When Traffic Backs Up

 

 

It’s amazing what you see

When traffic backs up

Especially when trying to beat it

But ran out of luck.

 

It’s even more amazing

If you are not alone

And rather than heading to work

You’re on your way home.

 

Not only do you talk

But you look all around,

Something you couldn’t have done

When speedily bound.

 

 

 

Traffic slows to a crawl,

There’s nothing you can do

And suddenly as though by magic

So much comes into view.

 

A conversation begins

And you say to someone

Where did that building come from?

And the talk goes on.

 

Traffic forgotten,

You talk about the sights:

All the beautiful new buildings

And the other delights.

 

They were there before

But you were in a rush

And your eyes could never rest on them

Whether dawn or dusk.

 

It’s just like life!

We’re always in a hurry,

No time to slow down or stop

To take in its beauty.

 

It takes congestion

Of one kind or another

To stop us dead in our tracks

By becoming a bother.

 

We are destination bent

On the journey of life

And often in our ill-advised haste

We perpetuate strife.

 

Like a serious accident

Due to our frenetic rush

And then far more time is wasted

And unnecessary fuss.

 

 

 

When traffic backs up

Don’t fuss and fret,

Just take in the beauty all around

That you haven’t seen yet.

 

Stewart Russell © August 8, 2025

 

Seen in the Old Testament

 

 

My wife was barren

And we had not a child,

In the day that we lived

She was greatly despised.

 

But all that would change

When the angel appeared

Though for my wife

It was particularly weird.

 

She related it to me

What the man of God told,

To us having a child

Would be a joy to behold.

 

So, I intreated the Lord,

Let the man come again

And he answered my prayer,

It was not in vain.

 

I inquired of him

How we should order the child,

His instructions were precise

And we willingly complied.

 

I invited him to lunch

Which he politely refused

Then I asked him his name

But he was none too enthused.

 

He asked why I should know

Seeing it was a secret

So, I offered up a burnt offering

To show my respect.

What I saw next

Caused us to fall to the ground,

The man ascended in the flame

And was no longer around.

 

With that I knew

It was the angel of the Lord

“We shall surely die,” I said,

“For we had seen God.”

 

My wife disagreed

Since the offering was received,

And the things he had told us

We definitely believed.

 

We saw him too

We knew it was the Lord,

Face to face we saw him

Indeed, it was God.

 

In the form of His Son

As the Lord, Jesus Christ,

He appeared on to us

And that really sufficed.

 

One of the many times

In the Old Testament

We were privileged to see the Lord

And we were content.

 

If a man looks on God’s face

He would surely die

But Jesus is the firmament,

On him we can rely.

 

“If a man has seen me,

He has seen the Father.”

These words of Jesus convey

No need to bother.

 

 

Even as the firmament

Protects us from the sun

We are shielded from God’s wrath

Because of His Son.

 

They saw him too

Moses, Manoah and others,

And when they did

They also saw the Father.

 

Stewart Russell © February 2020

 

Whither Our Republic?

 

 

 

Have we bitten off

More than we can chew?

Regarding the state of our Republic,

What is your view?

 

So much in our mouth

We don’t know what to do:

Whether we should try to swallow

Or out of our mouth spew.

 

There is much reform

At least, the talk of it,

And many fantabulous ideas

That do not fit.

 

Everything divides us:

There’s little or no consensus

And even to do the simplest task

There is much fuss.

 

 

 

A Government by the people

For some of the people

While marginalizing the vulnerable

Climbing a slippery steeple.

 

An occasional handout

Rather than a hand-up

While those elected to be servants

Enjoy all the luck.

 

One opposition member

In our Parliament;

Making a mockery of democracy

Though not the intent.

 

Several bits and pieces

With segregated voice

Making us more and more susceptible

To Hobson’s choice.

 

The writing’s on the wall

For a third time coming

When the electorate are galvanized

For the next polling.

 

 

 

A lower poll is likely

With another thirty-nil,

Just thinking about the outcome

Gives me a chill.

 

Who will cross then

To form the opposition?

And this is of course, providing,

It’s not then forbidden.

 

 

 

Twice it’s been tried

With little effect

And it seems this lone member

Will be also a reject.

 

A Republic we are

Since twenty, twenty-two

But still no Republic Constitution

To shape the Republic’s view.

 

“Twas a grand idea then

With the greatest PM ever,

And the prospect of a Republic

Appeared quite clever.

 

Minus the Constitution

To paddle the State along,

Upon all the objections to the same

The PM frowned.

 

Thus, we’re still attached

To colonial apron strings

And experiencing all of the fallout

This situation brings.

 

Appellation is deceptive

When it is just a name

And like that Sardis church community

It becomes a shame.

 

 

 

They appeared to be alive

But in effect were dead

And the fact we are headed thus

Is what I dread. 

 

Have we bitten off

More than we can chew?

Regarding the state of our Republic,

What is your view?

 

Punching above our weight

Was said of our Bim,

Can we still affirm this reputation

When it’s so grim?

 

 

 

Friends of all

And satellites of none!

Is this still our Nation’s reality

Or is it now done?

 

What kind of mirror image

Are we going after?

Is it some kind that will bring

Derision and laughter?

 

Some are already mocking

Given the state we are in

Saying, “how the mighty have fallen!”

Referring to Bim.

 

 

 

I call to your attention

Red Plastic Bag’s song:

I am referring to “Bim, I Love You”

And how we sang along.

 

When there was that pride

In doing things right

And when the leaders of Barbados

Demonstrated insight.

 

When industry was key

And buttressed by pride

And we could go about our business

Without having to hide.

 

When guns were on the TV

But not on our streets

And there were far more victories

Than recurring defeats.

 

 

 

Have we bitten off

More than we can chew?

Regarding the state of our Republic,

What is your view?

 

When the church mattered

With its Sunday school

And our several par-military groups

Were developmental tools.

 

When recidivism was low

And bail was nigh impossible

And a child taking another’s property

Was in serious trouble.

 

When the gap was wider

Between parent and child

Such that a parent’s instruction

Would not be defied.

 

When morals were standard

And clearly understood

And when it was not taken lightly

To spill another’s blood.

 

When politeness mattered

And did not seem strange

And a person saying good morning

Did not appear deranged.

 

When a salutation

Was fervently returned

And every one was given respect-

Not just earned.

 

Hence, to the stranger

And the youngest child

And to a person of a different view:

Respect, do not vilify.

 

 

 

Have we bitten off

More than we can chew?

Regarding the state of our Republic,

What is your view?

 

Stewart Russell © September 24, 2025

 

Independence/Republic

 

 

Independence or Republic:

Which of these are we?

Constitution notwithstanding,

Can we say we are free?

 

Does it really matter

Wrangling over such?

To you and me in all seriousness,

Does it mean so much?

 

What do captions, pray tell,

If our lifestyles don’t comply?

Can it be culturally Barbadian

If captions tell a lie?

 

Independence or Republic

What do we celebrate

In this festive month of November

On its special date?

 

How do we differentiate

And is there a need

Since both events fall on 30^th November;

Tell me, what do you feel?

 

 

The folk songs are traditional

So too, the events and folklore,

How do we reflect the Republic

Unless we add some more?

 

Independence in 1966

A Republic in 2022

But in reality, nothing has changed,

What differently can we do?

 

It would have been better

It they were done together

But 56 years apart, I am sure you agree,

Doesn’t resolve this matter.

 

Cultural practices build up

Over many a year

And Barbados, as a young Republic,

Is still in first gear.

 

A caption is all there is

With nothing more to support

And not even a Republic Constitution

Informing our Law Court.

 

Independence still reigns

With its songs and folklore

And culturally, nothing has changed,

It’s just like before.

 

God bless Bim

On Independence Day”;

Republic would sound rather strange

If it were sung that way.

 

The Barbados Coat of Arms

And the National Flag:

Tell me what would we do with these?

And there’s more in the bag.

 

The National Pledge

And the National Anthem:

You’d have to throw out these too,

I reckon.

 

Oh, How I still wish

They had happened together:

Our Independence and Republic

Wouldn’t be a bother!

 

The Republic of Barbados

Oh, what a name!

But without a Republic Constitution,

Can we make that claim?

 

It may be a caption for now

Or just a mere title,

But procuring the new Constitution

Is extremely vital.

 

Other than the cosmetics

Regarding the name changing,

We can expect no more significance

Than deckchairs rearranging.

 

 

We’re better than the Titanic

In that we are still afloat,

However, let’s be exceedingly careful;

It’s no time to gloat.

 

Stewart Russell © November 18, 2024

 

An ABC Observation

 

 

Here is a little poem

I just came up with

Though I am making no claims

If you catch my drift.

 

I was saying the ABC:

Aka, the alphabet,

When suddenly it occurred to me

The sounds we get.

 

Phonics we call it

Meaning letter sounds

And from just twenty-six letters

Several abound. 

 

Eight sounds I got

From twenty-six letters,

I am sure if given the chance

You’d do better.

 

Three stand-alone

If you see what I mean,

Three letters could not fit under

The other five themes.

 

I’d let you guess

But how would I know?

Where in this particular poem

Could you show? 

  

With that said

Let me say what they are:

These three stand-alone letters

Are H, O and R.

 

From the three singles

To the only double:

If you said I, I would ask you Y-

What an odd couple!

 

Five of them gone,

Twenty-one to follow,

I trust this is not too much info

For you to swallow.

 

Two categories of three:

The first is A, J and K,

Say them slowly and repeatedly

And you’ll hear the ‘A’. 

 

You can stop now

There is more to come,

You cannot ramble on forever

You’re not that dumb.

 

The second class of three

Are Q, U and W,

Repeat these over and over

Until you hear the ‘U’.

 

The only way to do this

Is to stop saying A, J and K,

Now you can practise Q, U and W;

It’s the only way.

 

Here is a set of five

That uses the È accent,

Pronounced like our Bajan ‘eh’:

Full of intent. 

  

F, L, M, N, S, X

Hear the initial sound!

If you did not, you’re totally deaf

Or your ears are on wrong.

 

Just nine letters more:

All in category eight,

These all carry the ‘E’ sound-

Isn’t the ABC great?

 

 B, C, D and E

G, P, T, V and Z:

The phonetic sounds of the ABC

In its entirety.  

    

Twenty-six letters

I’ve known all this time

And only a few moments ago

This came to mind.

 

And what is more,

I used to be a teacher

And believe me, I only just noticed

This phonetic feature. 

 

I have a strong feeling

That you just did too

So, to me you should be grateful:

Aren’t you?

 

You might be saying

That I have nothing to do

But I dare say if you are reading this,

The same applies to you.

 

Stewart Russell © September 21, 2025

 

Dead and Aware of It

 

 

I have tried to imagine

What it feels like to be dead

And the closest I have come to it

Is being asleep in bed.

 

I have experienced at times

Though not in the recent past,

The consciousness of being dead

Which left me quite aghast.

 

I had not retired as yet

And was really pushing work

Such that at times when I was resting,

I would suddenly come alert.

 

It is not easy to relate

The strange phenomenon then

But my medical doctor explained

It was definitely a problem.

 

Having awaken from sleep

I would lie transfixed,

I could not even move a finger:

Even to scratch an itch.

 

It would seem a long time

But it was just mere seconds,

And though I needed urgent help,

I couldn’t even beckon.

 

Alert and very aware

But couldn’t utter a sound,

It was like being buried alive

Under a molded mound.

 

My eyes, although open

Could not even be blinked,

I was dead and very aware of it

Whatever you may think.

 

It is a horrible feeling

To actually feel you are dead

Only to know you are still alive

And very much so instead.

 

I had really needed rest:

A total shut down, in fact,

So that while I slept every night

It was deep sleep I lacked.

 

Those seconds of paralysis

Were a warning to me,

My system in responding to the lack

Prompted me to see.

 

 

 

 

Emergency shut down!

It was not all systems go,

Something was about to go wrong

And I needed to know.

 

I was repeatedly warned

And had I repeatedly ignored

This could have ended with me

Not being around anymore.

 

 

A word to workaholics:

Heed the body’s warning!

Don’t be dead and be aware of it

And yet go on ignoring.

 

Else, you may drop dead

And definitely not be aware,

Of being interred in yonder cemetery

Amidst many a tear.

 

Stewart Russell © March 26, 2025