Fit It to Whomever

 

 

 

How often do you hear

“We are doing the best we can”?

They are doing the best they can

Down to every single man.

 

And they can only get better

For they are at rock bottom

And should they drill further down

This would be rotten.

 

Doing their best for whom?

Not for insignificant me,

And I dare say not for you either;

I trust that you see.

 

We can become so partisan,

We refuse to see the truth

But steering us right in our face

Is the blatant proof.

 

So, if as they are saying

They are doing their best,

Why is it not obvious to everyone?

Why don’t I feel less stress?

 

Why do I get the feeling

That they are doing their best

In the sense they cannot do better,

As in not up to the test…

 

 

Or, as in doing their best

As shown by their high grades

Received from international agencies

The other Government failed?

 

So, it is all well and good

To say “We are doing our best”

But I need to know whose agenda

And who grades the test.

 

 

Is it the IMF

That pushes raising tax

So that whatever gains accrued to us

Must now be put back?

 

Is it certain corporations

And or faithful devotees

That must receive promised rewards

For ably assisting parties?

 

Like the promised fatted calf

That was previously engaged

And if such promises are not kept

Some will likely be enraged?

 

It is likely not you or me

To whom their best relates,

If so, tell me my partisan friend,

Would we be in this state?

 

 

 

They come to us first

When it is campaign time

But after our 30 seconds of power

We are far from their mind.

 

They promise to serve us

Just to get our vote

And thereafter, the fires that burn,

They continue to stoke.

 

In the words of their partisans

We complain too much

And want to treat the Government

As though it is our crutch.

 

“Get up and get,” they crow,

“And stop the complaining.”

Forgetting it’s the last Government

They are still blaming.

 

They complained then

But theirs was constructive

However, the complainers presently,

Are considered destructive.

 

 

The former did their worst

These are doing their best,

It’s really only a matter, you see,

Re who is marking the test.

 

 

 

The best they can they do

And they do the best they can

And they daily testify to the fact,

This is down to every man.

 

Man, here is generic;

I know this doesn’t hold today

But to facilitate rhyme and meter,

I use it in this way.

 

No offense is meant

And I trust none is taken

But if perchance you are offended,

I beg to be forgiven.

 

Stewart Russell © October 4, 2024

 

To Fix a Broken Scale

One day I got to thinking

And my thoughts made me livid,

Yes, I know I said I was thinking

But what I thought seemed so vivid.

In my thoughts, I saw a scale

And on that scale, there were some items,

The items were all to one side

Every single one of them.

As could be expected

The scale was down to that side,

These things were heavy without doubt

So I was not surprised.

My scale was terribly lopsided

But at first, I did not mind

Until I got to thinking…

This was thinking of the spiritual kind.

But then suddenly a single item

Was placed on the opposite side

And would you believe me?

Those things went on an upward ride.

I thought, how could a single item

Outweigh a world of others?

And it seemed so insignificant

To me, that was the bother.

On one side there was wealth

Also fame and popularity,

Add to that, great possessions

And loads and loads of money.

Perhaps the scale wasn’t working

Or I was being deluded,

What a strange phenomenon

Into my thoughts had intruded!

I looked again and there it was

Just as I had seen before,

It had to be illusory,

It certainly was nothing more.

  

All these tangible things I saw

Were to one end of the scale

But when matched to the single one

All these items had failed.

I wondered and I wondered

How could this really be?

What I saw didn’t make any sense

Must be something I didn’t see.

Then in my thoughts, I saw a heart

Well, more like a human soul,

A longing there for something more

After having achieved its goal.

The scale that was really broken

Was inside my very own soul,

I possessed much with more to spare

Yet I was not feeling whole.

I was weighted heavily down

With all the world’s trinkets,

The gold, the wealth and fame

But my broken soul they couldn’t fix.

Further down I could not go,

I had now reached rock bottom,

I looked up the scale to the other end

And that’s when I felt so rotten.

I had fed my soul on worldly husks

And such is never soul food,

I was still starved as starved could be

I had to make a move.

There was one item that I needed

That would far outweigh all these,

It was the wonderful love of God

That would rid me of my disease.

My scale had long stopped working

My priorities were all mixed up

And though I had the world’s goods

Mine was a bitter cup.

I remembered King Solomon’s words

All is vanity and vexation of spirit

Hence, my scale so gravely top heavy

Had issued me with an edit.

Get right! Get right! It said to me

Fix your broken scale,

The values thereon are way off mark

You are doomed to fail.

With the correct item at the other end

All those things were jettisoned,

Love controls my scale and now I know

I have a balanced position.

The balance of payment in this life

Cannot be treated to with wealth,

Only the wonderful love of Jesus

Can turn around our spiritual health

One’s scale is seriously broken

Until God’s love is taken on board,

One only gains the right perspective

By studying the Holy Word.

I am thankful for God’s intervention

My scale is working better,

There’s room for improvement though

But that’s another matter.

Stewart Russell © June 2018