October All Over?

 

 

October all over

The month I mean,

Now we are into November

It’s no new scene.

 

It once meant storms

But this is no more

Since we’ve had inclemency

With flooding galore.

 

The stormy season

Now ends in November

Hence, it would do us well

To remember.

 

September, remember

And we still do

But November follows suit;

This is true.

 

October all over

Doesn’t mean storms

Therefore, my cynical friend,

Be warned!

 

 

It’s climate change

I have heard some say

For all this unstable weather

We get nowadays.

 

Global warning,

They will also add

Is another reason why weather

Sometimes turns bad.

 

Don’t drop your guard

At least, not yet,

For across some communities

It has been very wet.

 

 

Roads were flooded

And almost impassable

Giving us notice that storms

Are still possible.

 

Have a great November,

It is not over yet,

Keep monitoring the weather;

It still poses a threat.

 

A word to the wise…

You know how this goes

For the future whether near or far,

None of us knows.

 

October all over

Means November is here:

Hurricane season is not ended

So, still be prepared.

 

Stewart Russell © November 1, 2024

 

It’s Coming!

 

 

What is coming?

A tsunami is coming,

The signs are all around

And it is building.

 

We’ve had earthquakes

In diverse places

The cracks are opening

Myriad traces.

 

It’s the hurricane season

This is true

But something else is coming

That will affect me and you.

 

It will touch our families

And affect our trade,

It will come down on us

Like a police raid.

 

We will be stunned

For ignoring the warnings,

Believe you me

A tsunami is coming. 

 

 

It’s coming I tell you,

It’s the way with the world,

Decreasing commonsense,

We’re becoming absurd.

 

Folly in plain sight

But hidden still

To all them who are blinded

To Almighty God’s will.

 

A put down of Creation

And behaving like gods,

Mocking born again believers

And obstructing the called.

 

Governments succumbing,

Some leading the way

And many are being forced

To go astray…

 

Astray from God

And what His word teaches,

Satan siphoning off their sense

Like blood-sucking leeches.

 

Good exchanged for evil

And evil declared good,

Leaders promoting immorality

Not doing as they should.

 

 

 

A tsunami is coming

Whether or not you believe,

Immorality is on the rise

And morality recedes.

 

Sharks are in the water

And so too are killer whales,

This tsunami forecast

Is not likely to fail.

 

It has already inundated

Many a land

And Satan and his minions

Are operating to plan.

 

Signs of the last days?

Not one of us knows

But know this most assuredly

There will be lots of woes.

 

Minority groups will grow

At an alarming rate

And will be by legislation

Passed for their sake.

 

Countries will be sanctioned

Unless they agree

To join the ranks of those

Pushing immorality.

 

The natural will give way

To the unnatural of course

And birthrates will decrease

As though hit by a curse.

 

Two of the same

Will take another’s child

Unable to produce their own

Having become defiled.

 

 

 

A tsunami is coming

Unlike any we have known

And it is forecast to affect

Every political zone.

 

Our children will suffer

As it floods our classrooms

And churches will seem helpless

As immorality booms.

 

Family will be different

From Creation’s template,

Two of the same will be parents

As the law will dictate.

 

Pedophilia may rise

As children have more say

And mutilation of their bodies

May become the way.

 

They will get to say

What they feel to become

Concerning gender assignment

Be it daughter or son.

 

And if perchance, undecided

Regarding daughter or son

They can become gender neutral

And choose none.

 

It’s a pretty dim picture

This tsunami paints

As it complements these genders

With queers especially quaint.

 

A tsunami is coming

And it is imminent, not far

When life and living as we know it

Will be considerably marred.

 

Then it will be an offence

To call a boy a boy,

A girl may be something else

As she redeploys.

 

Become well acquainted

Or fall into the trap

That is labeled misappropriation

Where non-fact is fact.

 

It’s coming

And it is almost here,

A tsunami, I am telling you

And we need to fear.

 

Hopefully we will stand

On Christ the solid Rock

For all the walls of human effort

Will be meaningless props.

 

Stewart Russell © July 30, 2023

 

We’re into June

 

 

Well, we are into June,

It has flown here quite fast

And before we know it

It too will be past.

 

Are the days shorter

Or is there so much to do

That before we get to finish

The day is through?

 

Are we having fun

Which causes time to fly

So that the famous saying

None can deny?

 

Is it short for some

But quite long for others

Especially those for whom

Life is a bother?

 

Whatever the reason

We’re definitely into June

And regarding what this means

We are here too soon.

 

 

January February March

April May and June,

The warning signs point out

Hurricane season looms.

 

Those claiming to know

Have predicted much

But good old Bajans believe

They can ride their luck.

 

“God is a Bajan”

You’d have heard it said

But I’ve read the Bible through

And that I’ve never read.

 

Preparation is long

While the money is short

And the preparations we plan

We often must abort.

 

 

This is my experience

But in God we must trust

To keep us calm and prayerful

And help us not to fuss.

 

Plan for the worst

While trusting for the best,

Whether pessimist or optimist

In Jehovah God rest.

 

Stewart Russell © June 1, 2024

Whither April Showers

 

 

No chance of April showers

April has gone away,

The month of May and maybe

Begins on this very day.

 

Commonly known as May Day

From work workers will take a rest,

Labour Day it's also known as

With entertainment at its best.

 

Take Barbados for example:

Picnic spots will be rammed

And these workers will take a breather

To have their annual May Day jam.

 

Per chance should showers come

Remember what month begins today,

They can’t be April showers

For these don’t come in May.

 

As for me, I am staying put

And you maybe able to guess why,

I am not as young as I used to be

And me this heat would fry.

 

 

It is truly energy sapping

And there’re no showers to cool it down,

No chance of April showers in May

Unless April comes back round.

 

Not in a day, I guess you’d say,

April was only yesterday,

Well, I would be extremely contented

If showers do come in May.

 

Or I could wait till June

For some showers to cool me down,

Do recall it’s in the month of June

Hurricane season comes around.

 

 

It’s until the 31^st of November

I’m sure I heard a Minister say

So, whether at home or at a picnic spot,

Do have an enthralling May Day!

 

 

And if per chance it starts to rain

Remember today is May Day,

These won’t be April showers for sure,

For April can’t come in May.

 

Stewart Russell © May 1, 2024

 

Elsa’s Fury

 

 

Elsa clenched her fist

And gave Barbados a blow

And those who were in doubt

By now should know.

 

Some wanted the experience

Of living through a hurricane

But after Elsa’s onslaught

They won’t want one again.

 

She approached as a storm

At a terrific speed

And if it were not for this fact

Greater would be the need.

 

Just imagine, if you will,

What would have happened

If Elsa was a category 2 hurricane

That had threatened.

 

 

Instead she was a category 1

Up from the storm that came

And unleashed her hurricane force

With winds and much rain.

 

She spared not a parish

Especially those in the south

And they that wanted a hurricane

Were left with open mouth.

 

Many houses were blown down

And many roofs ripped away

And while occupants were terrified

Elsa was having her sway.

 

 

Trees were ripped out of the earth

With their roots and all

And poles and wires hit the deck

As though commanded to fall.

 

It was while Elsa was on island

That she upped a gear

From a storm to a hurricane

And many cowered in fear.

 

It was not even an hour

That we experienced hurricane winds

And we thank God there was no loss

Of either life or limb.

 

The fall out was horrific

Though Elsa was mostly a storm

And it will take a while

Before we get back to the norm.

 

Those that wanted the experience

Must be regretting the thought

Especially now they see the damage

After Elsa’s onslaught.

 

 

People are still without water

And many are without electricity

And in some cases

Without either commodity.

 

The cost of all of the repairs

No doubt will run into the millions

Add to Elsa, COVID an COVASH

And we are talking billions.

 

On the 2^nd of July, 2021

Hurricane Elsa came a-calling

Sixty-five years since her predecessor

Gave the island a mauling.

 

It was hurricane Janet then

That struck mostly to the south

Just like Elsa also did

Leaving us with open mouth.

 

 

Elsa was not a dream

So, stop pinching yourselves

And start sending up praises to God

That we are still in good health.

 

And may I also remind you

That this is only July

And that it was only last week

That I posted “Stand by”.

 

Stewart Russell © July 8, 2021

Stand by!

 

 

June “too-soon” is gone

And July "stand by" is here,

We are into our hurricane season

With early reason to fear.

 

A freaky storm in June

That came out of no where

Followed by another weather system;

That gives more reason to fear.

 

This was to pass to the north

And caused little trouble if any

But alas, it was freaky in its nature

And was a surprise to many.

 

Thus, two reasons to be on guard

Whatever the weather predictions,

Meteorology is not an exact science

Whatever the calculations.

 

 

Stand by is really a warning

To expect the unexpected

And given all that has been happening

This advice should not be rejected.

 

COVID-19 throughout 2020

Ash-fall in April this year,

Two freaky weather systems in June:

That’s a lot of reason to care!

 

God is no more a Bajan

Than He is a Vincie or Lucian

So be always on guard, my friends,

And try to avoid confusion.

 

So many world-wide events

In lands both far and near,

Floods, collapsing buildings and heatwaves,

Horrors aplenty to bear.

 

 

Unrest in the Middle East

And famine in many a land,

COVID-19 continuing its onslaught

Like some design or plan.

 

COVID variant after variant

Vaccine trial after vaccine trial

And the uncertainty that exists

Causing much denial.

 

Many a bread-winner out of work

Wondering what to do

About the everyday expenses

And bill payments that accrue.

 

The gun and violence headache

Exacerbated by the increase in crime

And repeat criminals on the loose

Receiving bail most of the time.

 

Fancy talk and fancy words

Offering promises galore,

The law now seemingly without teeth

Failing to deliver more and more.

 

 

Law makers made to look silly

Security forces under strain,

Many a captured criminal

Back out on the streets again.

 

This caution that relates to storms

Is not only for July

But given the upsurge in troubles

Be always on standby!

 

Stand by for any eventuality

Though we cannot know the future

And trust the One that sees it all;

God sees the full picture.

 

Stewart Russell © June 30, 2021

 

September Remember

Into the ninth month

I almost cannot believe

That the year that just began

Is going with such speed.

Not too long ago

We were saying Happy New Year

Now can you believe it?

Eight months have disappeared.

September is noted for a name

Sixty-two years in the past,

Hurricane Janet I mean

What a shadow she cast!

Her name is simultaneous

With the month of September,

Hence the expressed need

For us all to remember.

Check all of your torchlights

Make sure that they work,

Have a good supply of batteries

From this do not shirk.

Canned foods and imperishable items

Sugar, flour and biscuits,

An adequate supply of drinking water

You don’t want to risk it.

Trim the tall trees

And secure the loose items,

Of flying galvanize

You don’t want to be a victim.

This should have been done

Before the month of June

But if you haven’t done it yet

Now won’t be too soon.

I know that times are tough

And the food cupboard is bear

But regarding the hurricane season

We must be prepared.

  

So put by a few things

Since a hurricane can happen

And don’t wait till the same hour

That the hurricane threatens.

Avoid that kind of rush

For that is too much stress

And whether it happens or not

You’ll be prepared nevertheless.

It’s back to school for the children

And we wish them all well,

That education is important

To them we must tell.

You’d recall Sparrow’s song

About the need for education

And the important role it plays

In deciding their vocation.

So on this the 1^st of September

Let us give God the praise

And let us trust Him even more

Throughout the coming days.

Not much more to be said

I trust that you have a plan,

Here’s wishing a great September

To every child, woman and man.

Stewart Russell © September 2018