof,

Reminded of a time many years ago

Talk about a loving family! That’s the proof.

 

Four beautiful wives standing tall,

Lorraine, Avice, Phylis and Lynette,

It’s a joy to be in this family,

So far I can say that I have no regret.

 

And so the years have rolled on

Bringing another two generations,

This could only have happened

Through the siblings and their relations.

 

Many of our loved ones have gone on

Some young, some old, some in between,

They all have made invaluable contributions

To our aspirations, our development, our dream.

 

We thank you God for your blessings on us

Our family and in-laws over whom we fuss,

Give us direction as for you we live.

All praise, honour and glory to you we give!

 

Stewart Russell © 2014