Go Tell De Skipper

  

 

Send news to de Skipper

The DLP in disarray,

The party is nothing compared

To back in his day.

 

Tell him Sandy is dead

And David Thompson too,

Tell him Freundel is still around

With nothing to do.

 

Tell him Lashley jump ship

And Sinckler jump too

As well as some young democrats:

Not a few.

 

Tell him in three elections

They did not get a seat

And Prime Minister Mia Mottley

Did a three-peat.

 

 

 

Go tell de Skipper

De new BLP is BLP/DLP

So, there is no need in we republic

For an opposition party.

 

Go tell de Skipper

That things real brown

And that Barbadians seeing red

In country and in town.

 

Yes, go tell de Skipper

That de people blue vex

Cause a lot that was promised

Dem en get yet.

 

Promised legislation

To keep the MPs honest

Cannot get pass the Parliament;
O what a mess!

 

De promised Constitution

Lost out Queen’s Park

Cause de array of Commissioners

In the dark.

 

 

 

Go tell de Skipper

Bout hey like de Wild West

And the old folk real frightened

To leave their nest.

 

But O shoot, man,
Barrow en bury here!

His ash was scattered in the sea;

It blew everywhere.

 

A Caribbean man!

In life as well as in death

So, we have no choice in the matter

But to let him rest.

 

 

 

No turning in his grave,

His ash was scattered

And the party he helped establish,

Bruised and battered.

 

So don’t tell de Skipper

He is not hearing

And while these MPs are still alive,

They aren’t listening.

 

Go tell de Skipper

There’s nothing he can do

Cause Bim fuh de rich and famous;

Not for me and you.

 

Stewart Russell © February 28, 2026

 

If Ralph Had Known

  

 

If Ralph had known

It would turn out like this

Would he still have taken the leap

With such a risk?

 

Risk of a pension

Requiring more time

Or, was there something else

On his mind?

 

If Ralph had known

Would he have given up

A safe seat for the unknown

Hoping for luck?

 

A miracle perhaps,

Going against the grain

Across this political landscape

Where Mia reigns.

 

 

 

Twice he had seen it

Two audacious wipeouts,

Pray, tell me my dear Watson,

Why did he doubt?

 

 

 

Did he really think

He’d make a difference

While courting, as it turned out,

A death-sentence?

 

For, given his age,

And the carnage endured,

Would he have the political will

To ask for more?

 

If Ralph had known

The D’s was a burial ground,

Would he have seriously thought

Of turning it around?

 

I really doubt it

Yet, the warnings were rife,

He was leaving a comfort zone

For unimagined strife.

 

 

 

Ralph did take a leap

Without looking first

And of course, life is lived forward

And cannot be reversed.

 

 

 

He left one party

And divided another

And now death throes are lingering-

What a huge bother!

 

 

 

Can the D’s build back

After such a hit?

It would take a very long time,

From where I sit.

 

Time is no luxury

Where Ralph is concerned

For in my mind, he has suffered

First degree burns.

 

‘Tis a very thin line

Betwixt bravery and folly,

Which one best describes Ralph?

You tell me.

 

No crossing again

If PM Mia has her way

Given too, that 28 supported her

Only yesterday.

 

One absented

After saying her bit

But Prime Minister Mia Mottley

Was having none of it.

 

 

 

She registered her vote

From over in away

As though she was telling someone

Not today.

 

If Ralph had known

That only he would cross

Would he still have crossed over

And suffer such loss?

 

Stewart Russell © February 26, 2026

 

Valentine Downplayed?

  

 

 

Was it me

Or was it true

A downplayed Valentine

Was in view?

 

A lot of red

But not of Cupid,

A campaign was going

For a 3-peat bid.

 

 

 

Love of party

And of Mia Amor

And re that sea of red

Above she soared.

 

Maybe today

With results finalized

The fact of Valentine

Will be realized.

 

I imagined it?

Maybe probably so

After all, quite a lot of red

Was on show.

 

A gift of 30 seats:

Mia’s Valentine gift

And to the Botanical Gardens

Many will drift.

 

‘Twill be a sea of red

Over that place

And the Valentine photo

Will be Mia’s face.

 

 

 

The triumphant red

Over yellow and green

Will be readily on display

With their queen.

 

Congrats to the BLP

And to Mia on her 3-peat,

No room for the others;

Not a single seat.

 

Spare a thought

For Valentine Day,

Don’t let the party of red have it

All their way.

 

 

 

Combine the two

As you celebrate,

Remember it’s a love date

And don’t hate.

 

 

 

For we are all one

Bajan born and bred

And all colours are significant

But today, it’s red.

 

And let’s hope

Out of it will come good

For the nation and its people

As it should.

 

Happy Valentine

To all of you!

To the BLP, DLP, FOD, et al,

Keep love in view. 

 

Stewart Russell © February 14, 2026

 

Mekkin’ Mock Sport at We

  

 

Calling general elections

Whenever they please

With very little time to campaign

As though a tease.

 

The Opposition obviously

Trying to keep up

But with little time to work with

Becoming stuck.

 

 

  

Mia mekkin’ mock sport

At their manifesto

Declaring not only is it too late

But nothing to show.

 

 

Boasting about hers

And how early it was out

Forgetting she had an advantage

Given her ruling clout.

 

But here’s a message

To those revelling in red,

The times that we are living in

Are getting dread.

 

That slave mentality

That you are displaying

Is merely a replaying of de Massa

That you obeying.

 

After the ball is over

And the normalcy returns

You will become frightfully aware,

Aware of your burns.

 

Mentally and socially

And emotionally too,

They are really mekkin’ mock sport

At me and at you.

 

 

 

Give them 30 seats again

And see what I mean,

Democracy will become a nightmare

Not just a dream.

 

 

 

Keep closing your eyes

To what confronts you

And sooner or later you will get

What is your due.

 

Not what you desire

But something different,

Because Massa must get back

All that is spent.

 

Enjoyment will be brief

Normalcy will return

And for the life you were promised

You will still yearn.

 

All you that crossover,

You don’t really belong,

You think you are holding rank

But you are clowns.

 

Leaving your party

To hold on to coat tails

But when mock sport gets serious

You too will fail.

 

 

 

Yellow is a primary colour

Just like red

But any mixing is a different colour:

Orange instead.

 

Mam will not want that

So, you had better beware,

She will make mock sport at you

In the public’s glare.

 

What an embarrassment

That will be!

But just you remember that you too

Made mock sport at we.

 

Treat the electorate

Like they are illiterate

And one day soon they too will laugh

When you get tricked.

 

 

Don’t vote for an opposition

You have been told,

So, give them another clean sweep

And see what unfolds.

 

Only one can rule

Thus, a divine entitlement,

Swallow such unfounded stupidity

To your own detriment.

 

Give me a cool 17 to 13

And I say either way

And let me see how Mia performs

With less say.

 

That is wishful thinking

And unlikely to happen,

With so many dancing clowns in red

We are already smitten.

 

That’s why they laugh

And make mock sport at we

But they’ll have to pay the pied piper

At the end of their spree.

 

 

 

Getting rid of rats is one thing

But it comes with a cost,

Do remember that red is a warning

Much more could be lost.

 

Our freedom and democracy

Is seriously at stake

So, spare me all this mock sport

For our nation’s sake.

 

Stewart Russell © February 9, 2026