Intolerant of Intolerance

 

 

Of what are we intolerant

If not intolerance

And thus, re the same charges we level,

We lack repentance.

 

It’s not just a lifestyle

That we want to embrace

But that we also want to evangelize

Others to our own taste.

 

Thus, minority groups

Want amendments to the Law

To permit them full and free practice

Of acts perceived as flawed.

Such acts to be nameless

For the purpose of this poem

Such that my intolerance of intolerance

Don’t become a problem.

 

As if this were not enough

They want a right to theirs

And thus, move that a law be passed

To eradicate your cares.

 

You must accept me

Though I don’t accept you

And this must be in the Constitution

To protect my view.

 

You are therefore guilty

Of what you accuse me

And wanting a law to vindicate you

Is ludicrous insanity.

 

I will tell you what, though,

We already have that,

“Different strokes for different folks”

And this is a daily fact.

 

 

“All are equal under the Law”

Is mostly for common folk

For to see bigwigs brought to justice

Is nothing short of a joke.

 

I am intolerant of you

As you are intolerant of me

But when the Law permits depravity

That will be the death of me.

 

Stewart Russell © August 11, 2024

 

We the People 2

 

“We the people”

Do you understand this

Or is there something

You and I missed?

 

“We the people”

What does it mean?

From the use of this slogan

What can we glean?

 

“We the people”

How many I must ask

And do they all come

From a particular class?

 

“We the people”

Help me out here

For to be very honest

It is not clear.

 

“We the people”

Is this a democracy

Or is it another opportunity

For wannabes?

 

“We the people”

Echoes across the land

As a clarion call of commitment

To a national plan.

 

To the governed

From its Government

“We the people” is a declaration

Of national intent.

 

A pulling together

With a common focus

Re matters of common interest

Over which we fuss.

 

“We the people”

Has become an expression

To get gullible people to buy into

A mere impression.

 

It is often deceptive

And contrary to the truth

In that it is not truly the people

As there is no proof.

 

“We the people”?

No, “they the Government”

Using the “we the people” slogan

With divisive intent.

 

“We the people” says

We are in this together,

It’s an expression of camaraderie

That everyone matters.

 

A simple preamble

To a country’s Constitution

As an indication to the people

Concerning its resolution.

 

Without memoranda

Though not in every case

And regarding public consultation

Not a trace.

 

It is still “we the people”

Though not necessarily so

And some will vigorously contend

It is what the polls show.

 

Memorandum no need

The electorate have spoken,

“We the people” is now enshrined

And stamped by the governed.

 

No need to consult

Let the Government rule,

“We the people” have chosen them

And this is cool.

 

 

 

A ten second action

To decide a five-year term,

Accept “we the people” have spoken

And live, look and learn.

 

Stewart Russell © September 17, 2023

 

Have We or Have We Not?

 

 

Have we a Constitution?

Please, somebody tell me!

I am longing to hear

From someone in authority.

 

A few lawyers have said

That Barbados has none

And this has been reinforced

By a certain gentleman.

 

He is standing his ground

This certain gentleman

And adamantly refuses to adhere

Even to Court summons.

 

 

Tell me, Dear Attorney General,

What have you to say?

You’ve been rather silent,

Is this your way?

 

If anybody could tell me

That body should be you

But for some unspoken reason

We can’t hear from you.

 

The Chief Justice is another

But this would not be proper

Since the AG is in the position

To settle this matter.

 

 

Madam Prime Minister

Are these lawyers right

That we have no Constitution?

Can you shed some light?

 

Or would you rather be silent

And let the AG speak

Regarding this important matter

That has reached a peak?

 

It is business as usual

In the Parliament and Court

But some think it is not legal

And we are making sport.

 

 

That may be for some

But not for the ones “going up”

For once sentenced by a Judge,

They are out of luck.

 

Parliament is meeting

And still passing laws,

Meanwhile, having no Constitution

Constitute a fundamental flaw.

 

Recipe for anarchy!

That’s a country without law

And if it were so with Barbados

This would be the last straw.

 

So, there must be something

That sustains law and order,

Please, someone in authority,

Tell me I need not bother.

 

 

This terribly loud silence

Is frightening me

And I cannot hear from anybody

In authority.

 

I am checking the tabloids,

The radio and television news

And all day long only hearing

Other people's views.

 

I went with my fastness

And wrote on July 29,

That we still had a Constitution,

Is what I opined.

 

I said I was not a lawyer

By any stretch of the imagination

But like a late PM I was adamant

We had a Constitution.

 

So, Madam Prime Minister,

Or smiling Attorney General,

What is the status of law and order?

Please tell the people.

 

Stewart Russell © August 8, 2023

Republic by Name?

 

Into the month of November

How swiftly time has sped!

Since this year began

Many are now dead.

 

Taken out by the pandemic

Still as mysterious as ever,

Many loved ones you’d recall

Were from their families severed.

 

Up in the month of January

Just three and one-half years in

Another election was called:

Another thirty-love win.

 

On January 19, 2022

Barbadians went to the polls

And for the second successive time

Delivered a debilitating blow.

 

 

No opposition in Parliament,

The Senate incomplete

And the humbled DLP losers

Refusing two offered seats.

 

Ten months thereafter

Still no Republic constitution

And many will confess in all honesty

There has been much confusion.

 

After attempts at tinkering

Some objectives had to be scrapped,

Two pertaining to the Senate

Had to be taken back.

 

It was a clear case, I believe,

Of the cart before the horse

And the only way that works well

Is when the cart’s in reverse.

 

On November 30, 1966,

Barrow did his bit

And there was a new constitution

To charter the Nation’s trip.

 

Back then it was clear to all

The horse was pulling the cart

For with the guiding constitution in place

We were running from the start.

 

On November 30, 2021,

It seemed we hadn’t learned a lot,

The decision to first become a Republic

Turned out to be hurried rot.

 

For, into the month of November

And almost a year thereafter,

Barbados is till adrift at sea

Without its Republic Charter.

 

A fool will be a fool

Most of the time

But brilliant people, I dare say,

Sometimes lose their mind.

 

 

Like the cart pulling the horse!

Obviously, it’s in reverse

And the horse will never understand

No matter how much it’s rehearsed.

 

Many missteps were made

From the very beginning

And many should have spoken up

But clearly, they were not willing.

 

That “Haste brings waste”

Is a lesson we are slow to learn,

At first it appears to work but after,

The wheels can scarcely be turned.

 

And so, it is with this Republic,

Still without its guiding Charter,

Almost a year has passed since birth

And the old is still its Master.

 

So, in effect,

An Independent country we are

And, until our Republic Constitution,

That Republic is still afar.

 

  

 

The title deeds are yet to be had

Though we boast we are our own,

But until that constitution be formed

Another is on our throne.

 

Hopefully by next year this time,

All this will be left behind

And a God-inspired Charter

Will occupy the Barbadian mind.

 

And the second line will remain

With God as the people’s Guide

And we can go forward with expectancy

Knowing we are on His side.

 

Stewart Russell © November 1, 2022

 

Pretty Disturbed

 

 

Looking for answers

To my many questions:

Questions mounting

But no satisfaction.

 

Problem after problem

Knocking previous out of mind,

Before the prior can be solved

The next comes on line.

 

Little or no help

Well, no more than talk

And even at the explanations

I can no more than balk.

 

A whole lot of pretense

And much mockery

And I am getting the impression

It is aimed at me.

 

Leaders not leading

Both in parliament and church

And mostly the vulnerable

Being left in the lurch.

 

The killing has died down

Hope I’m not speaking too fast

For the last time I thought so

Another came to pass.

 

Promises by many

But few are being fulfilled

And what they are to correct

Are with us still.

 

In fact, getting even worse

Day in and day out,

Obvious to all them

That dare to drive about.

 

Can’t drive on the left of the road

Only on what’s left of the road

And when I saw this today

I thought, that’s quite a load.

 

And it is getting heavier

Almost too heavy to bear

And those who made the promises

Don’t appear to care.

 

Using talk as a cure for all

With a promise to do better

But with no timeline in view

And things getting blacker.

 

“Oh, we’ll put thing in place

So it doesn’t happen again!”

That’s the nature of the apology

To stop the ongoing pain.

 

“Oh, we do understand

Just what you are going through!”

But to tell you the truth

They don’t have a clue.

 

They are on a different page

From the one we are on

And they will be set for life:

Almost every one!

 

 

An election was called

After three-and-one half years

Gratuity and pension guaranteed

Tell me, who cares?

 

No guard to guard the guards

Just like in the past

And integrity legislation

Still to be passed.

 

Officials having oversight

Guilty of oversight

But maybe chose to overlook

Figuring this was right.

 

A new Identification Card

Was finally rolled out

But given its cost and challenges

We are still left in doubt.

 

A Call-in Programme

That has become a soapbox

And a moderator issuing an ultimatum

For a caller to be stopped.

 

“Another caller please!”

Does this sound familiar?

Mr. Producer, if you are reading this,

Don’t call me a liar.

 

School meals frequently late

And nothing much is said,

Ordinarily for such,

The riot act would be read.

 

 

Breaches of the law

But this is no problem,

Compared to the last Government

This is really nothing.

 

Months now as a Republic

But still awaiting a constitution

And international connections

Smacking of prostitution.

 

On this I will say no more

But you should understand,

That is, of course,

If you are not ultra-partisan.

 

The church is deafeningly silent;

Maybe, they are partisan too

But I thought they would speak out,

Maybe you did too.

 

Who is on the Lord’s side

Appears to be either “B” or “D”,

Thus, dividing the church

And this should not be.

 

Morality is on the decline

And I dare say, rapidly so,

And when there is not much sand

Even an ostrich knows.

  

We have become a Republic

But with a welfarism bent,

Of course, this was because of COVID

That such money was spent.

 

Impoverish and empower

Not much difference, is there?

Surely in the minds of some persons

That is how they appear.

 

A fish every single day

And but little else

Is better than catching no fish

And prospective wealth.

 

A struggling middle class

Relegated to the lower,

And a booming upper class

That climbs even higher.

 

A certain utility-company

Granted an interim raise

With the raise debate in session

And its patrons in a daze.

 

“But they only received half,

That is, of what they requested.”

And I feel, not only violated

But also molested.

 

 

Food prices to be brought down

But yet they went up

And a cap on petrol taxes

Did not amount up to much.

 

We are among the top countries

And here is the proof:

Gas prices and the cost of living

Has gone through the roof.

 

A travelling Prime Minister

That is welcomed everywhere,

Internationally she is seen

As the P.M. that cares.

 

Mia Amor Mottley

Or Auntie Mia to some,

Who is another P.M. like her?

I tell you, there is none.

 

Look, let’s play it as we go

Surely appears to be the plan

And I dare say if it were the Internet

This would be spam.

 

An affiliation with the IMF

And with personnel once ridiculed

But let it be known I wised up;

I’m no longer a fool.

 

The many initiatives

That were started and stop,

The transient bandwagons

Upon which so many hopped.

 

The widespread disillusionment

That came as a result

But yet they follow blindly

As though following a cult.

 

A tinkering with this

And a tinkering with that

Promises to be the Constitution:

Sounds like a trap.

 

All kinds of reform

To make us less informed

And no doubt at the end of the day

This will be the norm.

 

I started out pretty disturbed

But now I am more than this,

Actually, I am very disturbed

Give this lengthy list.

 

Ah, a dismal picture,

I hear you say

But unless we wise up

It will be a darker day.

 

Stewart Russell © October 14, 2022

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