The Old Age Book

 

 

It’s not a very inviting theme

But I still dare to have a look,

Given the time that I’ve been around

I guess I’m listed in this book.

 

Seventy years the Psalmist said

And if by reason of strength, four score,

From this we must conclude

At least, seventy unlocks this door.

 

But this was in the Psalmist’s time

And maybe it’s different today

Hence my question, when does old come?

What do you have to say?

 

“You are as old as you feel,”

I have heard some of the old ones say

And others, “Age is just a number”

And you can tell by their way.

 

These advocates dress up young

 And they behave like they are young

Even though their contemporaries

Oft look at them with a frown.

 

“Why don’t they act their age?”

“Boy, they are really desperate though,”

“Why don’t they behave before the young

And a better example show?”

 

So, when does old age begin?

Tell me, I would really like to know,

Is it at fifty or sixty or seventy

Or only when it begins to show?

 

 

Then it might be as early as forty

But we can’t go any further back,

Remember, impressions are only feelings

And they should not count as facts.

 

I must admit that I feel good

Though I’ve reached three score and ten

But if you ask when last I swam

I cannot tell you when.

 

I ride a little bit and I walk

Though not nearly as much as before

And the aches and pains remind me

To take it easy as I go.

 

No more St. Lucy treks for me

Or even the Grantley Adams Airport,

Back in the day I could easily do it

And for me then it was sport.

 

So, if I were to answer this question:

When does old age come,

Honestly, I would definitely have to say,

My youth is certainly done.

 

And it has been for a while,

For sure since I went into retirement

And I will not wine and lament-

At my age I am content.

 

I may not have answered it for you

And in a sense, I am extremely glad,

Pretend for as long as you can if you can

But old age is not all bad.

 

I get to be own-way a bit

And they wait on me hand and foot

And often they don’t know that I know

Some things I deliberately overlook.

 

 

Sometimes they say I have lost it

And sometimes they are absolutely right

But often, I can tell you they don’t know

It was a purposeful oversight.

 

I get to keep them guessing,

“Is he serious or is he joking?”

You see, in my old age show I am starring

And they are merely participating.

 

I issue the scripts and the parts,

They subjectively follow my lead

And given the fact that I am in charge

I determine their speed.

Check the old age book

And for sure you will find my name,

Old age has caught up with me

But thank God I am still sane.

 

Stewart Russell © May 26, 2023

 

Today’s View of Yesterday

 

 

Yesterday when I did it

It seemed the smart thing to do

But today on reflection

Forces me to change my view.

 

Today is a bird’s eye view

Of what transpired yesterday,

Hind sight is twenty-twenty vision

I’ve heard wise people say.

 

The ability to step outside oneself

And look in at one’s situation

Is far easier said than done

For any generation.

 

For the young as well as the old

All have fallen short of this

And in spite of the hard lessons

There’s still a mighty long list.

 

 

For we are prone to repeat

Our disappointing yesterdays

Just like history repeats itself

In so many diverse ways.

 

And the lament is often the same

“If only I had known…”

The anguished cry of many a heart,

In this I am not alone.

 

Today’s bird’s eye view of yesterday

Still falls agonizingly short

Such that I am unable to go back

And my ill behavior forever abort.

 

That is why yesterday when I did it

It had seemed a smart thing to do

But today I am feeling stupid

And you’d feel stupid too.

 

Stewart Russell © April 6, 2021

 

Well It Happened to Me

 

 

 

 

Has it ever happened to you?

Well it happened to me,

What am I talking about?

Well you will soon see.

 

I’m not dealing with the young,

They can step out,

It is really the old like me-

That’s who I am talking ‘bout.

 

It is worse these days

Thus, happening more frequently

But I am not unduly alarm

Or ever hope to be.

 

Today I came in from outside

And called a friend of mine

After that to realize

The phone I couldn’t find.

 

It was not on its stand,

That is the first place I looked

And so, I proceeded to search

Like I was studying the Book.

 

Of course, the Book is the Bible,

Like searching for a verse

So, similarly searching for the phone

I was diligently immersed.

 

I walked up and down the house,

I even asked the wife

And I couldn’t help but wonder

How I came by this strife.

 

 

Then suddenly it dawned on me

The phone was on my ear

And with split-second awareness

Everything became clear.

 

It was not on its stand

Because I had taken it up

And my ear where the phone was,

Was not where I would look.

 

Here is another incident

More exacting than the first,

No wonder some believe

That old age is a curse.

 

I was sitting in my car

And talking to my wife

And the feeling that came over me

I tell you, it was not nice.

 

She had made a call to me

Not knowing I was at home,

I had just driven into the garage

So, I quickly took up the phone.

 

 

 

Attempting to multitask

I was talking while getting out,

I had my ATM cards and keys

But my phone was nowhere about.

 

“I must have left it somewhere,”

That is exactly what I had thought

And with that came a feeling

That left me quite distraught.

 

I mentally decided

That I would retrace my steps

But before I did exactly that

Into my heart a fear leapt.

 

However, before driving back out

I started to tell my wife

And suddenly my whole disposition

Went from bad to nice.

 

 

That my cellphone was not lost

Became abundantly clear

And oh, the relief that flooded me!

The phone was on my ear.

 

I felt like such a fool

I could have kicked myself

But this was nothing compared

To my improved mental health.

 

To have lost that cellphone

Would have set me back a bit,

You see, my resources are so limited

Such would give me a fit.

 

Has it ever happened to you?

Well it happened to me,

Now you know what I am talking about

At least, I hope you see.

 

Stewart Russell © January 10, 2023

 

Just Do It

Just do it on a “T” shirt

Just do it on a sign

Just do it in a window

Just do it all the time

Just do it as advice

Just do it we hear

Just do it is repeated

Almost everywhere

Just do it in the pulpit

Just do it in the pew

Why all this just do it?

I wish I knew

Just do it from the young

Just do it to the old

Just do it in the heat

Just do it in the cold

Just do it at work

Just do it at play

Just do it; you hear it

Each and every day

Just do it to provoke

Just do it to refrain

Just do it in encouragement

Just do it in disdain

In the final analysis

Know what they mean

Before you just do it

And create a scene

Stewart Russell © May 2018

It’s Sunday

Saturday is gone

And Sunday is here

The tomb is empty

And Jesus is not there.

“Why look ye for the living

Among the dead?”

“He’s not here; he is risen-

Just like he said.”

How could we have doubted

That he would arise?

It’s what he told us

Yet we are surprised!

It’s Sunday and hope is alive

The stone is out of the way,

Jesus has risen and all is well

What a beautiful day!

Saturday is gone

Like the passing rain

Jesus is alive

And will never die again.

Hallelujah, hallelujah

Raise the glorious strain,

Christ the Lord is risen today

Sing the joyous refrain!

Saturday’s doubt and fear

Is swallowed up in victory

Jesus’ resurrection power

Erases my misery.

The Son is back

And the gloom has gone

Sunday is here

With its radiating dawn.

The fishing’s not as attractive

As we thought it would have been,

We are back to fishing for men

With Jesus on the scene.

  

All Rome is totally baffled

At this unique event

Caesar must be disturbed

This was not his intent.

For there is a greater king

Than any in earth’s zone,

The earth is his footstool

And Heaven is his throne.

On Saturday in a tomb

On Sunday he burst out

One glorious day he’s coming

That is worth a shout!

The King of kings is he

And Lord of lords too,

Earth’s kings step out of the way

And let my Saviour through.

Saturday is gone forever

With its temporary rest

Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath

Has for me passed the test.

The empty tomb is evidence

The Old Covenant passed away,

Saturday is gone forever

The New is here to stay.

The Old was mission impossible,

At least it was to man

But Jesus paid the awful price

According to the Father’s plan.

The New stands forever

For all who do believe,

In childlike faith trust Jesus

And his Sabbath Rest receive.

Stewart Russell © April, 2017