Seasonal

 

 

Seasonal has two meanings

And both are temporal

But given the root of the word

This is only natural.

 

It is not all year round

It is simply seasonal

And when you plan, remember,

This is temporal.

 

Life is a great example,

No one lives forever,

A season may be short or long

But forever, never.

 

There are two meanings

As I first suggested,

Let me see how clear I can be

As I have attested.

 

  

Four seasons in a year:

The most there can be,

However, both you and I know

Not in every country.

 

Barbados, for example,

Has dry and wet

And for as long as I’ve existed,

No winter as yet.

 

All year round it’s hot

And this is not seasonal,

Quite the opposite I’d imagine

Thus, not temporal.

 

Some seasons are fixed

Like the four seasons

But some seasons are manmade

For obvious reasons.

 

 

Crop-over in Barbados

And sugarcane harvest

National Festival of Creative Arts

And Christmas, the best.

 

Seasons can be short

And seasons can be long

But all seasons are temporal

When they come round.

 

A season may be annual

Or every five years

Like elections in Barbados

Or when they appear.

 

But whenever the season

Or, for however long,

To say that a season is temporal

One cannot be wrong.

 

There’s another meaning

Though subtle I believe

But having understood this

I am quite relieved.

 

 

You’ll see in the Bible

The phrase “in due season”,

And I am obliged to focus on it

For a very good reason.

 

Eight times in the Word

You will find this phrase

And it always appears to point

To some future stage.

 

A future stage yet past

And continuing still,

For all those in Christ Jesus

‘Tis God’s perfect will.

 

Our season has come

But we in due season too

Will reap what God promised

To both me and you.

 

Yes, life is a season

And though it goes on

Life will end for us one day

And we too will be gone.

 

Meanwhile we live

With this fact in mind,

Every season, short or long,

Is limited time.

 

 

 

Make the best

Of the time you are given

Knowing your reward is sure

After you have striven.

 

Seasonal though it be

Meaning for a season,

To honour God in all seasons

Is our life’s reason.

 

Galatians 6:9

And let us not be weary

In well doing:

For in due season we shall reap,

If we faint not.

 

Stewart Russell © February 6, 2025

 

Strange Phenomena

 

 

In less than an hour

And fifteen minutes later

Can you tell me how long it took

To arrive at the baker?

 

Since yesterday

It has been three whole days

That he borrowed the money

And promised to pay.

 

Three years ago

She was forty-four,

Tell me how come three years later

She is no more?

 

Nothing is as long

And nothing is as short,

What in tarnation could this be

That nothing can distort?

 

 

If trump is short for trumpet

And trumpets make a blast,

What sound would President Trump make

Given such a difficult task?

 

Strange is the answer

That all of us should get

But stranger still, I do declare,

None has gotten it yet.

 

That’s a little riddle

That will remain unsolved

And even if you discover the answer,

I will not be involved.

 

I have not long awakened

But I am still asleep

And I consider this phenomenon

To be profoundly deep.

 

 

That is why at present

I am composing this poem,

I am awake in a very deep sleep;

I trust you see my problem.

 

It’s when I am at my best

That at such times I write,

Do not judge me, I most humbly ask,

For my phenomenal insight.

 

Now that this is out of the way

Please let me continue,

As strange as these little quips may seem,

Not one of them is my view.

 

 

A man was blocking the way

Whereupon another exclaimed,

“If you stay right there for ever

I’ll have to change my lane.”

 

I was wondering for a while,

If he actually waited that long

But after waiting for an indefinite time,

I decided to go around.

 

Whenever forever comes

He may still be there

But I will not know, I can I attest,

For I will not be here.

 

 

 

 

One more before I go,

So, let me give it some thought,

In the meantime, put the poem down

And take a little walk.

 

Please let me know

The moment that you get back,

I’ll have that thought waiting just for you

That even now is a fact.

 

I definitely thought

You would fall for this

And the mere fact you’ve read this far

Shows I did not miss.

 

So, have a good day

If it is the daytime

But if on the other hand it is night,

‘Tis better to decline. 

 

Strange phenomena indeed!

Did you see what I mean?

If you did you can drop me a line

Or send a silent scream.

 

Stewart Russell © March 27, 2025

 

And When You Pray Say

 

 

Our Father:

Who has no illegitimate children,

That exists for real

And lives in the highest heavens.

 

Hallowed be Your name

Meaning to be praised and revered,

To be held in highest esteem

And with reverent fear.

 

Your kingdom come:

In the person of your Son,

Having lived on this earth

But existed before time had begun.

 

Your will be done:

Both in heaven and in the earth

And in every believer

That experienced the new birth.

 

 

Give us this day our daily bread:

As you provided manna in the wild

And teach us to be grateful

For all that you provide.

 

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive them that trespassed against us:

In recognition of your forgiveness

Which we have received in Jesus.

 

And lead us not into temptation:

For we are weakness, full of weakness,

But deliver us from the evil:

That comes in trials and tests.

 

For yours is the kingdom:

Always has been and always will be,

And the power and the glory:

The only Sovereign Majesty.

 

For ever and ever:

Meaning throughout eternity,

Amen:

It is so or so let it be.

 

Stewart Russell © July 2020

 

The End of Time

 

 

Lovers say it to one another-

At the beginning, anyway,

Though they may have a different feeling

By the end of the day.

 

Some say I will love you forever

As though there is no end of time,

But often forget this promised vow

Somewhere along the line.

 

For some, there is no commitment,

These prefer a wait and see:

A “que sera-sera”, perhaps-

What will be will be.

 

Forever and the end of time

Are two biblical terms:

We will contemplate the latter one

To see what we can learn.

  

“Time is longer than twine”

Is a regular Barbadian saying:

It is like any wrong you do to me,

Someday you’ll end up paying.

 

The end of time might mean

The ending of a specified period,

The course of time to do something

Whether bad or good.

 

However, God’s end of all time

Is the consummation of all things,

It’s His designated time of conclusion

Before His all new beginnings.

 

Behold a new heaven and new earth!

The old having passed away,

So saw John on the Isle of Patmos

In the Spirit on the Lord’s day.

 

All time will have passed a way

History will be no more,

Eternity will be all that there is

No counting of days like before.

 

No more night as a matter of fact

No need for the sun or moon

For with the light of the glorious Trinity

All will be brighter than at noon.

 

 

Time will have ended as we know it

Eternity for the saved begun,

And of troubles and trials and temptations

There will be absolutely none.

 

No memory of earth’s sojourn past

No memory be it good or bad,

No giving in marriage or marrying

No joy that will become sad.

 

In time our loved ones will die

In eternity there’ll be no more death,

The King of kings will reign supremely

And all will be peace and rest.

 

This end will be a time of separation

Two destinies will be our lot:

“Come ye blessed of my Father” or

“Depart from me, I know you not.”

 

The end of time is approaching

It is nearer than ever before,

Make your calling and election sure!

Need I tell you more?

 

Stewart Russell © September 8, 2020