I Am So Confused

 

 

I am so confused

Regarding Barbados politics,

Who is right and who is wrong

Or who is playing poli-tricks?

 

Never have I heard

Ever since I was born,

Two politicians sounding more sincere

Than Mottley and Thorne.

 

You look into their eyes

And there is a depth there

That spells straight-up sincerity,

Never you fear.

 

Seven years ago

A politician came to my house

And I was captivated

By what he espoused.

 

He sounded sincere

In what he said back then

And convinced me not to think BLP,

Just vote for him.

 

I had never voted BLP,

No, not ever before

But the sincerity that he sounded

Made me feel assured.

 

I had stopped voting

But he made me start back

And I placed him and the BLP

At the top of the stack.

 

All thirty seats they received

But I was not afraid

For that sound of sincerity told me

They won’t go astray.

 

 

A landslide election win

Like none ever before

Said to me that I was vindicated

Like the thousands more.

 

And right from the start

That sincerity was confirmed

And as the PM went about her business

More respect was earned.

 

Stuart was obliterated

And seen as the distant past

And during COVID Mia was hailed

As unquestionable class.

 

The DLP had appeared

A bungling novice

Having brought our fair nation

To the precipice.

 

But all his had changed

Virtually over night

As Mia Amor Mottley again ensured

Our privileges and rights.

 

A star was born

Of international proportions

And even Rihanna, National Heroine,

Pledged her devotion.

 

After three and a half years

Another election was called,

And while many were taken by surprise

It was to be appalled.

 

Had she completed

All that she had promised?

No, but that she needed a fresh mandate,

Was at the top of the list.

 

She had only lost one

In the person of a Bishop

And after the twenty-four Election

He too was out of luck.

 

He tried another constituency

Having betrayed the first

And in Barbados, that behaviour,

Is akin to a curse. 

 

Another thirty-love!

Yes, Mia got her mandate

And now three and a half years since,

I am a confused electorate.

 

Note I said electorate

And not illiterate

Though I can argue otherwise,

Given my state.

 

 

For, I am confused,

Having gone through all this

And the less complex life I once knew,

I now miss.

 

So, enter Ralph Thorne

And the great divide,

And many are asking themselves

Whither the DLP pride.

 

I would have thought,

With a foot in the door

They would have fought together

To win a few seats more.

 

Then those sitting MPs

Could choose a leader

And the now beleaguered DLP

Would be much stronger.

 

Instead, they turned their guns

Upon one another

And every single BLP mistake

Automatically smothered.

 

And with that

A faltering BLP still reigns

While the ineffective DLP effort

Abjectly wanes.

 

They scramble for the remains

Under the BLP table

Suggesting they can’t run a country

If as a party they’re not able.

 

 

So, I am confused,

If you see what I mean,

The DLP forming the next government

Is a mere dream.

 

David and Goliath

Battling in St James North

Is like giving me heated up water

And telling me it’s broth.

 

As it was in St George

So will it be in St James:

Donkey can’t win in a horse derby;

Oh, it is such pain.

 

An unmistakable chance

To boost the Opposition

Will no doubt go abegging again

In this by-election.

 

Send a message, I plea,

To the ruling BLP:

We made a terrible mistake twice

When we gave you all thirty.

 

We are taking back one

And we wish they were more

But we beg you please help us to add

To Thorne’s foot in the door.

 

This should be the thinking

Of the electorate

But alas, I am feeling hopeless

Given our partisan state.

 

 

I am confused

And by now you should see,

We are not really thinking Barbados,

We are thinking BLP.

 

Chad’s ministerial position

Can be easily reclaimed

Even if Dujon captures that seat

In the north of St James.

 

Unless of course

He is looked upon differently

If he is defeated by a donkey

In a race horse derby.

 

It’s not Mia versus Ralph:

It’s definitely not!

It’s not the BLP obliterating the DLP:

Neither the lot!

 

It’s bringing balance

To our House of Parliament

Where it is not about BLP and DLP

But of good governance.

 

 

I would be more confused

If the BLP win that seat

For it would signal another thirty-love

Which would be a three-peat.

 

Unless of course,

There is an added constituency

Then thirty-one-nil would result

In favour of the BLP.

 

That would be shattering,

Maybe not for the BLP

But it would add to my confused state

As well as the DLP’s.

 

Stewart Russell © May 10, 2025

 

The People Have Spoken

 

 

 

The people have spoken

It is thirty-love again!

It is not the outcome I wanted

And it causes me pain.

 

It gives me a numb feeling

That I cannot explain

But I know that in 2018

I felt the same.

 

It’s not good for democracy

Though you might not agree

But I do believe in Parliament

An opposition is necessary.

 

 

It is like playing draughts

Without an opponent,

You will win the imaginary contest

In any event.

 

Who will put the other side

When the Parliament meets?

Where will be the cut and thrust

As the MPs speak?

 

“The people’s Parliament!”

I hear your loud report

But that carries a hollow sound

Like you are making sport.

 

And in the Senate

How will that be formed?

Will there be nineteen members

Instead of the twenty-one?

 

 

One man came to the rescue

The first time this happened

And we ended up

With a one-man opposition.

 

There was one in the Lower House

And two in the Upper,

It is likely this time around

To be a different matter.

 

I did not like it the first time

And I do not like it now

But the people have spoken

And to their say I bow.

 

 

The people have spoken,

The results speak loud and clear,

It is thirty-love again

In elections free and fair.

 

Whatever our choice

We must abide by the rules

And in the interest of Barbados

Be building tools.

 

Build up not pull down!

Work not shirk!

In the interest of our fair nation

To the work, to the work!

 

There is much to be done

And hard decisions to make,

Let’s put our hands to the plough

And work for Barbados’ sake.

 

Let us build a Barbados

For our children’s children

With Almighty God as our guide,

The help of our Nation.

 

Stewart Russell © January 20, 2022

 

No Better Off

 

 

No better off

I would say

Ever since 2018

The 24th of May

In an election

Thought to be sweet

One party won

All thirty seats

There was rejoicing

All around

Suddenly bajans

Were heaven bound

As for me

I felt numb

I wasn’t sure

We had won

No opposition

What had we done?

Not good at all

I was stunned

From thirty-love

To twenty-nine one

Single member

Opposition born

One defected

Reasons unknown

Must have been

A contentious bone

Two in the Senate

A little improved

And so the B’s

Began to rule

With promises made

Not a few

The B’s presented

A better view

 

Hitting the ground

Running we say

We began to see

A better day

Sewage cleaned

Off the south coast

We start already

Was the boast

The D’s did little

About this problem

Not so the B’s

All credit to them

A raise was given

First in years

With increased taxes

It disappeared

Increase bus fare

No better service

A garbage tax

Added to the list

To the water bill

Add on garbage

And while you’re at it

Tack on sewage

Some garbage trucks

Were brought in

But garbage still pile up

Around many a bin

No more road tax

Came to pass

Now we pay for it

With the gas

40c per liter

An astronomical leap

Another tax

We must dig deep

  

NSRL removed

Prices still up

My Oh my

What a bitter cup

A reduction

In corporation tax

Still no relief

That is a fact

No better off

I would say

Since 2018

The 24th of May

House painted up

Starvation inside

And things tougher

Can’t be denied

Several other taxes

The list continues

Buying on line

Better not pursue

Besides customs duty

There’s now VAT

On those items

That’s another tax

I bought an item

Ordered through eBay

And the VAT tax

I had to pay

It was like paying

Doubly for the item

I consider that

A grave problem

No more buying

Via eBay or Amazon

Taxes too high

I’m definitely done

So it worked

We must buy local

Prop up this economy

Is the principle

But prices high

The cost of living too

Twelfth in the world

An international view

Little Barbados

It’s really tough here

And given a recent promise

There’s more to fear

Unflattering records

Re murder and crime

No better off

These are hard times

Closure of schools

At frequent times

Increasing sick buildings

On our minds

An oversized Cabinet

With much expertise

Promising much

But little ease

No better off

Is the verdict I’d give

Can’t say otherwise

It’s harder to live

No better off

I would say

Ever since 2018

The 24th of May

The one consolation

I tenaciously hold

Is, it’ll get better

That's what I’m told

Stewart Russell © February 2020