It Is November!

 

 

It is November

And in a sense, a month to remember,

Of course, in a different way

From the month of September.

 

Naught of storms

Though ‘tis the hurricane season

But of something more enthralling-

Independence is the reason.

 

It is commemorating

When we told Great Britain Good-bye

Having decided we were able

To give self-autonomy a try.

 

And not just a try

But more like a vibrant endeavor

And so, in the month of November

We have Independence fever.

 

All month long

We will sing our national songs,

Highlighting folklore and calypso

With a spirited sing-along.

 

 

 

And we will recall

Those days of the Union Jack

When the economy of Great Britain

Was placed of Bajan backs.

 

But not just the past

But more importantly, who we are

For with the Lord as our guide,

We have come this far.

 

Some will say

That we should have been farther

But I say, doubling our effort

Should be our endeavor.

 

 

For Barbados

Is the home that we truly know

And we must develop Barbados

If Barbados is to grow.

 

“All hands” on deck

And pay Barbados due respect

For it is out of what we put in

That we will also get.

 

It is not fraternizing

That will make Barbados succeed

But remembering who we are-

Proud Bajan indeed!

 

 

 

Not a lazy pride

But one supported by industry,

Standing on our hero’s shoulders

To boost this economy.

 

It is November!

Calling Barbadians one and all!

Whether at home or living abroad,

Help Barbados stand tall!

 

Stewart Russell © November 6, 2023

 

Simulation

 

 

We've had simulations

With lessons to learn

But never for the real thing

Have we ever yearned.

 

Except for a few

The experience they craved

And when disappointed,

They actually raved.

 

What a waste of time

To painstakingly prepare

And after all the preparation

A false alarm is declared!

 

The experts got it wrong

For yet another time

And with those pent-up emotions

We then had to unwind.

 

 

Like shouting for wolf

When no wolf is around

And making the entire population

Look like a clown.

 

Like October it’s over”

For the Atlantic storms

And these simulation exercises

Still being the norm.

 

Like today for example,

Preparing for Tammy

But who’s taking Tammy seriously?

Scarcely anybody.

 

She will be like the rest;

A promise and that is all

And in the final analysis would be,

Another wrong call.

 

Another simulation

And another waste of time,

Another building of expectation

And having to unwind.

 

 

But for me, I’d rather

Another simulation

Than experience a hurricane

With resulting destruction.

 

Of course, unlike the one

That was a recent fiasco

In which there was much fallout-

That’s a definite a no-no.

 

Let’s stop the deflecting

And face the real issue,

It is not about the simulations

But what we should do.

 

It is preparation, of course,

With goodwill intent

And not unintendedly creating

The actual event.

 

For when a simulation

Becomes the event in itself,

It’s not good for one’s emotions

Or one’s physical health.

 

 

The protocols are key

And thorough preparation

Any and every time

We do a simulation.

 

And if something goes wrong

Take responsibility

For I dare say these days

This is a rare commodity.

 

We used to pass the buck

Now there’s no buck to pass,

If this is the intent of reform

We’ll have no class.

 

Form is temporary

But class is permanent-

Let’s have simulation exercises

That are not the event.

 

Stewart Russell © October 20, 2023

Not Over

October all over

Used to be,

Let us not argue

But wait and see.

Dorian came

And created a stir

But that’s the kind

I prefer.

Sorry, Grand Bahama

And Abaco,

Thankful the aid

Has begun to flow.

Lots of talk

Why we were spared

But I get this feeling

Our time is near.

May be October

Or November, maybe,

We can only wait

If we are to see.

So be prepared

For we do not know,

Don’t let it be

An “I told you so”.

It is never over

Until it is really over,

Certainly not

Even in October.

Prevention, remember

Is better than cure

But I am sure

You knew this before.

I want ten verses

This will make nine,

That means

I am one behind.

This is verse ten

And this poem is over

But it is not so

In October.

Stewart Russell © September 2019

October Not All Over

October all over, not quite

We’re still in the hurricane season,

Can’t fold our arms and feel smug

October is a major reason.

September ended the hurricane season

You would recall hurricane Janet

But hurricanes occurred in October

And the hurricane season had to be reset.

Two months were added to the season

To include November as well,

From the 1^st of June to 30^th of November

That’s the period on which we dwell.

From mid August and all of October

This forms the peak of the season,

Expect most hurricanes during this time

For this is the primary reason.

Note the difference from the rhyme

That we said when we were at school,

“October all” over applied back then

But now that is no longer the rule.

Change will come inevitably

The only sure constant is change,

Except of course for The Almighty

Who, nothing or no one can rearrange.

Don’t drop your guard, at least not yet,

Surely not during the month of October

For if you do you may consequently find

For you it might be all over.

Hurricanes can cost the loss of lives

Or at least the loss of our property,

Hence it behooves us to be prepared:

There is that possibility.

Disabuse your mind of that little rhyme

I say that for the following reason:

In October it’s definitely not all over

We’re in the peak of the hurricane season.

Stewart Russell © October 2018

July Standby!

It is half way through

And we are into July

There is no need to say

We should be on standby.

“Standby for what?”

Only a tourist should ask.

Well ever since beginning June

We should be on task.

“But on task for what?”

The likely next question:

Preparation for hurricanes

This is the reason.

Hence, July standby!

This is the why:

The prevalence of storms

We dare not deny.

“But we don’t get hit!”

That is foolish talk,

It is a stupid attitude

When these hurricanes stalk.

Harvey, Irma and Maria

Only last year these three

Created havoc in the Caribbean

And caused untold misery.

They were so awful

Their names were retired

And the damage they did

It was as though they conspired.

Yearly we are threatened

By many a storm

But because they miss us

On this we heap scorn.

Some people quarrel

About the preparations they make

And then no storm strikes

And this they hate.

  

They fret and they quarrel

What a waste of time!

“No hurricane can hit us,”

This is what they opine.

Oh we’ve had some brushes

But nothing to compare

To what the “mighty three” did

To countries quite near.

Hurricane Janet we recall

Struck sixty-three years ago

And when another will hit

Only God would know.

It can happen to us

For it has occurred before

So let us not fail to prepare

One might be at our door.

To fail to prepare

Is to prepare to fail

So be prepared! Be on standby!

Don’t ignore this detail!

Stewart Russell © July 2018