Of Wedges and Clamps

  

 

Which of the two?

Is the question I pose:

Am I a wedge or am I a clamp?

The individual knows.

 

Carpenter Frank

Would have the answer,

For him in his line of work

It’s a daily matter.

 

Or cobbler Candid,

He would know it too

Depending on what he decides

To do with a shoe.

 

 

 

A clamp holds tightly

And is a necessary tool,

Of course, it can be misused or abused

By a regular fool.

 

 

 

Wedges do the opposite

Forcing things apart

But both are very distinguishable

From the start.

 

Now that we know

The difference between them

I will now attempt to identify

A problem.

 

In any organization

There are both of these:

The wedges force people apart

The clamps will squeeze.

 

One forces apart

While one pulls together,

Look across any congregation-

Which one is the better?

 

 

 

One works outside in

The other inside out,

While one acts like a strong adhesive

The other creates doubt.

 

 

Doubt is like a wedge

That comes in between

And the fellowship then splits apart

At the very seam.

 

Gossip and rumour

Are two common wedges

That often contaminates the unity

To which one pledges.

 

Scandal is another,

Not much difference here

And the upsurge of this behaviour

Creates much fear.

 

The fear of trusting

And the fear of confiding

And thus, less comfortable brethren

Resort to hiding.

 

Lacking in confidence

And feeling out of place

And for the most times unable,

To look one in the face.

 

Fear of being read

As though an open book

Ever since a wedge, rather a clamp,

Was allowed to look.

 

Far better to be a clamp

Than to be a wedge,

Preferring not to be quicksand

But to be a ledge

 

And not a narrow ledge

Encouraging one to fall,

But a broad and an inviting ledge

Available to all.

 

Disunity is that wedge

Forcing members apart

Where unity is a mere buzz word

And not of the heart. 

 

Be a clamp, I suggest,

That dares to pull together

So there can be wonderful fellowship

With one another.

 

Unending fellowship

Whene’er we have to part,

Just like a good working clamp

Joining us in heart.

 

 

 

The blest Holy Spirit

Will perform this function

And as he indwells the born-again,

He’ll also give unction.

 

Stewart Russell © September 22, 2026

 

Amidst Our Mist

 

 

In the midst of our mist

When our vision is unclear

We are prone to act erratically,

Mostly out of fear.

 

Oft there are events

We can do nothing about

Like some happening in our past

That left us in doubt.

 

In the midst of our mist

When we battle the world

We attack both friend and foe,

We’re so disturbed.

 

We level accusations

As we hit out left and right,

Not even sure of the enemy

For the lack of light.

 

 

In the midst of our mist

When our nemesis is self,

We often blame everybody else

For our failing health.

 

Both spiritual and social,

For our mental and emotional,

Visibly shown in our expression

And in our physical.

 

In the midst of our mist

Like righteous Job of old

Who once was radiating warmth

Gradually becoming cold.

 

Throwing a pity party

For all who would attend

And engaging the eager reporters

From beginning to end.

 

In the midst of our mist

When friends become few

And not many are the persons

We thought we knew.

 

People who are hurting,

That is the “we” I mean,

When in the midst of our mist

Nothing is clearly seen.

 

Like some wounded animal

We are ready to lash out

And our once affirming tongue

Becomes a negative spout.

 

Quick to spread rumour

In the midst of our mist

And those with whom it is shared

Comprising a long list.

 

In the midst of our mist

Often empathy departs

And the twins, jealousy and envy

Occupy our hearts.

 

We share others’ sorrows

But their joys hurt us more

And invariably, as is our custom,

Grudge comes to the fore.

 

Our criticism is rife

Of another’s achievement

And we question its authenticity

With much resentment.

 

 

In the midst of our mist

When we are not seeing well

We need an understanding friend

That we can tell.

 

Someone who’s been there

And can identify with us

And who will help us to see clearer

In the midst of our fuss.

 

Someone who will absorb

The shock of our story

And not share it with another

For posterity.

 

Someone who appreciates

His time will come too

And what he does for someone

For him another will do.

 

And I don’t mean Jesus

Though he is our best friend,

I mean that someone he will use

To get us round the bend.

 

For Jesus uses people

In the midst of our mist

Who will come not to cast blame

But to assist.

 

There go I

But for the grace of God,

Let him that thinks he stands

Take heed lest he fall.

 

Stewart Russell © June 4, 2024

 

Tact and Diplomacy?

 

 

 

Today I read the above

And it seemed like a misprint,

It sounded more to me

That hypocrisy was the intent.

 

A thin line between the two

I implied in another of my poems,

Re diplomacy and hypocrisy

It’s difficult to separate them.

 

Tact and hypocrisy!

That’s what invaded my mind:

Not to do with the church

But politics it is this time.

 

More tact and hypocrisy

Since the truth really hurts,

Such is rife in today’s politics

As well as in the church.

 

 

Tell them what they want to hear,

Tell them it’s the truth

And like moths to a lighted lamp

They will provide the proof.

 

Impression covers up the truth

As it titillates the mind

And given our hunger for rumour

It works almost every time.

 

Addictions are many and varied

And there’s one for every sucker

Such as with the right diplomacy

He will become a follower.

 

 

One of yard-fowl proportions

Even when there is no corn

So, my faithful brother and sister,

I think it’s best we be warned.

 

Tact is good and so too diplomacy

O yes, we would all agree

But be vigilant and militant

To stamp out hypocrisy.

 

And there is a lot around

Especially on the political scene

And when we think we’re improving

We are back where we have been.

 

Tact and diplomacy?

No, hypocrisy and diplomacy!

All and sundry are consummate diplomats

Practising political hypocrisy.

 

Stewart Russell © August 6, 2022

 

A Rumour Is Just That

 

I heard something

From a reliable source,

That meant it was true

Based on the source of course.

We seem to think

That when such we can claim

Our piece of information 

Will veracity attain.

For as long as I can tell

There have been allegations

And you know what?

They lacked substantiation.

Such that the quick to speak

And the eager to spread

Started to broadcast

What that reliable source said.

It ended up in court

And the dependent lacking proof

Had to pay the price

For spreading an untruth.

It might have been true

The source may have been right

But your source also heard

So you lost the fight.

The only news that’s certain

Is what has been proven

And you should be an eyewitness

To what actually happened.

Hearsay information 

Turns into a lawsuit

And your reliable source

Becomes a deaf mute.

When you’re in the dock

He is nowhere to be found

An you end up

Looking like a clown.

You’re also out of pocket

By a considerable amount

And may have to incur a loan

To settle the account.

Even with the media

One has to express great care

For even they can get it wrong,

Of lawsuits they’ve had their share.

They’ve lost some too

And they’ve paid a hefty sum

For concerning the evidence

They had little or none.

So be careful with your news

A rumour is just that

And unless you can prove it

The courts will not find it a fact.

As this election campaign is fought

They’ll be quite a lot of rumour

But before you spread the news

Of its veracity be sure.

At its inevitable end

You may face the courts alone

With no reliable source

To help you chew on that bone.

Stewart Russell © May 2018