Making Sense of Nonsense

 

 

“Impossible!” you say,

“It’s no way such can be done,”

But I say that we definitely have to,

Given how things are being run.

 

That is, if it's really true,

For I believe it cannot be

But if on the other hand it is true

Sooner or later we shall see.

 

Here of late, I coin the phrase,

I am “too dumb to be impressed!”

And this means I don’t understand

And won’t even bother to guess.

 

What is 400% interest

Especially on foreign loans?

Was it that ridiculous in the first place

Or over time has grown?

 

Clearly it is not simple interest;

But both compound and complex,

And if someone had done this to me

I would be violently vexed.

 

I thought I had heard recently

About loans at 1% interest

But 400% interest is a quantum leap

Hence, my present stress.

 

If it is growing at a frenetic pace

We need to quickly pay it off

If not, I tell you Madam Prime Minister,

We are in for a gigantic loss.

 

I note it is presently a concern

To you and your financial team

But please tell me how we got here

Coming off the COVID scene?

 

Were the loan terms, Madam PM,

Not clearly enumerated

Or did it appear to be such easy money

That common sense evaporated?

 

 

Bear with me, if you will,

As I try to make sense of nonsense,

I do not mean to be disingenuous-

Madam PM, I mean no offense.

 

I know the hold you have

On supporters local and foreign

And the lack of dissent among your team

Says to me there is a problem.

 

For one of them should have seen

This oncoming hurricane

And warn the rest of your Cabinet

The light is an oncoming train.

 

Is there a plan, I ask, Madam PM,

To settle this quadruple loan?

For this astronomical 400% interest growth

Is clearly out of our zone.

 

And, what is your expectation Madam PM,

If this matter is not addressed soon?

Will Barbados still belong to us

Or to some international tycoon?

 

Daily I am hearing rumours

Of countries being swallowed up

And I am sincerely hoping, Madam PM,

That such is not our cup.

 

 

 

Be it China or India or Africa

Or even Trinidad in the Caribbean,

Friends of all and satellites of none

It’s back to the Barrow scene.

 

Uh can’t make sense, I must conclude,

Of the enormity of this interest nonsense,

400% interest on foreign loans is staggering!

Madam PM, I mean no offense.

 

Stewart Russell © May 2, 2023

 

What Kind of Republic?

 

 

What kind of Republic

Will we be getting?

In which international market

Will we be shopping?

 

A Banana Republic

On a slow boat to China?

Or perhaps, an inflated raft

Making its way to India?

 

An African Republic

As in "to Africa and back"

So that our African heritage

Can be back on track?

 

A Satellite Republic

As the moon is to the sun

Or friends of all

But sucking up to none?

 

Giving sanction to the EU

So, they won’t sanction us

Or just dropping the Monarchy

Without much fuss?

 

 

Becoming a Republic

And then decide what type

Or simply saying to the UK

Go take a hike?

 

When we say Republic

What am I to understand?

Is it just for the sake of change?

Do we have a plan?

 

Is that plan definitive

Or a plan as we go along

Like so-called plans nowadays

That leave us nowhere bound?

 

Will we have any idea

When we arrive there

Or will we be on a fast train

To absolutely nowhere?

 

What kind of Republic

Are we planning to be?

So far all I have been getting is

Let’s wait and see.

 

 

Nothing concrete except…

A plan to plan it afterwards:

Kind of cart before the horse

And going in backwards.

 

A Republic first

Then adjust the Constitution,

To some this sounds like

Rocket science innovation.

 

Marry the notion

And then change afterwards

Kind of cart before the horse

And going in backwards.

 

 

I know I repeated myself

But that’s a Republic repeated,

It’s just the same as before

With a few things tweeted.

 

A no-name change Republic

Still Barbados, no change,

Even as I ruminate on this

It seems rather strange.

 

I know a married woman

That kept her surname,

There was no problem though

His name was the same.

 

But seriously, though,

What kind of Republic?

There should be a conversation

To entertain the critics.

 

Educate the masses first

Explain what kind of Republic,

After, have a referendum;

That should do the trick.

 

 

Let the people have a say

As someone once promised,

That sounds like democracy

If you get my drift. 

 

A people’s Republic

Ah, that sounds kind of great,

We can start the process now,

It is not too late.

 

What kind of Republic?

I must ask myself again

So that at the end of the day

We are not just a name.

 

Stewart Russell © September 11, 2021

 

Uh Get de Vaccine

 

 

Uh get de vaccine

And I didn’t feel a stick,

I wasn’t in no long line

And I didn’t get sick.

 

Uh get de vaccine

And with no side effect,

No fever or giddy head

At least, not yet.

 

Uh get de vaccine

And it was very quick,

It was quicker I tell you

Than pressing a switch.

 

Uh get de vaccine

You don’t believe me?

Do the same thing I did

And you would see.

 

 

Uh get de vaccine

And I didn’t leave home,

My wife was skeptical

So, I get it alone.

 

Uh get de vaccine

You must understand,

Just like everybody else

I get it in my hand.

 

Uh get de vaccine

Yes, the one from India,

Online I registered

For the “AstraZeneca”.

 

Uh get de vaccine

And that is a true fact,

It is easy if you register

On WhatsApp.

 

Uh get de vaccine

And no side effects as yet,

I get the AstraZeneca vaccine

Over the Internet.

 

Uh get de vaccine

It was ZOOM-ed to me,

You could try it too

If like me yuh crazy.

 

Stewart Russell © February 24, 2021