In My Humble Opinion

 

 

Throwing out the baby

With the proverbial bathwater!

Here is a caution to the DLP

Re every son and daughter.

 

We appreciate your concern

Regarding the unnecessary haste

For a Barbados republic status

Minus a Constitution apace.

 

However, it is now a fact

And cannot now be reversed,

To blank Independence celebration

Is to my mind worse.

 

Absenting yourselves

From this national event

Is tantamount in my humble opinion

To signaling a wrong intent.

 

Independence and Republic

Are both historic facts,

One emerged out of the other-

I trust we appreciate that.

 

Independence is established

Republic is on course,

Let us strive for national unity

And not this silly divorce.

 

 

I wish the DLP were present

In today’s National celebration

Especially having been given

An official invitation.

 

DLP’s absence is rather silly

And in a real sense misdirected

And in the midst of their protest

Independence is also rejected.

 

As Barbadians unite

To celebrate our Independence,

The DLP’s absence is conspicuous

Displaying childish impudence.

 

One cannot fight a battle

By not turning up for the fray,

DLP have thrown out the baby too

On this our Independence Day.

 

Republic’s birth is November 30

Just like Independence Day

And no political protest or agitation

Can wash this fact away.

 

To absent oneself from one

Is to absent oneself from the other

And that is to throw out the baby

With the proverbial bathwater.

 

As both BLP and DLP partisans

Bask in this National celebration

The DLP leadership is doing harm

To Barrow’s representation.

 

Barrow must be represented

For Father of Independence is he

And what better way to show this

Than the presence of the DLP!

 

 

Note the Independence colours!

The colours of the DLP,

No distinction in our celebration

As also worn by the BLP.

 

The baby and the bathwater

Unfortunately, will become one

When the bathtub has been emptied

And water and baby are gone.

 

Don’t throw them both out, DLP,

As you vehemently protest,

Accept them both as equally important

And in unity let’s progress.

 

And if it should ever be

Independence is being displaced,

I am sure the people of Barbados

Will frown at such a disgrace.

 

 

57 years of Independence

And as a Republic only two,

A considerable difference for sure

Would be everybody’s view.

Stewart Russell © November 30, 2023