No Better Off

 

 

No better off

I would say

Ever since 2018

The 24th of May

In an election

Thought to be sweet

One party won

All thirty seats

There was rejoicing

All around

Suddenly bajans

Were heaven bound

As for me

I felt numb

I wasn’t sure

We had won

No opposition

What had we done?

Not good at all

I was stunned

From thirty-love

To twenty-nine one

Single member

Opposition born

One defected

Reasons unknown

Must have been

A contentious bone

Two in the Senate

A little improved

And so the B’s

Began to rule

With promises made

Not a few

The B’s presented

A better view

 

Hitting the ground

Running we say

We began to see

A better day

Sewage cleaned

Off the south coast

We start already

Was the boast

The D’s did little

About this problem

Not so the B’s

All credit to them

A raise was given

First in years

With increased taxes

It disappeared

Increase bus fare

No better service

A garbage tax

Added to the list

To the water bill

Add on garbage

And while you’re at it

Tack on sewage

Some garbage trucks

Were brought in

But garbage still pile up

Around many a bin

No more road tax

Came to pass

Now we pay for it

With the gas

40c per liter

An astronomical leap

Another tax

We must dig deep

  

NSRL removed

Prices still up

My Oh my

What a bitter cup

A reduction

In corporation tax

Still no relief

That is a fact

No better off

I would say

Since 2018

The 24th of May

House painted up

Starvation inside

And things tougher

Can’t be denied

Several other taxes

The list continues

Buying on line

Better not pursue

Besides customs duty

There’s now VAT

On those items

That’s another tax

I bought an item

Ordered through eBay

And the VAT tax

I had to pay

It was like paying

Doubly for the item

I consider that

A grave problem

No more buying

Via eBay or Amazon

Taxes too high

I’m definitely done

So it worked

We must buy local

Prop up this economy

Is the principle

But prices high

The cost of living too

Twelfth in the world

An international view

Little Barbados

It’s really tough here

And given a recent promise

There’s more to fear

Unflattering records

Re murder and crime

No better off

These are hard times

Closure of schools

At frequent times

Increasing sick buildings

On our minds

An oversized Cabinet

With much expertise

Promising much

But little ease

No better off

Is the verdict I’d give

Can’t say otherwise

It’s harder to live

No better off

I would say

Ever since 2018

The 24th of May

The one consolation

I tenaciously hold

Is, it’ll get better

That's what I’m told

Stewart Russell © February 2020