For Bajans It’s Two

 

 

Twelve days of Christmas

But for Bajans it’s two,

Christmas Day and its extension

Is the major view.

 

Christmas Day is gone

And so is Boxing Day,

Christmas Day and its extension

Has now passed away.

 

Boxing Day as we know

Is Christmas bank holiday

And is celebrated as Christmas

In much the same way.

 

Back in those days

When there were slaves

Boxing Day was their Christmas

And not Christmas Day.

 

 

 

Massa and his family

Celebrated on Day #1

While the leftovers were boxed

And later passed on.

 

Given to the slaves

For them to enjoy:

House slaves, field slaves and others;

All in Massa’s employ.

 

Thus, a clear example

Of the rich man’s table,

On Boxing Day, the poor received

A plenteous sample.

 

Christmas Day #2,

This day has gone also,

We turn our gaze on Old Year’s

For the final show.

 

Watching in the New

In worship or in revelry:

Giving praise and thanks to God

Or making merry.

 

 

 

No 12 days of Christmas

For Bajans, only two,

The Christmas songs will continue,

Christmas, we bid adieu.

 

Christmas lights we’ll see

Up until January 6;

A residual reminder of Christmas

Then they’ll be unfixed.

 

Taken down and stored

Till December next year

When we’ll set them up and wait

For Christmas to appear.

 

Meanwhile, this Christmas

Has now gone away:

Not twelve days but Bajans’ two

Until next year!

 

Stewart Russell © December 27, 2025

 

Trouble a Brewing

 

 

“Trouble don’t set up like rain”

But sometimes it does

And you don’t have to listen hard

To hear the growing buzz.

 

The buzz in the community

And in the market square,

The buzz right here and beyond

Says it’s drawing near.

 

Can’t you hear the buzz

Or have you turned deaf ear

To all that has been happening

Hoping it won’t appear?

 

 

It may be a single incident

That brings a domino effect

Like in the COVID-19 pandemic

That many still suspect.

 

It may be a string of events

Related and unrelated

Like the criminal activity occurring

And going on unabated.

 

Something huge is imminent

In our little country

And storm clouds are everywhere

If we’re not too blind to see.

 

 

Barbados land of ostriches,

Of sunshine, sea and sand,

Immersed in revelry and jump-up

Where fickleness is grand.

 

To ignore is to make light,

To remain silent, a protest,

And if I do not see it, it is not there,

Is Bajan at its best.

 

 

Oh, we are standing tall

With heads buried in sand

And seemingly lack what it takes

To resuscitate our land.

 

We have moved far away

From what we once held dear

When we’d look to God for help

With reverential fear.

 

Now it is very different

As we do it our own way,

With God left out of the equation

We are bound to stray.

 

 

Trouble is a brewing

Storm clouds everywhere!

Is it nothing to you, my friend?

Doesn’t anyone care?

 

What’s all this deflecting

Trying to confuse me

Rather than deal with the problem

Behind the criminality?

 

How many must die

To fill greedy man pockets?

How many more square pegs

In round hole sockets?

 

Why empower students

And impoverish their teachers

When such is getting us into trouble

Deeper and deeper?

 

 

Are our leaders blind?

Can they not really see

That great trouble is a brewing

For our country?

 

The way around it

Is to return to God

But our leaders call this simplistic

And thus, continue to fall.

 

God offers a parachute

But they prefer a parasol

And with this I must reiterate,

We continue to free fall.

 

Stewart Russell © June 17, 2025