The highest court in Arizona,
Stuck in 1864,
Just dug up an abortion ruling
Written during the Civil War.

Amazingly, the seven judges
Must have found a time machine,
And no, this is not a film
We're watching on the giant screen.

The law banning nearly all
Abortions was a barricade
To women's right to choose until
It was blocked by Roe v. Wade.

Reflecting the times, the law exposes
Feelings that were deeply rooted.
Physicians who assisted women
Could easily be prosecuted.

Hmmm. I wonder where the court's
Time machine will take them next.
Will they soon unearth another
Old, antiquated text?

Republicans who might agree
With what the court is doing, now
Are scaling back their rhetoric
In hopes that they'll squeak through somehow.

All who champion women's rights
Should honestly be mortified.
Choosing to favor the court's decision
Should be political suicide.

Fortunately, a lot of folks
Who've heard the news are having fits.
Take out your sledgehammers
And smash that time machine to bits!

-by Bob B (4-11-24)

People often say what they wish,
And when they do, it's always nice
When speakers of English express themselves
In language that is clear and precise.

Presently, if you're somewhere else,
And I would rather have you near,
And if I were speaking with you on the phone,
I'd say, "I really wish you were here."

If, however, I speak of the past,
And my disappointment I wish to convey
Because you couldn't be where I was,
"I wish you had been there" is what I would say.

For "wish" situations, if present, think past:
"I wish I knew the method right now."
Here I am saying that if I were able
To demonstrate something, I'd show you how.

For past situations, think past perfect:
"I wish I had known the secret back then."
Whatever the secret was, this means
That I didn't know it way back when.

"I wish she were able to join us today."
"We wish we had a million bucks."
"I wish you had been at the game with us."
"He wishes he hadn't said, 'That *****!'"

When "wish" expressions are used with care
And modeled for others to hear and read,
We say exactly what we mean,
And that is marvelous indeed!

-by Bob B (6-11-24)

An odd prayer to say at bedtime--
Especially for the children's sake--
Is one that has them saying each night
"If I should die before I wake."

“Die before I wake”? Oh, no!
That is not a comforting thought—
That all my efforts to live and breathe
This very night could come to naught?

So when the kiddies say the prayer
"Now I lay me down to sleep…,"
Just imagine all the thoughts
That into little heads might creep:

Thoughts rekindling many fears--
Of ghouls ******* out their breath,
Of monsters crawling out of the closet,
Of countless things that might cause death.

And after that, while the children's
Imaginations are on a roll,
They think that from a distant place
A "lord" is going to take their soul.

How can that be comforting?
Wouldn't something life-affirming
Be much more appropriate
And not have little bed goers squirming?

Something giving them joy and hope,
Something that will help them thrive
And learn to appreciate the world
And thus feel lucky to be alive?

Are little ones still saying that prayer?
Are there parents who still demand it?
I guess that one would have to be
A praying sort to understand it.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I hope I won't be counting sheep.
Let's ALL have pleasant dreams instead,
And wake up glad that we aren't dead.

-by Bob B (12-31-24)

Halloween is approaching, and so
You'd better watch out for spooks.
Watch out for zombies and vampires and witches.
Most of all watch out for kooks.

Ghosts are out there hoping to scare you
And trying to put on the squeeze
For you to think that the COVID vaccine
Is worse than the disease.

They haunt the halls of Congress and make
Appearances anywhere,
Looking for innocent victims to
Intimidate or scare.

They don't mind Halloween masks
That might look gruesome or gory.
But wearing masks to save human lives?
That is a different story!

Once a zombie bites you, you
Join the walking dead,
Which shows how easy it is for mistrust
And ignorance to spread.

Vampires want to feast on the blood
Of truth that runs through your veins,
After that, your appetite
For blood is all that remains.

Witches know how to concoct a potion
To make you want to distrust
Our institutions, many of which
They want to see bite the dust.

Kooks are scary, for sometimes they
Are harder to recognize,
But once they open their mouths to speak,
You can hear their lies.

Though Halloween is a scary time,
Frankly, we have to fear
All of these kooks and zombies and such
Every day of the year.

-by Bob B (10-9-21)

It's hard to believe it, but now it's official.
I've reached an important milestone today:
I am now a septuagenarian.
I can't help saying, "Hip hip hooray!"

It's not that being this old is so great,
But what I mean--and that's no jive--
Is how it beats the alternative.
Although I'm older, I'm still alive!

Alive and well; so far, so good.
I'm not ready to take my last bow,
Kick the bucket, or give up the ghost.
What is important? To live in the now.

Many friends and relatives didn't
Make it this far, which is sad.
Our times together make up some of
The fondest memories that I've had.

Life with all its exigencies
Can at times be overly demanding.
But knowing that life is impermanent
Is vital to our understanding.

Our bodies are like a river or stream--
Constantly flowing, constantly changing.
And, yes, when we advance in years,
We often need some rearranging.

Sixty was nice, but frankly the word
"Seventy" gently rolls off the tongue.
There are languages still to be learned,
Books to be read, songs to be sung.

I've been lucky all these years.
No, I really can't complain.
I'm ready to make a toast to life,
So pop the cork and pour the champagne!

-by Bob B (8-15-49)

Trump has no idea as to
How to debate. That's NO surprise.
He merely bombards his opponent with
A litany of foolish lies.

Lie after lie shoots out of his mouth.
How does he do it with no chagrin?
Attempts to address his many untruths
Has one wondering where to begin.

January 6? He lied.
Immigration? He lied again.
Roe v Wade? Another lie.
Do your job, CNN.

For moderators of Trump's debates,
I'd like to offer a little suggestion:
Stop him when he rambles on
And say, "Mr. Trump, answer the question!"

Getting him to make any sense
Was difficult, to say the least.
His fans who eat up his lies with gusto
Were offered that night a real feast.

He blamed the failure to call the National
Guard on Nancy Pelosi! How rude!
How dare he cast the blame on her
For his own ineptitude!

That Democrats think women's choice
Should be determined by each state?
The truth for Trump is meaningless--
Only something to desecrate.

It's really hard to imagine how
American voters would desire
To have a president in office
Who's such a pathological liar.

-by Bob B (7-1-24)

"Where be these enemies?"
Asks the Prince. Can he defuse
The bitter, violent feud between
The Capulets and the Montagues?

How sad it is when we observe
How human hatred seems here to stay,
And years and years of antidotes
Of love aren't able to wash it away!

And when we see the tactics used
By some to make America great,
We see the consequences of
The "scourge that's laid upon [our] hate."

The cruel dehumanization of people
Does not bring the people together.
It merely unites a certain group,
Or angry mob--birds of a feather.

The misrepresentation of facts--
Of pulling the wool over people's eyes--
Only perpetuates all the hatred
With a cacophony of lies.

By seeking enemies constantly
In other people, we tend to forget
That "all are punished" because there is
A deeper, darker, more dangerous threat.

"Where be these enemies?"
That's the question we have to pose.
And so it's hatred within our hearts?
There, you've hit it on the nose!

-by Bob B (10-11-24)

DJT:
Oh, look and you'll see that the Chosen One's me.
I just know I'll prevail 'cause my base does what I say.
Regulations must go, and my critics will see
That my tax returns will never see the light of day.
And I'll protect the rights that I've kept in my sights:
Breaks for the wealthy and more favors for whites.
I'll defy any who criticize my ways,
For I crave people's respect, and I want tons of praise.

Oh, look at me now and at all that I've done.
All the fake news won't say just how popular I've been.
Oh, worldwide I'm loved; they say I'm number one.
What's the problem if I make a few bucks now and then?
The emoluments clause is one of those laws,
That only restricts and is loaded with flaws.
I'll defy any who criticize my ways,
For I crave people's respect, and I want tons of praise.

You can call me a star; better yet, if you please,
You can call me your king, but the Second Coming's fine.
Just the thought gives me bliss, makes me weak at the knees.
I will do what I want; I think power's so divine.
So to boost my campaign, no way will I refrain
From making some calls to get help from Ukraine.
I'll defy any who criticize my ways,
For I crave people's respect, and I want tons of praise.

I might lie, cheat, and steal if they are a must.
My power's not up for grabs, and to keep it I must fight.
I will strive to defend all the rich upper crust.
I will sabotage all congressional oversight.
I'll create so much fear and I'll be so severe
That immigrants won't even dare to come here.
I'll defy any who criticize my ways,
For I crave people's respect, and I want tons of praise.

-by Bob B (9-24-19)

Our terms often overlap
And merge in different ways.
Attempts to see connections have us
Wandering through a maze.

Often we walk the path together;
At times we walk apart.
Does the heart shape truth, or does
Truth direct the heart?

Names are arbitrary, and our
Interpretations vary.
It's when they clash that circumstances
Move from sound to scary.

Sometimes we will go off course
Or stumble as we go.
As long as we can learn from our
Mistakes then we can grow.

Our path through life should constantly
Encourage us to seek
Answers that will penetrate
The depth of life's mystique.

Once the answer's clear to us,
We've reached a higher level.
Enlightenment then equates to God
And ignorance to the Devil.

-by Bob B (7-25-22)

When an election affects you directly,
And human rights are clearly at stake,
You have a very good reason to worry:
The situation is make or break.

When voters' decisions are swayed by untruths
Prejudice, or even the curse
Of hard-to-swallow religious dogma,
Such decisions are truly perverse.

When people look at their ballots and say
"THAT issue doesn't affect me at all,"
They do not care that other people
Might be up against a wall.

When people feel complacent and comfy
In their own lives and do not try
To see the bigger picture, they often
Ignore an issue and turn a blind eye.

However, when voters think about others
And say, "This ISN'T just about me,"
Then their choices truly affect
The greater good of humanity.

-by Bob B (10-12-24)

A hurricane approaches--
One of the biggest we've seen--
And where's the president?
On the putting green.

Millions are preparing
For the storm to hit,
Still not knowing
What to make of it,

While the president
Spends his Labor Day
Hitting some ***** around,
Which, needless to say,

Is his typical manner
Of showing his great concern.
(Just to hear him speak
Makes one's stomach turn.

Here's a man who said
On the campaign trail
He wouldn't have time to golf.
Talk about a tale!)

Think back two years
To Hurricane Maria.
Trump thought he had
The perfect panacea:

Once in Puerto Rico,
Facing a weary crowd,
He tossed them paper towels.
Ah, he felt so proud!

His mindless hypocrisy
Is a tour de force.
I guess each faux pas
Is par for the course.

-by Bob B (9-2-19)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Strangers in the Night," by Bert Kaempfert, Charles Singleton, and Eddie Snyder)

COVID'S in the air.
It's so distressing.
Though we know it's there,
It keeps us guessing.
Keep avoiding crowds.
That's what is best to do.

Don't let down your guard.
Just keep on trying.
It is not that hard.
(And it beats dying.)
We must do our part;
The country counts on you.

We know droplets fall
When we talk and yell--
Especially aerosol--
When we laugh as well.
We have learned so much.
Safety is--as many say--
A scarf or simple mask away.

And since it's in the air
When we are talking,
And maybe lingers there
When we are walking,
We must all beware,
For COVID's in the air.

Safety is--as many say--
A scarf or simple mask away.

Since it's in the air
When we are talking,
And maybe lingers there
When we are walking,
We must all beware,
For COVID's in the air.

-by Bob B (7-12-20)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along," by Harry Woods)

Oh, as the bug we're dreading keeps
Spread…spread…spreading around…around,
We should keep on trying to
Stop supplying a breeding ground.
Just get…just get…
Just get your shot.
A big…a big…
Big risk it's not.
Here's some…here's some…
Some food for thought:
You'll…be…better protected.

Now it's Omicron;
When will it be gone?
No one knows.
New mutations will
Cause frustrations, and
So it goes.
Let’s do our best to stay
Healthy, and so I say,
Be safe and sound,
As the bug we're dreading keeps
Spread…spread…spreading around.

-by Bob B (1-26-22)

Shhh! The Trump administration
Doesn't want you to know
One reason why Donald Trump's
Approval ratings are low.

What they're doing is very much
A gaslighting technique.
Their talk on tariffs truly is
Political doublespeak.

The tariff war that Trump has started
Will NOT raise prices, they say.
Do they realize that we
Were NOT born yesterday?

Prices indeed are rising and workers'
Jobs are at risk. What's more,
Small businesses are hurting
As costs are starting to soar.

Tourism is slowing down.
Bankruptcies will occur.
Instead of helping businesses, Trump's
A business saboteur.

The tariffs are hitting farmers hard;
They don't know how to plan.
It's easy for them to identify
The real bogeyman.

If countries want a tariff war,
Trump says we'll defeat them.
Regarding the tariffs, he keeps saying
That China is going to eat them.

Whoever thinks that's going to happen
Hasn't been paying attention.
That CEOs are caving in
Is also worthy of mention.

But shhh! Don't talk of rising prices,
Or Trump will be irate.
If you upset the king, he will
Want your head on a plate.

-by Bob B (4-30-25)

Trump is out to destroy our country
While the Republicans stand by and gawk.
Jobs and programs to keep us running
Smoothly have been on the chopping block.

When he rambles on he says
The craziest things we've ever heard:
Annexing Greenland, Canada,
And Panama! That's absurd!

He is making enemies
Of all our allies and friends from the past.
Our reputation's been shot to hell.
The nation's prosperity cannot last.

Folks on Wall Street are going crazy
About the tariffs that make no sense.
When other countries push back, the great
Retaliator takes offense.

His spokespeople, Cabinet members,
And friends in Congress give their support
By lying to the rest of us.
Even his lawyers lie in court!

Our lives are even more in danger
From careless decisions and deadly diseases.
The Trump administration, however,
Doesn't care. It does what it pleases.

Any talk of reason with him
Leaves the maniac none the wiser.
It seems as though his buddy Putin
Is his dearest and closest adviser.

He's the most vindictive person
I've ever seen! No one can top him.
Congress, are you listening?
Somebody's going to have to stop him!

-by Bob B (3-14-25)

Watch out, childless cat ladies!
This is as crazy as it gets:
JD Vance says migrants who
Shouldn't be here are eating our pets.

Republicans continue to push
A giant disinformation campaign--
One that makes conscientious
People ask: "ARE THEY INSANE?"

Throwing spaghetti at the wall,
They say, "Whatever sticks will do"
And hope that with their tactics they
Can stir up fear in me and you.

If there's a way that they can create
A fear of immigrants, they will try it.
It's the old scapegoat idea
That they are pushing. They hope you'll buy it.

And many of these Republicans
Have taken their giant erasers out
In order to erase our past,
Cause confusion, and bring up doubt.

To rewrite history is their goal.
They want to ignore our racist past.
Historians are wrong, they say.
The truth is out, at long last.

Russian asset Tucker Carlson,
Embracing Holocaust deniers,
Is touring the country with JD Vance,
Spreading poison and looking for buyers.

They insists that the Holocaust
Was principally a Jewish hoax,
Created with the intention to
Defame white Christian folks!

Voters have to realize
How dangerous these nuts can be
And how with power in their hands
They're a threat to democracy.

-by Bob B (9-10-24)

Oh, how sad! Too many voters
Refused to listen to the warning.
Because of that, this day this year
Should be a national day of mourning.

We mourn the loss of what we know
Has truly made our country great,
For now we have a person in charge
Who wrote the playbook on how to hate.

A whiny child who cannot handle
Criticism. THAT is he.
If you want to work for him,
You MUST declare your loyalty.

He's no less vicious, no less selfish,
No less shameless, no less crass.
He loves how Zuckerberg, Bezos, Musk,
And others line up to kiss his ***.

He says he stands for unity.
Do people really think he has changed?
His speech and actions show that he
Is no less divisive, no less deranged.

Watch as Trumplicans fall in line
And cave in to his ruthless threats
As he lays out his disastrous agenda,
Vindictive and vengeful, with no regrets.

Amazingly, there are voters
Who think the man was heaven sent!
A pathological liar and felon
Should not be our president!

And so we grieve for America.
What will it take to ease our fears?
What will it take for hope to return?
How will we get through these next four years?

-by Bob B (1-20-25)

D.T.:
I'm sure by now you recognize
My wonderful expertise
Of stirring up my base by trying
To put their minds at ease.
If an issue threatens to cause
Danger or distress,
I'll just lie to my fans in order
To gain their faithfulness.

Oh, how I love my rallies
And how they make me feel!
Everyone wants to see me because
I've got crowd appeal.
COVID-19 won't stop my fans;
I defy it to try.
I can win in November even
If some of them have to die.

I deal with serious problems by using
A very special technique:
Ignore them and they will go away,
And DON'T appear to be weak.
If I wore a mask, well,
Then I'd have to admit
That there's a serious problem, and then
The market would take a hit.

Oh, how I love my rallies
And how they make me feel!
Everyone wants to see me because
I've got crowd appeal.
COVID-19 won't stop my fans;
I defy it to try.
I can win in November even
If some of them have to die.

Kim Jong Un gets hundreds of thousands
To praise him in the square.
Maybe they don't have a choice,
But, frankly, I don't care.
When the crowd before me cheers,
It fills my heart with glee.
They see me as their savior, and that
Is ALL that matters to me.

Oh, how I love my rallies
And how they make me feel!
Everyone wants to see me because
I've got crowd appeal.
COVID-19 won't stop my fans;
I defy it to try.
I can win in November even
If some of them have to die.

-by Bob B (6-26-20)

The president stood before the mic
And told the public not to fear--
That things were not so bad--but didn't
Say that he was insincere.

He let them think that oh, we have
COVID-19 under control,
As he tried to convince the public
To follow him down the rabbit hole.

He found a doctor who was not
An epidemiologist
To spread his propaganda, and he
Allowed the experts to be dismissed.

He thoughtlessly invited his fans
To rallies where masks were not required
And thought his obstinacy and his
Insouciance made him highly admired.

He scorned those who wore their masks
And knew the virus was a threat,
And when journalists pressed him about
The issue, he'd become upset.

Thinking he knew so much more
Than all of the experts, he made sure
That CDC recommendations
Would soften and remain obscure.

All of a sudden, what do we learn?
The president is hospitalized
For having contracted COVID-19.
Is anybody at all surprised?

The lesson here: denial does not
Make problems disappear on their own.
Always consider consequences,
For we will reap what we have sown.

Negligence as a strategy
Slowly but surely gives danger a boost
When our actions catch up with us--
When the chickens come home to roost.

-by Bob B (10-4-20)

It's sad when people lie about you
And say that you said what you hadn’t said.
One would think that they should have
Better things to do instead.

What is it that makes them so?
Do they really believe their lies?
Or is the truth beyond their reach--
A thing they don't even recognize?

Do they feel so desolate?
Are they so insecure within?
Are their lives so out of sorts--
An imbalance of yang and yin?

It doesn't make me angry. Not really,
When they are so mendacious…disjointed.
If I feel hurt at all,
It's mainly because I'm disappointed--

Disappointed that they don't see
How their actions reflect on them
And NOT on the people whom they choose
To lie about, malign, or condemn.

And so I wonder if they'll ever
See the error of their ways
And maybe be able to turn their unkind
Comments from calumny to praise.

-by Bob B (3-26-24)

If I were the president,
Would it really be okay
To go after my opponents
By weaponizing the DOJ?

If I said that I'd shut down
Papers or networks reporting news
That made me feel uncomfortable
Because they criticized my views;

Or that I'd want to terminate
Parts of the U.S. Constitution;
Or that certain peoples are
Animals, or gene pollution;

Or that I'd use the military
Against American citizens here;
Wouldn't you agree that my
Ideas would be cruelly severe?

What if I said that there would be
A bloodbath after the fall elections;
That my political enemies
Would be locked up per my directions;

That I would want to execute
Former joint chiefs of staff
(Of course, I'd let appointed henchmen
Do it all on my behalf);

Or that I wished my generals
Would be much more like ******'s? Say what?
Then wouldn't you find my message
To be alarmingly clear-cut?

I'd be called a fascist--yes,
If all of the above were true.
And since Trump has promised it all,
He would have to be one, too.

When people say he doesn't sound
At all like a fascist, I'm thunderstruck.
If something walks and flies and quacks
And looks like a duck, it's a duck!

-by Bob B (10-24-24)

COVID-19 is here! We have to
Do what we can to slow its spread.
Failure to act appropriately
Will mean scarier times ahead.

Experts say the mortality rate
Of the flu is zero point one percent;
COVID-19 is ten times worse.
Someone, PLEASE tell the president!

It's also NOT something that we
Control through travel bans,° they say.
Testing is crucial. South Korea
Tests 10,000 people a day!

Have bureaucratic snags prevented
Testing here? If testing is key
To help suppress the spread of the virus,
And others can do it, why can't we?

Identify and isolate.
We need more tests and on the double.
If health systems are overburdened,
We will be in a heap of trouble.

Yes, we have to "flatten the curve"
And practice precautions to the letter.
Still, the situation is going to
Get much worse before it gets better.

One thing we've learned: Trump and his cronies
Had stifled many efforts to contain
The spread of the virus by carrying on
Their reckless disinformation campaign.

Clear, honest messaging
And not a suspicious, distrustful inaction
Is what we need; otherwise,
You're going to dislike the coming attraction.

-by Bob B (3-12-20)

°At first experts disagreed as to the effectiveness of travel bans--especially arbitrary travel bans.

It's funny how the followers
Of one religion often find
The myths of their religion as real
And true and easy to get behind,

While the myths of other religions
To them are merely stories, fiction,
Implausible beliefs, and they
Express their feelings with great conviction.

Oftentimes the god or gods
Of someone else's religion become
Devils or evil forces to certain
Believers. A case of zero sum.

It's also odd how many believers
Profess that their beliefs are strong--
That followers of other religions
Are in the dark, deluded, wrong.

In other words, they insist
That their religious point of view
Tops all others, as though they're saying,
"What's good for ME is good for YOU."

I resent it when anyone
Tries to make it his or her goal
To tell me what I should believe
And then attempts to "save my soul."

I also resent it when legislators
Use the pulpit to make our laws
And very conveniently ignore
The fact that such a process has flaws.

"Be a light unto yourself."
Beware of any religion that smothers
The truth, deceitfully pressuring us
To blindly follow the path of others.

-by Bob B (2-20-24)

Shame on the Republicans--
Those who want to abandon Ukraine.
Shame on those who cater to
A Russian leader who's inhumane.

Shame on them for being swayed
By Putin's propaganda, for he
Has shown contempt for anyone
Who threatens his authority.

Shame on them for holding up
The passing of bills to offer assistance
To the Ukrainian cause as the people
Fight to defend their very existence.

Instead of siding with Putin, those
Republicans should open their eyes
And see how dangerous it is
For them to fall for all of his lies.

Instead of sitting on their hands,
They should see where inaction leads.
They will help secure the West
By giving Ukraine the help it needs.

With the assistance of NATO, Ukraine
Has vowed to fight to the bitter end.
Republicans in Congress should know
That Vladimir Putin is NOT our friend.

-by Bob B (4-10-24)

Vandalizing people’s Teslas
Is wrong, terribly wrong,
Even though Musk sticks his nose
Where it doesn’t belong.

Instead, protest at dealerships
With messages loud and clear:
We are sick of Musk's involvement,
And we will persevere.

Trump has given him carte blanche
To ravage our country. We need
To stop these onslaughts on agencies
Because of far-right greed.

DOGE--Department of Greed and Evil--
Has gained access to
Personal records. Think of all
The damage it could do!

The little DOGE whippersnappers
Are also going after
Non-federal agencies!
This is no cause for laughter!

All the damage that they are doing
Is going to be hard to fix.
While people suffer, the president
And Musk are getting their kicks.

Find a protest nearest you.
Let your voice be heard.
Fight to save democracy,
And meanwhile spread the word.

-by Bob B (4-1-25)

Trump and his First Lady Musk
Are rapidly destroying this nation
While Republicans suffer from
A case of political constipation.

They sit in Congress and watch as Trump
Guts our agencies--one by one.
How much more irreparable
And careless damage is going to be done?

People's lives matter! Really!
But Trump and Elon Musk don't care.
You only matter to them if you
Happen to be a billionaire.

Our allies are being disregarded
And adversaries are being praised.
And still Republicans sit on their butts,
Useless, feckless, fickle, unfazed.

And Trump and Musk are spewing lies.
One would have to be a fool
Not to see how both of them
Favor autocratic rule.

Look at the deals they are making.
It's obvious what they are doing.
They just care about lining their pockets
And couldn't care less whom they are *******.

Spineless, gutless members of Congress,
Do your job. Let them know
That you stand for democracy.
Tell the tyrants where to go!

-by Bob B (2-20-25)

THIS poem is not about Trump.
It's not about his rise and fall.
It’s not about his constant lying.
It’s not about his fantasy wall.

It’s not about understanding
The reasons people still support him.
It’s not about the unscrupulous
Members of Congress who still court him.

It’s not about his insidious
Attempts to challenge a fair election.
It’s not about the insecure
Manner in which he handles rejection.

It’s not about his passion for
Conspiracy theories and made-up "facts."
It’s not about the far-right extremists
And crazy fringe groups he attracts.

It’s not about how he took
A great nation and in four years
Tore it apart and left it in shambles
And then whined, expecting cheers.

It’s not about his overwhelming
Hypocrisy and how he became--
Because of his moral bankruptcy--
Someone who sullied his very own name.

It’s not about his nepotism,
Corruption, cover-ups, or affairs,
Or how he cares LESS about us
And MORE about his stock market shares.

It’s not about how he mishandled
A deadly pandemic--par for the course--
By listening to quacks and ignoring the experts,
And as people died, he showed no remorse.

What the poem's about is when
Conspiracy theories lose their appeal,
Then and only at that time
Will the nation be able to heal.

-by Bob B (11-18-20)

History will tell the story
Of how the U.S. abandoned Ukraine--
Of how an American dictator rose
To power and left it out in the rain--

Of how he sidled up to the leader
Of Russia, and how his admin team
Carried out their Führer's plans
By fully supporting the tyrant's regime--

Of how the American dictator lied
And called Ukraine the true aggressor,
In total opposition to his
Wise and compassionate predecessor--

Of how the European nations
Continued to give Ukraine support
While the American bully's team
Continued to look for truths to distort--

Of how the American tyrant discounted
The pain that the Russians had inflicted
Upon the Ukrainian people, who
Held out longer than folks had predicted--

Of how the bully would help Ukraine
ONLY if there was quid pro quo,
For as a transactional tyrant, he didn't
Like it at all if someone said no--

Of how the dictator's sycophants
Maintained that democracy had failed,
Scoffed at the rule of law, and cheered
When liberties were being curtailed.

What will history say of the people
Who flatly refused the tyrant's demands--
Resisters on American shores
And caring leaders from other lands?

Maybe if all goes well, the cruel
And vicious tyrant will choke on his glory,
And leaders of democracy
Can change the outcome of history's story.

-by Bob B (2-25-25)

It's incomprehensible
What some people choose to believe.
And also extremely worrisome.
Maybe I’m a bit naïve,

But goodness gracious! I thought we
Human beings had progressed
Intellectually, but now
I am starting to feel depressed.

Deep state elites harvesting
Chemicals from babies’ blood…
A virus caused by the 5G network…
Do people really believe that crud?

That massive voter fraud had helped
President Biden to win the election…
That microchips have been implanted
In your COVID vaccine injection…

That COVID was intentional,
Created in a lab…That’s mad!
That the assault on the Capitol
Was staged to make Trump look bad…

It’s almost as though reason and madness
Are balancing on a teeter-totter.
What's happening to rational thought?
Is "crazy” in the drinking water?

-by Bob B (1-28-21)

For twenty-three years, overlooking
The I-65 in Tennessee,
A 25-foot statue stood--
A statue portraying infamy.

The figure was Nathan Bedford Forrest,
Riding a horse, and who, by the way,
Was a Confederate general
And founder of the KKK.

The lawyer for the man who killed
Martin Luther King created
The statue, which was hideous.
It's ugliness couldn't be overstated.

Surrounded by thirteen Confederate flags,
The statue stood for twenty-three years.
On Tuesday this week the statue was toppled.
Most people will shed no tears.

The property owner, Bill Dorris,
Claimed he wasn't a racist. Why?
Because Blacks had worked for him.
All we can say is, Dorris, nice try.

But listen to this: He also said
That it was good to be a slave
Because the enslaved were given job
Security from cradle to grave.

What the…?

Dorris died in 2020;
However, racism isn't gone.
If we're going to end the scourge,
We must confront the issue head-on.

-by Bob B (12-8-21)

I no longer recognize
These United States.
In my lifetime, we've never been
In such desperate straits.

Due process for many folks
Is widely being denied.
We are seeing the Constitution
Being cast aside.

The power-hungry president
Constantly tries to extort
Favors from others and threatens them if
He doesn't get their support.

The rule of law is currently being
Eroded by the hour
To give the demented president
Authoritarian power.

Trumplicans watch him defy the courts,
And they're okay with it.
He could spit in their faces, and yes,
He'd get away with it.

He treats the DOJ as though
It's his private firm,
And AG Bondi wants to make
Trump's dissenters squirm.

The envy of the world was our
Economy when he
Ascended the throne, but now the mess
He's making is sad to see.

He doesn't care if people might suffer
From a Trump recession.
Doesn't he understand that tariffs
Worsened the Great Depression?

Trump and his administration
Will not back away
From trying to have control over
What we do and say.

His many executive orders are being
Challenged, but he doesn't care.
He derives great Schadenfreude
From other people's despair.

"America the Beautiful"
Is now a different song.
It's lyrics must reflect what is
Occurring. Sing along:

How sad it is to see this land
Become what it's become!
The president looks down on us
As though we're worthless ****.
America! America!
Please say it's not too late.
Democracy? Autocracy?
Oh, what will be our fate?

-by Bob B (4-12-25)

Trump with all his indictments and cases
Continues playing his usual games.
Political motivations are
What guide the indictments! That's what he claims.

He's trying to get the sympathy
From voters across the country who feel
That poor, innocent Donald Trump
Has gotten a horrible, horrible deal.

Victimhood's his major tactic.
He says it's all a witch hunt, and then
He and his lawyers keep trying to
Delay the process again and again.

Stalling is a strategy
That he has worked out to perfection.
He wants to postpone his trials until
After the presidential election.

If you're innocent, Donald Trump,
Then prove your innocence in court.
But that's not easy when honesty
And integrity are not your forte.

With all the evidence against him,
It’s hard to imagine him going free.
Don't ask "for whom the bell tolls,"
Donald Trump; "it tolls for thee."

-by Bob B (3-25-24)

Typhoid Trump. How he loves
His super-spreaders! Yes, siree!
All the attention from cheering fans
Fills his hungry heart with glee.

Heaven forbid he wear his mask,
Even though he's been infected
With COVID-19. He doesn't care
If most of the crowd is unprotected.

His Florida friend Ron DeSantis
Saunters past the crowded rows
Of fans, high-fiving them.
Afterwards, he wipes his nose!

While experts want to contain the virus,
Trump's theory is let it spread.
His virus-spreading ego trip
Has him dancing over the dead.

At rallies all over, the president's team
Support his notion of "herd mentality"°
And speak to unprotected crowds.
What a peculiar sense of reality!

Giuliani says people don't
Die from COVID anymore.
Really? Seven hundred people
Died that day. Numbers soar.

Ironically, Pence asks the crowd
At a rally for the president
To applaud first responders! What?
While at a super-spreader event?

What an odd relationship
Between Trump and his promoters!
It's almost as if the Trump campaign
Is trying to **** its very own voters.

-by Bob B (10-14-20)

°Trump meant "herd immunity."

(This poem could be sung to the melody of Crystal Gayle's song "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue?")

It's a daily déjà vu:
Hearing MAGA people spew
Trump's weird point of view.
And won't that turn our red states blue?

He thinks he can carry on
With his lies that make us yawn.
Well, that's nothing new.
I hope that turns our red states blue.

All that he says is odd and unkind.
It really seems that he's losing his mind.
It's just as though he's become a cliché.
Donald J Trump is becoming passé

Keep it up, Trump, and you will fail.
Maybe you will then bewail
The part you played when you
Helped TURN some of our red states,
Turn some of our red states,
Turn some of our red states blue.

-by Bob B (8-17-24)

(This poem is dedicated to all the kids in the world who are deprived of the love they so desperately need.)

My heart goes out to the kids in the world
Who deal with unbearable grief--
Whose treatment by their loveless parents
Is cruel beyond belief.

My heart goes out to the kids in the world
Whose folks don't comprehend
Or care how their heartless behavior hurts
Their children in the end.

My heart goes out to the kids in the world
Whose lives are bleak and austere--
Who, rather than live with endless pain,
Would rather disappear.

My heart goes out to the kids in the world
Whose parents have no right
To even claim that role for themselves
When filled with so much spite.

My heart goes out to the kids in the world
Who struggle and suffer alone--
Who have to endure such misery
Through no fault of their own.

My heart goes out to the kids in the world
Who sadly unlike me
Have parents who didn't provide them with
Love and security.

My heart goes out the kids in the world
When I see what they've missed
By having parents whose hearts are stone,
And, yes, they do exist.

My heart goes out to the kids in the world;
I wonder what it will take
For much more loving kindness to thrive
And fewer hearts to ache.

-by Bob B (2-9-22)

Josseli Barnica was a young mother
Who unfortunately became
The victim of laws in Texas denying
Women their rights. Remember her name.

This happened in 2021,
Even before the overturning
Of Roe v. Wade, and all of us
Should find Josseli's story concerning.

The 28-year-old pregnant mother,
Thrilled to be having child number two,
Learned that she was miscarrying--
Suddenly, and out of the blue.

Occurring shortly after Texas
Had passed strict abortion bans,
The incident reminds us that life
Doesn't always heed our plans.

The doctors faced a dilemma here.
The matter should have been routine,
But the new abortion laws
Made it a crime to intervene.

They said they wanted to help the patient
But told her that their hands were tied.
Because of their delay in treatment,
The young mother, Josseli, died.

Sepsis had taken the mother's life.
Abortion bans can sadly make
Pregnancies quite dangerous,
And many women's lives are at stake.

Lawmakers, are you happy now?
You SHOULD have been aware of the flaws
In your reckless attempts to control
Women with your draconian laws!

-by Bob B (10-31-24)

The president invited supporters
To visit him in the White House this week.
Such a display of hypocrisy!
A prayer ****, so to speak.

With impeachment procedures occurring,
He's trying to bolster part of his base
By meeting with religious fanatics
To pander to them face to face.

Referring to so-called religious freedom,
He wants to remind them how much he's done
To help the country and doesn't see how
He's ******* it up for everyone.

"Religious freedom" really means
A free rein to discriminate,
A way to deny equal rights,
Another way to perpetuate hate.

Watch them lay their hands on Trump
And pray. They don't care in the least
How it looks to the rest of the world.
Don't they know they're blessing the beast?

-by Bob B (11-1-19)

The year was 1998.
The day to celebrate my mother
In retrospect turned out to be
A day unlike any other.

Not because that Mother's Day
Was from any observation
Unique in form or different from
Any previous celebration.

No, that day was different, for
No matter how much in vain I'd strive
To turn back the clock, that day was
The last I saw my mother alive.

If only I had known, I would
Have had the greatest party of all
With music blaring, food galore,
And party guests from wall to wall.

That's what my mother would have deserved.
For her, however, it would suffice
Merely to be with family.
Reflecting on this, I have some advice.

When you're with family and friends,
This rule should be hard and fast:
Act as though that day together
Very well could be your last.

Show them your appreciation,
Love, devotion, and heartfelt concern.
Demonstrate your loving-kindness,
And you'll receive it in return.

The best way now to celebrate
My mom in actuality
Would be for me to be the person
She'd have wanted me to be.

Having our moms in our memories
And hearts is fine, but one thing's clear:
As wonderful as that might be,
It's not the same as having her here.

-by Bob B (5-12-24)

I have a hard time understanding
This whole thing about being white
And what makes being white so special.
I CAN'T comprehend it, try as I might.

"Special" here means using “whiteness”
To hold others down with unfair laws
Or other discriminatory treatment--
Injustice that should give all people pause.

I am of northern European
Background. That is just who I am.
But if my forebears had come from Mars,
Frankly, I wouldn't give a ****.

I must accept myself--that’s true--
To be who I am, but I'll come clean:
I'd be content to be any color--
Black, white, or in between.

Privileges that come with being
White for many are in effect
Exactly what those very same people
Fear losing and choose to protect.

What a shame that is! To me
It absolutely makes no sense
To keep your sense of privilege
And do so at someone else's expense.

If only we could find a way
To make such treatment disappear!
Life could be so much more
Harmonious here on this earthly sphere.

Be who you are, but learn to appreciate
Others for who they happen to be.
Walk in their shoes, live in their skin,
Hear what they hear, see what they see.

White, brown, black…whatever.
Let's unite as people--as one.
NOT other people, but false pride
And prejudice are what we should shun.

-by Bob B (2-10-21)

Rising prices might distress us.
It might be harder to make ends meet.
Leaders have to make decisions
For which they're bound to take some heat.
But there are things that come at a price,
And they involve some sacrifice.

We know that wars have consequences
That affect the world at large.
We also know that very little
In this world comes free of charge.
Freedom lovers don't think twice
When it comes to sacrifice.

Tyrants rise and tyrants fall.
While they're in power, they deface
Democracy with dictatorial
Measures that they rush to embrace.
To curb their power, here's some advice:
Get ready for some sacrifice.

If democracy can flourish,
People eager for freedom must strive
To stop the flow of resources
That keep dictatorships alive.
It's not going to be all sugar and spice.
Get used to the concept "sacrifice."

-by Bob B (3-9-22)

The spider spins its silky web,
Carefully constructing its trap.
Then it sits and waits for its prey
To figuratively land in its lap.

Patiently, it waits and waits.
It hopes an unsuspecting fly
Will dart into its fibrous silk
Where it will then bid life good-bye.

The web shakes. Aha! A victim!
Very aware of the struggling shape,
The spider rushes to nab the creature,
For whom there will be no escape.

After injecting the fly with venom,
Then it quickly and deftly bestrides
Its helpless and now paralyzed victim.
The venom will liquify its insides.

The spider also wraps its capture.
Soon the sneaky spiderweb spinner
Will hungrily **** out every bit
Of liquified parts of the fly for dinner.

Of course, not all spiders spin webs.
Some just sit and patiently wait
For their prey to wander by.
Then they pounce and seal its fate.

So who's the spider? Vladimir Putin.
Its prey? Americans who pretend
That Putin is NOT our adversary,
But, instead, a trustworthy friend.

-by Bob B (11-22-24)

He died at seventy years of age;
His words had poisoned a nation.
Much of what he ranted about
Was total fabrication.

White identity politics:
He set a blueprint for that.
And when he criticized liberals,
He upped the thermostat.

Race-baiting for him was certainly
Par for the course.
Constant attack was his strategy,
With no hint of remorse.

Being politically INcorrect
To show his point of view
And crossing the line of propriety
Were what he loved to do.

True he had his loyal fans
Who would never condemn
His bigotry and conspiracy theories.
What is wrong with them?

The Capitol insurrectionists,
Naturally, he'd spout,
Were NOT thugs, but patriots!
Figure that one out.

When giving him the Medal of Freedom
Despite his divisive ways,
Trump insulted all the people
Really deserving of praise.

There are some who’ll jump for joy,
Knowing that Rush is gone.
But sadly all his vitriol
Continues to live on.

-by Bob B (2-18-21)

(For some reason, I found this poem in my DRAFTS. I guess I hadn't "published" it for public eyes, and it sat, along with 25 or so of my other poems, in my DRAFTS folder until today. Sorry about the delay.)

So God, the Supreme Being, Creator--
Whatever you want to call Him--sat
And looked down upon the planet
That was the Earthlings' habitat.

"My, oh, my!" He said to himself.
"What I've done is truly insane:
I gave people a way to think,
But some aren't able use their brain.

"Terminating pregnancies
Isn't an issue that's black or white.
But I gave people the means to do it;
Each must decide to do what's right.

"I gave people excellent doctors,
Safe methods, facilities,
And people who offer expert advice
In keeping with their abilities.

"What I can see occurring right now
Is SOME want to choose what's "right" for OTHERS.
Whether to carry a child to term
Should be entirely up to the mothers.

"My God--oops, I said it again--
It really frustrates me when I find
That people down there claim to know
What is happening in my mind.

"This is my goal for everybody:
It's incumbent on you to look
Inside your heart and do not base
All your decisions on any one book.

"Extremist ideologies!
They are disgusting to me, and yet
People love to involve me in them.
We need a sit-down--a tête-à-tête.

"But right now I have other problems.
I've been watching two nations collide.
Ridiculously, each of the countries
Thinks that I am on its side."

-by Bob B (6-25-22)

Trump's three stooges--Karoline Leavitt,
Pam Bondi, and Kristi Noem°--
Perform for their almighty leader
And lie until the cows come home.

Listen to them and you will hear
That when the three of them are pressed
To give an answer to journalists' questions,
They'll undoubtedly do their best

To artfully avoid the topic,
And you will hear them bring up the name
Of Joe Biden, their punching bag.
For ALL that's wrong, Biden's to blame.

If they want to keep their jobs,
They have to lie for Trump, of course.
If they told the bitter truth,
Then he'd demand a quick divorce.

Trump and all his admin team
Have been well-trained in hocus pocus.
They have been instructed to always
Deflect, ignore, and shift the focus.

We are watching as day by day
The river of lies continues to widen.
Trump and his team think they'll win points
By telling untruths and screaming "Biden!"

-by Bob A (6-16-25)

°Karoline Leavitt - White House Press Secretary; Pam Bondi - U.S. Attorney General; Kristi Noem - U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security

We will have a new president,
And no, it won't be Donald Trump.
Actually, it's Elon Musk--
Trump's newest sidekick-chump.

It's Elon Musk--the money man,
And one for whom Trump has the hots--
Who will be the one in charge.
Musk will now be calling the shots.

When you're the richest man on Earth,
You can do whatever you want.
Flash your money at Trump and you'll
Be his newest confidant.

The richest man on Earth can also
Use his money to threaten those
Who do not do his bidding or who,
Instead of ayes, will give him noes.

Interestingly, Elon Musk
Wasn't even born in the States
And legally couldn't run for office.
What kind of nonsense now awaits?

Privatization is his goal.
Social programs are under attack.
If he and his cronies get their way,
Consider how far they'll set us back.

Now that Musk is in Trump's ear,
Trump will be the titular head,
But President Musk without a doubt
Will be running the show instead.

Musk has wormed his way to the top;
The consequences could be huge.
I wonder how long their friendship will last
And which one of them is the other one's stooge.

-by Bob B (12-21-24)

What will it take to overcome
The anger, the constant retaliation,
The frequent demand of an eye for an eye,
The bellicose leaders and war-caused starvation?

What will it take to put an end
To built-in hatred that's centuries old,
To never-ending power plays,
To warring factions that can't be controlled?

What will it take to stop the many
Proxy wars that **** and maim
Innocent people who then become
Collateral damage in a war game?

What will it take to persuade intransigent
People with power to compromise--
To strive for peaceful solutions by seeing
The world through more compassionate eyes?

What WILL it take? Is it beyond
Our human capacity to know?
Is it part of our DNA
To always have to battle a foe?

And if there's a god who could intervene,
He/She/It must be horrified
To watch the battling parties at work,
Each one thinking a god's on its side.

-by Bob B (9-24-24)

Malignant narcissists are dangerous people
With no concern for others—not a bit!
They require constant admiration.
If things don't go their way, they have a fit.

It’s a personality disorder,
And those who suffer from it have a dearth
Of sympathetic feelings and compassion
And have inflated concepts of self-worth.

They derive great pleasure when they lie
To get all that they want and have no shame
Employing any means on earth to have
Control of others, power, wealth, or fame.

Paranoid, they often say that they
Are being persecuted without proof.
Distancing themselves from social standards,
They tend to be standoffish, cold, aloof.

They can be obnoxiously aggressive,
And since they are so selfish, they, of course,
Eagerly abuse and hurt their victims,
And do it with no feelings of remorse.

You MUST have noticed that these traits appear
In someone who is hoping he will be
Living once again inside the White House.
The characteristics fit him to a T!

-by Bob B (9-26-24)

(Clap) One, two, three, four…

Come on, put on your shoes and socks
And traipse on down to the ballot box
If you haven't voted yet.
Do it now before you forget.
Please, however, heed my advice:
Don't be sneaky and try to vote twice.
We know that some voters cast
Second votes for Trump in the past.

Clap your hands and stamp your feet!
Let's all try to stay upbeat!

We are lucky we can vote.
Let's all keep that right afloat.
This election's consequential;
That means that your vote's essential.
Do not fall for someone who
Lies until his face is blue.
How can anybody laud
A liar who screams "Election fraud!"?

Clap your hands and stamp your feet!
Let's all try to stay upbeat!

Voting right means voting smart;
Vote with both your head and heart.
The one to vote for should be clear:
One talks freedom; the other talks fear.
Her I'll gladly get behind.
He is clearly losing his mind.
Let's all hope the winner will be
The one who'll save democracy.

Clap your hands and stamp your feet!
Let's all try to stay upbeat!

-by Bob B (11-4-24)

Drone strike in Afghanistan.
Now the Pentagon admits
That it made a BIG mistake
That blew ten Afghan civilians to bits.

The day: August 31.
Sometimes calculations are wrong
And happen when we stay involved
In places where we don't belong.

Three adults and seven children.
Mistakes like this have happened before.
Thousands of civilian deaths
Occurred during our 20-year war.

A "reasonable certainty."
That is what it takes to get
The U.S. military to bomb
What it thinks is a dangerous threat.

What about upping the threshold?
Regarding such strikes, have we not
Considered that "reasonable" should be
Changed to "certain"? Food for thought.

"Collateral damage": an ugly expression.
So many innocent people have died
In wars that are unnecessary.
How can that be justified?

"Over the horizon operations."
With zero accountability? Why?
If we plan to continue such strikes,
Then more innocent people will die.

Incomprehensible suffering.
Will the U.S. at long last
Dig down deep to find some answers
And learn from its mistakes in the past?

-by Bob B (9-19-21)

If I develop dementia someday,
Will the condition be obvious to me?
Will I be able to know that I
Am out of touch with reality?

Will I notice that when I speak,
People exchange puzzled glances?
Will I also be cognizant of
All of my changing circumstances?

Will I notice that people are rolling
Their eyes every now and then
When I continue to ask the same
Questions over and over again?

Will people say, "I told you that
Three times already!" and not understand
That my behavior needs a patient
Response and not a reprimand?

In certain situations will
I know why I am lost or confused?
If somebody tries to shame or hurt me,
Will I know why my heart is bruised?

It will not help to scold me because
I'll forget whatever you say.
In fact, I doubt I'll even remember
That we saw each other today.

If I forget your name or who
You are, I hope you are not sad.
If you remember me when I
Was young and alert, I'll be glad.

As of now, I think my mind
Is pretty clear, and so I won't
Worry yet. But then again,
Maybe YOU know something I don't.

-by Bob B (8-1-21)