Satellites of None

“Friends of all,

Satellites of none”

Admonished Prime Minister Errol Barrow

When this country he had run.

 

Then, it had the ability

To punch above its weight

But this has been called into question

Only here of late.

 

“Friends of all!”

Nothing’s wrong with this

But we must take care whom we join

And with whom we enlist.

 

One country is up in arms

With the very mighty USA

Presumably because its Government

Has contravened the US way.

 

Refusing to recognize

A particular same sex union

It has brought on itself

A colossal problem.

 

America has shown

It is the World’s big bully

Disrespecting the laws of others

As well as their sovereignty.

 

Well, power is might

And this is nothing new,

Developing states must conform

And pay what is due.

 

This US love affair

Has been going on for a while

Even though it appears to me

It is only for style...

 

To make the US look good

Especially in the Caribbean

But the truth be told,

It is all a dream.

 

 

From the Basin Initiative

With its unstoppable hole

All through the Obama presidency

We saw US deceit unfold.

 

A regular intervenor

In local domestic disputes,

That America assumes the big brother,

One cannot dispute.

 

Like the impudent child

Scowling and red in the face

America is telling someone’s diplomats

To leave its place.

 

No extension of contracts

Thus, when the time expires they must go,

This is big bully’s reaction

To a Caribbean country we know.

 

“Satellites of none!”

The great Errol Barrow declared,

It does not matter their size

We must not bow in fear.

 

Giving up one’s sovereignty

Is like giving up one’s birthright,

The right to self-government

Disappears in the night.

 

For indeed, it is night

When one’s freedom is taken,

Especially a sovereign country

That wilts when threatened.

 

America does not care

And her agenda is not hidden,

To allow her absolute control

Must be strictly forbidden.

 

Oh, wretched people we are

When we simply capitulate,

In this ocean of combative bullies

We become only shark bait.

 

Stewart Russell © July 29, 2023

Too Soon June

 

 

It has sped here with haste-

The year only just begun,

Ushering in the hurricane season

Which is definitely not fun.

 

The call has gone out to all

To be prepared

But many will take their chances

Once more this year.

 

Some will ride out the storms

In highly suspicious housing

While others will comb the streets

Just like Internet browsing.

 

Several have been predicted,

A few of hurricane force

But we wish that none comes true

And this we pray, of course.

 

“God is in ultimate control”

But this does not mean a thing

If rather than prepare for the worst,

We clap our hands and sing.

 

 

Even with regard to prayer

It is far better that we prepare,

“Faith without works is dead”

Could be applied right here.

 

So, do all you can to stand

And having done all, still stand!

Although meant for the Christian soldier,

It’s a good hurricane season plan.

 

Yes, June has come again-

Faster this year than any other

But rather than get technical with me

Note!  Hurricanes are a bother.

 

Treat them as the danger they are

And do not take them lightly,

We have on record in the Caribbean

Places they have left unsightly.

 

We say, October, all over

But Hurricane Tomas still struck,

It is clear he didn’t know this

Hence, we were out of luck.

 

 

That was back in 2010

And a few houses yet to be repaired,

Then 2021 in the midst of COVID-19

Hurricane Elsa appeared.

 

 

This was in July of that year;

The second day to be exact,

We were caught with “our pants down”

When Elsa became a fact.

 

“Too Soon June” is with us

And with it is the hurricane season,

Please remember to be unprepared

Is an inexcusable reason.

 

Stewart Russell June 1, 2023

 

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

 

Surreal

Is it happening to you?

Well, it’s happening to me,

Stay with me a while

And what I mean, you will see.

Life has become a dream

Well, more like a nightmare,

It is likely to get worse

And this is what I fear.

If back in October 2019

Someone had predicted this,

I would have accused that person

Of being a societal risk.

But now it is a reality

Though not a desirable deal,

Whether dream or nightmare,

It is in fact surreal.

Surreal is not a dream

But something that is real,

Just like all we are experiencing;

This is the real deal.

Tell me the number of times

That you have pinched yourself,

Even at times wondering,

Am I in the best of health?

It is indeed surreal

The times we are living in

And we wonder incessantly

What the next day will bring.

It has not been like this

For more than a hundred years

And even on that occasion

It was not a global affair.

  

Back then it was localized

Nothing like the present,

In this, the twenty-first century

Is an unprecedented event.

Scarcely a country is untouched

Neither the little nor great

And in fact, the bigger countries

Appear in a sorrier state.

Take the US of A for example

With what they are going through,

I thought they would lead the way

But they don’t have a clue.

And the UK as well

Their numbers are in the air

And in many cases like the US

Some still don’t seem to care.

The Caribbean is doing well

Compared to the wider world,

Contact tracing is working for us

While in the US it never occurred.

Some considered it a waste of time

But by then maybe it was,

Too many were then infected

And vaccine became the buzz.

There is something strange,

I can’t put my finger on it

But I am going to leave it at surreal

And with that I will quit.

Yea, but this is really surreal

A dream, no, more like a nightmare,

And I tell you, paranoid or not,

Some people are very scared.

Surreal is so real

Not a dream or nightmare but surreal.

Stewart Russell © May 2020

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