All This and Yet

 

 

 

He had it all

She had it all,

All this and yet

It was like nothing at all.

 

Satisfaction in life!

Is it material?

Is it the same

For all people?

 

What percent is riches?

What portion is wealth?

And what about wellbeing?

What about health?

 

How much is fame?

What is popularity worth?

What about one’s achievements?

How important is being 1^st?

 

 

First in class?

First in every competition?

Having no equal

Defeating all opposition?

 

All this and yet

There’s a craving for more,

On top of the world

Yet life is a bore.

 

Another challenge!

This should surely be it

But having conquered again

I am still in a pit.

 

I am my challenge

That I cannot escape,

I have vanquished all opposition

Yet myself I hate.

 

I’ve achieved and achieved

But it’s all short lived,

The applause has died down

I’ve nothing more to give.

 

 

Trophies galore

And plaques on the walls,

All of this and yet

It means nothing at all.

 

Each achievement

Is for the moment achieved

And as quickly as it comes

As quickly it recedes.

 

One final hoorah

That the world will remember,

They’re not likely to forget,

No, not ever!

 

“I’ll fly without wings

A little different from before,

No applause this time

For I will be no more.”

 

 

All of this and yet,

What lack they yet?

To be void of life’s real purpose

Is one’s deepest depth.

 

Life’s real purpose

Is to live it for Christ,

He is the only way

In this and the next life.

 

All this and yet

Must be contextualized,

Christ must steer my ship

If I am to survive.

 

In memory of Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst

 

Stewart Russell © January 31, 2022

 

I Told You So

 

 

A spider

 Trapped in its own web

Is likely, my friend,

To be very dead.

 

However, a fly,

Trapped in a spider’s web

Is more than likely

The spider’s bread.

 

Constitution then republic

Was the way to go

But you ignored everybody

Since you alone know.

 

 

I told you so

And now it has occurred!

      You absolutely refused

To accept my word.

 

Republic then constitution

An unnecessary haste!

And given current events,

An obvious waste!

 

Do the oil change first

Then fix the engine!

“The cart before the horse”-

Our perennial problem!

 

 

A waste of new oil!

I am sure you realize

Blood transfusions come

Before the patient dies.

 

Fix the constitution

And let it be your guide,

The other way around

Is not being wise.

 

What is now passed

Cannot ever be reversed

And what we have put second

Cannot now be put first.

 

And as slow learners

We repeat our mistakes

Hence, ad hoc amendments

For our choices’ sake.

 

Not bad choices

If I may say so

But I wish all was in place

To make an easy flow.

 

Fix the constitution

And let it be the guide,

Not the other way around

Like it’s being applied.

 

Changing the constitution

To institute a wish

Is like putting one’s food

And afterwards, the dish.

 

Analysis is needed,

A thorough one at that

 And picking here and there

Is kind of slack.

 

 

The web traps the fly

Once it intrudes

But a very dead spider

Is a fly’s food.

 

Stewart Russell© January 30, 2022

 

 

Where Is the Peace?

 

 

Where is the peace that comes with prayer?

Why such disquiet and consuming fear?

Where is this God to whom we pray?

Why doesn’t He just make COVID disappear?

 

Prayer changes things, is our acclaimed boast

And this we shout from coast to coast

Yet COVID just gets worse and worse and worse

And prayers appear futile in light of its curse.

 

Where is the peace guaranteed in the Word?

Paul mentions it in case you hadn’t heard,

The epistle to the Philippians chapter 4 verse 7

Is where you will find the reference written.

 

 

Where is the peace that comes with prayer?

Why such disquiet and consuming fear?

Where is this God to whom we pray?

Why doesn’t He just make COVID disappear?

 

We call for more prayer yet COVID gets worse

There is a demon within it and it is a curse,

Hence, we pray and shout and we become frantic

And try to tell others they should not panic.

 

In sharing this with a fellow Christian brother

He agreed with me it has become a bother,

He said it reminded him of the prophets of Baal

That screamed and shouted but to no avail.

 

They prayed and prayed to their so-called Baal

Who either went on a journey or his hearing failed

For he answered not a word or came to their aid,

Poor old created Baal couldn’t make the grade.

 

What an indictment given what that brother said!

Why do we behave as though God is dead?

“Let your request be known” is what verse 6 said

And repose in the peace of Almighty God instead.

 

 

Where is the peace that comes with prayer?

Why such disquiet and consuming fear?

Where is this God to whom we pray?

Why doesn’t He just make COVID disappear?

 

We set store in numbers; it is how many pray

And it is what prayer achieves not God anyway,

So, gather the prayer warriors and intercessors too

There is much praying for them all to do.

 

Tell them to be on time; it’s an urgent request,

Now the waters are troubled let us not rest,

God says it is time and His timing is always best

Let’s come together and get rid of this pest.

 

An abundance of praying has already been done

But it is quite apparent up to now COVID has won,

So, how do we measure the success of our prayer?

Pray tell, someone, if you have this wisdom.

 

 

Where is the peace that comes with prayer?

Why such disquiet and consuming fear?

Where is this God to whom we pray?

Why doesn’t He just make COVID disappear?

 

Stewart Russell © October 18, 2021

 

Embalmed Food

 

 

I thank God for refrigerators

And the delight that they are,

They have improved our lives

And they have done so by far.

 

Think of the wastage before:

The produce thrown away,

Before the advent of the fridge

That was another day.

 

Today it is so much different

Because of the fridge

And we must give God thanks

For this convenient privilege.

 

I especially want to highlight

The embalmed food

Simply because as I get older

This is more my groove.

 

At our house it is a practice

That no one meal serves one day;

It serves at least two days

And this is our way.

 

In my case in particular

It may serve three days or more

And this is surely because

I am eating far less than before.

 

At our house food is cooked

Expecting somebody to drop in

And if that someone doesn’t turn up

We cannot throw it in the bin.

 

 

Hence, we embalm that food

As in the fridge we store it

And this is especially after Sundays

That this has been our habit.

 

Some of you may be offended

By the word embalmed

But there is nothing funereal about it

So please stay calm!

 

Embalmed food is the sweetest

And I am unanimous in that

And many others can attest

To this culinary fact.

 

Of course, there are some

That eat fresh food every day,

They are not about the fridge

You will hear them say.

 

Sad to say, they will go in one

If they live long enough,

Please accept my humble apology

If this quip is too rough.

 

I’ve heard some call people lazy

When they don’t cook every day

But I also know for a fact

This is the bajan way.

 

Embalmed food is less stress

And for certain less effort

And it is one of the ways

In which I give the wife support.

 

 

I tell her, don’t worry ‘bout me

I will find something,

With embalmed food in the fridge

I can afford to sing.

 

She can go and rest herself

Or find something else to do,

She doesn’t have to cook everyday

Like a ship’s cook for the crew.

 

She will last much longer

And certainly, she won’t run away,

And all things being equal

You may lengthen her days.

 

So, criticize me if you must

But don’t touch my food:

Especially the food that is embalmed,

Hear me now, this is my groove.

 

Stewart Russell © May 25, 2021

What Delicious Soup!

 

 

I had some soup yesterday

I won’t say from whom

But that soup was so delicious

I was on the moon.

 

It was not from my wife

But my wife is aware,

Understand I am not hiding anything

So, I don’t have to fear.

 

Yea, that soup was great!

I could do with some more,

I should not have eaten all

I should have kept some in store.

 

We were out driving:

That is, my wife and me,

And we passed by a family friend

For a moment to see.

 

I blew the car horn

And at the window she appeared,

She said she was cooking soup

And that was sweet to my ear.

 

Most meats I do not eat

And lamb is one,

On hearing it had in lamb

Ordinarily, I would be gone.

 

She assured me, however,

That no lamb would be in mine,

Just chicken steppers and chicken

And with me that was fine.

 

 

I absolutely love chicken steppers

So, I was enthused

And even with the lamb flavour

I could not refuse.

 

An assortment of vegetables

Including asparagus and broccoli

And with added condiments

It tasted deliciously!

 

I should have gone back

And gotten some more

But I would have felt ashamed

Caught begging at her door.

 

 

There were some dumplings,

Oh goodness, what a treat!

They were made by her daughter;

This was so sweet!

 

I tore into that soup

And I almost licked the container,

Instead, I put it to my mouth

And I slurped up the remainder.

 

“That is not good etiquette!”

You could say what you like

But that soup was so delicious

I did not care what was right.

 

Here is a big thank you

To that mummy and daughter,

I know when they see this

There will be spontaneous laughter.

 

Wifey, sweetheart,

You don’t have to be jealous,

You make a very good soup too,

There’s no need to fuss!

 

Stewart Russell © January 27, 2022

 

None Without A Belief

 

 

An atheist and an agnostic

Stopped to talk one day

And the following, my friend,

Is what they had to say.

 

Asked the atheist of the agnostic

“What do you believe?”

“Only what I now know

And by nature, what I’ve received.”

 

“So, you don’t believe in God?”

The atheist prodded.

“I don’t know whether there is one.”

To this, the atheist applauded.

 

 

“Clearly there is none.”

The atheist advanced,

Figuring this was his opportunity

He took the offered chance.

 

“If there is a God,

He just couldn’t care,

Given all the evil around

And what we must bear.

 

If there is a God

And he actually cares,

Then he is powerless to change it.

Now that’s a real fear!

 

So, for me, there’s no God.

I can’t believe there is one

And the way you talk, Agnostic,

I am not alone.”

“Hold up just a minute!

I never said that.

Actually, I do not know we can know

Which one is fact.

 

It can’t be truly known

Whether there is a God or not.

In fact, I believe with all my heart

Christians have lost the plot.”

 

“So, you don’t believe in God?”

The atheist query again.

“Re a definitive position,” says the agnostic,

I respectfully abstain.

 

“So, what do you believe?”

It was the turn of the agnostic.

“Perhaps you are more assured than I

And more than a skeptic.”

 

“What is there to believe

Except all that one can see?

Nature is all that one can see

And nature is all there be.

 

 

I believe in nature,

An everyday teacher is she.

There’s nothing beyond Mother Nature,

That’s all we need to see.

 

You’re right, I am not a skeptic

And I have no need to be.

Mother Nature supplies the answers,

Any moron can see.

 

You don’t know what to believe

But I most surely do.

There is no God for me

And there is no God for you.”

 

“You can decide that for you

But not also for me.

I will make my own decisions

Based on what I see.

 

As an agnostic, I sit on the fence

And maybe one day I’ll change

But given your fickle presumptions,

I find you rather strange.

 

I’d rather be an agnostic

Than to be an atheist any day

And in my humble opinion,

You have lost your way."

  

Non-sensical in their beliefs

Both ridicule the Christian

For believing what Christians believe

And regarding the creation.

 

But the gravity of the situation

Goes much further than this

Since concerning what ultimately matters

They both are at risk.

 

For he that will come to God

Must first believe God exists

And neither the atheist nor the agnostic

Has come around to this.

 

 

None is without a belief

Everybody has one,

Whether in God or something else,

There is a belief of some form.

 

Atheists say there is no God

Agnostics posit we cannot know,

Christians believe it ultimately matters;

God’s Word tells us so.

 

Since all are wired to believe

Why not believe God’s Word?

If right now you are reading this

I trust you have concurred.

 

Stewart Russell © September 16, 2021

 

 

Five Reassuring M’s

 

 

Majesty is his name

No king compares,

None in this earth realm

Even comes near.

 

King of all kings

And Lord over all,

I am forever grateful

I answered his call.

Jesus is merciful

He is merciful to all,

Lord of mercy, my friend,

Ever since the fall.

 

Merciful in judgment

And extended in his grace,

Not to the Jews only

But the human race.

 

O, Jesus is marvelous

Of this there is no doubt,

Marvelous to them afar

And them here about.

Marvelous are his works

In all of creation

But none as wonderful

As his great salvation.

 

He is a miracle worker

Actually, the only one,

He still does miracles today

As in the days now gone.

 

The same yesterday,

Today and forever

And His great salvation

Is the greatest miracle.

 

Mighty in battle!

He is the Lord of hosts

Throughout all of heaven

And all of earth’s coasts.

His might has no end

He spoke and it was done,

I am still amazed today

He has made me a son.

 

Thanks for his blessings

Manifold by design,

As a child of the Father

I am his and he is mine.

 

Stewart Russell © July 25, 2021