Stress

 

 

 

She stressed

 That the stress

 That was stressing her out

 Was stress

 From another stressful situation.

How distressing

That stress was!

 

Stress comes in different ways

Its stressfulness to perform,

It’s emotional and social

Physical and mental,

It’s better to be forewarned.

 

Hence, the reason for this poem

The title of which is stress,

I hope it brings you some relief

And not be an added test.

 

These are modern times, we’re told

And modern is about stress,

Things are happening so very fast

We must always be at our best.

 

 

All jobs are stress we all declare

But yet everybody wants one

If we were bright, we would put it right

And all stressful jobs would be gone.

 

The income is small, we can’t get it work

That in itself is stress,

So to make it more we work overtime

And then we can’t get any rest.

 

One woman is trouble but a man must have two

Then we say that women are stress

Only because as is expected

Our take home pay is less.

 

We buy expensive cars and then cry out

These car payments are stress,

Difficult to maintain, insurance high

And then we feel depressed.

 

“Food prices are up!” is another cause

For yet another kind of stress

But we are eating more food as a result

And becoming more obese at best.

 

 

Christians too are having a time

Though they are too blessed to be stressed,

But to close friends, they complain too

How even the church in a mess.

 

Stress is no respecter of persons:

Of neither the sinner nor saint,

Stress is so indiscriminate these days

That even the stress-free faint.

 

Well, this is the final verse

Another would cause me stress,

And I must admit, I’m not in the mood

So please my friend, let it rest!

 

Stewart Russell © October 2019

 

Fools We All Are

 

 

A promise is comfort to a fool

Especially to them that wait:

I must be one; I am convinced,

I was thinking here of late.

 

My life is full of promises

Therefore I must be a fool

And waiting on each to be fulfilled

I find comfort my trusted tool.

 

In one’s work there is a promise

To work and then get pay

And one works with expectation

Especially as it nears payday.

 

 

Married people are fools

Comforted by conjugal ties

And if you are married like I am

For years on “I do” you’ve relied.

 

Children rely on promises

Certainly they too are fools,

Trusting in what adults promise

Both at home and at school.

 

The electorate or illiterate,

Not sure which of the two I am,

Especially if it’s a priority need

We would dare to trust a man.

 

The eager conman lies in wait

For another trusting fool

And with his assured pleasing facade

Opens up his bag of tools.

 

“I won’t be caught again,” we say

And that is, till the next time,

Up comes another smooth talker

And we do not recognize his kind.

 

Fools we all are, by now you see

We have to trust somebody,

A promise is comfort to a fool

That means both you and me.

 

At work, at school, at play

Promises is a way of life

And every time a promise is broken,

There is likely to be strife.

Some promises are stated

These are the contractual kind,

Often we sign on the dotted line

But not each and every time.

 

Some are just word-of-mouth

“Lend me and I’ll pay you back”

An event or time is stipulated

But concerning both there is lack.

 

Think back in your mind

And note how trusting you are,

An event will surface, I am sure

Such an event cannot be far.

 

A promise made and not kept

Makes that victim a fool,

If a victim’s experience has been yours

Comfort was that conman’s tool.

 

Trust in God and not in man

God is the source of all comfort

But be aware that in everyday life

There are predators of all sorts.

 

Stewart Russell © May 2019

 

A Wonder to Ponder

 

From heaven

To the earth

To a grave

 

From a cradle

To a cross

To a crown

 

The Father’s gift

For

Mankind’s drift

To

Heal sin’s rift

 

Heaven’s glory

Earth’s story

Redemption’s song

 

Spells out the story

Of the One that came

To man’s aid

In the Father’s name

Jesus the Christ

Made the sacrifice

And gave his life

To pay sin’s price

 

Walked among men

Met their needs

Showed them love

Instead of greed

 

Healed the sick

Fed the poor

Befriended the friendless

And so much more

 

Chose a band

Of motley men

Taught responsibility

To each of them

 

 

They wondered

And blundered

And one his chance

He totally squandered

 

Coming again

For his to claim

All who believe

In his holy name

 

Are you numbered

Among the lot?

Are you sure

Of an eternal spot?

 

Confess your sin

Walk close to him

And an eternal home

You shall win

 

Jesus the wonder

You need to ponder

The only hope

For sin’s plunder

Accept him

Today!

No longer

Delay!

 

Satan waits to

Waylay

All that

Stray

 

The world

Is amused

When Jesus

You choose

 

But hell

Awaits them

That continually

Refuse

 

Stewart Russell © December 2017

 

Lies in the Bible

 

 

The Bible is full of lies

And this may be considered true,

But not truly full of lies

Is my considered view.

 

It would be wise to ask

What people mean, though,

By the Bible is full of lies

Whenever they say so.

 

Is it in its history?

Is it in promises unfulfilled?

Is it in its incredible claims?

Tell me if you feel so still.

 

Many a person says this:

The Bible is full of lies,

And often without explanation

They are apt to criticize.

 

In the very first line

I said that this is true,

That there are lies in the Bible

Is more than just my view.

 

As early as in Genesis

The biggest lie was told,

The serpent lied to Mother Eve-

Boy, wasn’t he bold?

 

 

He even implicated God

Saying that God also knew

And Eve was horribly deceived

Into accepting Satan’s view.

 

Abraham twice and Isaac

Lied because of fear,

Stalwarts they certainly were

But lies they also shared.

 

It surely ran in the family

For Sarah also lied,

When denying she had laughed

And unbelief was implied.

 

Jacob did also lie

Being a grandchild of Abraham,

His sons too, to cover their tracks,

Lying was their plan.

 

 

Laban, Jacob’s uncle,

Deceived the love-struck Jacob

Giving him Leah instead of Rachel

Whom Jacob had not loved.

 

Potifar’s wife had lied to him

And Joseph did implicate,

He had given her a resounding no

And she was full of hate.

 

Rahab misled her country men

To protect the Israelite spies,

As a result, her life would be saved;

What a blessing in disguise!

 

Saul had promised David

Merab, his daughter to wed

But recanted on his promised word

And gave her to another instead.

 

Also, the husband and wife

That lied to the apostle of God,

It was through the Holy Spirit

They were exposed as frauds.

 

 

They had lied to Peter

But weeks before Peter had lied,

When he said “I know not the man,”

It was Jesus he had denied.

 

There are lies in the Bible

As shown in the foregoing proof

And the very fact that there are,

Substantiates this truth.

 

Do note that people tell lies

And in the Bible people lied

But the saving truth that's in the Word

Should never be denied.

 

Yes, there is a greater truth:

Jesus is the Word of God,

He’s the Way, the Truth, the Life;

Go spread this truth abroad!

 

Stewart Russell © May 9, 2021

Not As You Thought

 

 

It had flown in earlier

A brightly painted plane,

The landing gear was different

It definitely appeared strange.

 

“How will it land?” I wondered,

After all it had to land

But I guess in such situations

The pilot has a plan.

 

A considerable time after

I saw the plane again,

This time it was flying so low

I thought that this was insane.

 

“It is flying too low,” I shouted,

“It is going to crash!”

So out of the bedroom I went

And up the passage in a flash.

 

It canted on a side

And headed to the ground,

A school was in its way

And that is where it came down.

 

I live quite near the airport

Just outside the flight path,

And when I realized it was dream

I could only laugh.

 

I was sitting by the side door

At my wife’s family home,

It was night I remembered

And I was there alone.

 

 

Suddenly I heard a car

And a lady from it alighted,

When I saw who the person was

I was absolutely delighted.

 

She looked and me and smiled

Amused by my surprise

For surely I had thought

It was someone in disguise.

  

But then I heard another voice

A very familiar chuckle,

“How could it be?” I asked myself,

By now I was really puzzled.

 

  

I knew I couldn’t be dreaming

It was much too real for that,

I was absolutely convinced in mind

That what I saw was fact.

 

However, I guess I must tell you

It was really just a dream

The chuckle I heard was Michael

And my sister-in-law, Pearline.

 

“A night of dreams,” I hear,

“Just dreaming his night away.”

But all this happened, I must say

At the earliest light of day.

 

The chiming clock went crazy

And chimed at a quarter past two

So I got up from the bed

And did what I had to do.

 

I got me a new battery

And installed it in the clock

And then fixed the faulty chimes

That chimed when they should not.

 

Rather than going back to bed

I did what I like doing,

That is, as you may have figured,

I sat and wrote a poem.

 

Not the one I am writing now

That would not make sense,

If that’s what you actually thought

You must be really dense.

 

When I went back to the bed

It was already light

So that the dreams I dreamt

Didn’t happen during the night.

 

With the first one I was happy

That it was only just a dream

But not so with the second one

Involving Michael and Pearline.

 

 

But things are just as they are

And we must live with that,

Some things we cannot change

And a dream is not a fact.

 

Stewart Russell © April 23, 2019

 

Hi Granny

 

 

I am writing this letter slow

Since I know you can’t read fast,

I am here in England; it’s cold

But I am having a blast.

 

I haven’t gone to school yet

Because I don’t know where to find one,

Everything gets lost up here

In that I am not alone.

 

We saw the sun the other day

Up here it’s a UFO,

They had forgotten what it looked like

Since it doesn’t often show.

 

I experienced a little mishap

With the washing machine,

Having thrown in my shirt and pants

That’s the last of them I’ve seen.

 

I put in my shirt

And then I pulled on the chain,

I did the same with my pants

And I never saw them again.

 

Taking a bath is quite challenging

Because it is much too cold

So back to washing my face and hands

Just like in the days of old.

 

I boarded a bus just yesterday

And had to sit at the back,

As soon as I entered the driver said

The back is for the blacks.

 

The front seats apparently

Were all made for the white

And a black doesn’t get to sit in one

Whether it is morning, noon or night.

 

One would have thought that all that stuff

Had gone out with the flood,

Our complexion might be different

But we have the same colour blood.

 

I was watching Jessie Owens

When I was writing this poem,

Once you were born black

That was a crime back then.

 

But one black man by name of Jesse

Stood up against all Germany,

Four gold medals he won

They were dumbfounded at his ability.

 

Ability knows no colour

Ability knows no creed,

Jessie showed the whole world that

When they saw his superior speed.

 

But Granny

How did I get here?

I mean writing about all this,

Let me get back to my experiences

Even though I will shorten the list.

 

Tomorrow I will go out

And look for the school again,

Today I was looking for a black school

But down came the rain.

 

Everyone knows a bajan disappears

As soon as it begins to rain,

A fire we will run to if there is one

But rain for us is like pain.

 

I probably won’t find one

Since there are all painted white,

To find a black school around this place

You would have to search at night.

 

Perhaps I will change my mind

And look for work instead

But right now Granny, I’m feeling tired

And will soon be in my bed.

 

There’re not many whites around

The dwellings where I am,

Something tells me quite clearly

That this is a deliberate plan.

 

Just before I go off to sleep

I must tell you something more,

Please don’t be mad at me, Granny

Granny, please do not be sore.

 

I had meant to send to you

A crisp five-pound note

But when I remembered to put it in

I had already sealed the envelope.

 

I hope you will forgive me, Granny

I will remember the next time,

So until I write to you again

Love from you grandson, Glyne.

 

Stewart Russell © July 2018

 

Revelation, Revolution, Resolution

 

 

Quite close, you may say

And they must be related too,

And you would be right

For, certainly, that is my view.

 

These words jumped out at me

As I thought about salvation

And not long after this,

I began to see their connection.

 

The order you see is important

Just as is stated in this title,

Think about the salvation experience

And you would see how vital.

 

O, they are family, most definitely,

Out of one emerges the other,

But bear in mind each one’s position

Or else, there will be much bother.

 

 

First there must be revelation

And not revelation of any kind,

It must come from the Word of God,

Do not trust the worldly signs.

 

Some detail many ways to God,

Some religions point to their gurus,

But the revelation from God is clear

That Jesus is the only truth.

 

Some testify of reformation

And speak of an outward change,

But this change doesn’t reach inside

The heart must be rearranged.

 

The revelation that is from God

Initiates the real revolution,

It is the heart change that is necessary

From which emerges resolution.

 

A change from within to without

And not from without to within,

This work must be done from inside

For therein lies the root of sin.

  

At the heart of this matter

There is a spiritual rebirth,

Initiated by a heavenly revelation,

It is not of this earth.

 

 

Next, comes the revolution

That is the change from within,

A man must be born again

To take care of the problem of sin.

 

Thirdly, comes the resolution

Determining the way we walk

In adherence to the Holy Spirit

In our conduct, our service, our talk.

 

Together they constantly work

Somewhat in the way of the Trinity

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit

This is our true Christianity.

 

Stewart Russell © July 2019