Wandering down the road an ***
Encountered a lion's skin.
He dressed himself up in it
Without an ounce of chagrin.

Frightening all creatures who saw him--
Animals and humans as well--
The *** stifled his braying and watched
As they all ran off pell-mell.

Finally, unable to hold it in,
He brayed some loud "Hee-haws!"
The fox heard him and also happened
To notice his hooves--not paws.

"Well, my friend, if I'd only seen you,
I might have been afraid.
But now that I've heard you speak, you can
Dispense with your charade."

The moral? Clothes can disguise many fools,
But despite their fancy array,
When they open their mouths--Yikes!--
Their words give them away.

Or

You can put on fancy airs,
Pretending you're suave and urbane,
But if you are truly an *** at heart,
An *** you will remain.

- By Bob B

Fleeting time:
Just try to contain it;
Try to grasp it,
Hold it, regain it.
 
Time evades us
Like liquid through a sieve.
Our best option
Is to LIVE and LET LIVE.
 
To appreciate the moment:
Make that your VOW.
Bask in the light
Of the eternal NOW.

- by Bob B

Trump has found another target.
This time it's Meryl Streep.
Once again he's demonstrated
How his thirst for vengeance runs deep.

He didn't like a comment that she
Had made at the Golden Globes, and so
He blasted her with a series of tweets--
Three tweets all in a row.

Streep had referred to a disabled news
Reporter whom Trump had imitated.
Trump lashed back, saying the award-
Winning actress was "over-rated."

A mature and intelligent man
Would move on and do what it takes
To model decent behavior, but that
Is difficult for a man with no brakes.

Poor Trump is still stuck
In the na-na-na-na-na-stage,
Which makes him appear childish and is
Unbecoming for someone his age.

- By Bob B (1-10-17)

(Written to the tune "On Top of Old Smokey")

When the weather gets Stormy,
What does Trump do?
He talks to his lawyer
And threatens to sue.

So he thinks that suing
Will give him relief?
That doesn't much flatter
A commander in chief.

To be a commander
Requires great skill.
Some people have it;
Some never will.

Will he keep hoping
This storm will not last--
That it won't show up in
Tomorrow's forecast?

Forecasts predict, though,
More storms on the way.
Maybe distractions
Will fill up his day:

He’ll tweet daily nonsense,
Anger more folks,
Fire more staffers,
Or start a new hoax.

The hoaxes he starts will
Stir up his base.
How does he do that
And keep a straight face?

He’ll have to face now
Another big storm.
For him Stormy weather
Is becoming the norm.

-by Bob B (3-19-18)

Donald Trump's potential appointees
For high positions are quite scary.
Some have dubious qualifications
And border on being reactionary.

General Flynn as Security Adviser--
Conspiracy theory peddler supreme.
Could Trump find anyone else
Whose wacky ideas are more extreme?

Peddling the lie that Hillary Clinton
Was involved with *** crimes with kids,
Flynn has spread outrageous notions--
Notions that common sense forbids.

There's also appointee Scott Pruitt.
What sense does it make to hire
Someone to head the EPA
Who's a climate change denier?

Some of these people would threaten the very
Institutions they're supposed to serve.
From all of the possible qualified people,
The choice of these strikes a nerve.

For Secretary of Education
Another name for this ship of fools:
Betsy DeVos--an outspoken
Enemy of public schools!

And Ben Carson in charge of HUD?
Someone out there has to voice
Objections to this appointee who
Thinks that being poor is a choice.

To work in his administration,
Trump said he would find the best.
The choices above aren't very
Promising, along with the rest:

Billionaires and generals
Parading before our eyes with pomp.
So that's what Trump meant when he
Said he was going to "drain the swamp."

-by Bob B (12-8-16)

Environmental Protection Agency

Dandara dos Santos, a transgender woman,
Lived in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Although we know very little about her,
The fate that befell her should make you feel ill.

The woman, forty-two years old,
Was dragged from her home by a cruel group of thugs
Out into the street of the town
Where she met with kicks and slugs.

The vicious and violent attackers beat her--
Also using a plank of wood--
While she pleaded and begged for her life
On the cobblestone street of the neighborhood.

They dumped her into a filthy wheelbarrow
And took her to an alley where shortly thereafter
Dandara died from repeated beatings
Amid cold-blooded taunts and laughter.

What is wrong with humanity
That humans can be so animalistic?
Two hundred ninety-five transgender people
Were murdered last year°--an ugly statistic.

Dandara, most of us didn't know you,
And yet we know that you by far
Outvalue the hateful brutes that killed you.
Rest in peace, wherever you are.

- by Bob B (3-8-17)

°From Oct 1, 2015 to Sep 1, 2016, worldwide

"In case you're wondering who we are,
We're your friendly NRA.
Put your worries behind you now;
We are here to save the day.

"Feeling lost and insecure?
Feeling hopeless or dejected?
Come on down and buy your gun.
Your spirits will be resurrected.

"What? You want a handgun? Pshaw!
A handgun is just a toy.
An assault weapon is what you need
To make you feel like a really big boy.

“The thought of guns everywhere
Titillates us to the core.
We can’t describe the ecstasy
Of having more and more and more!

"Your Congressmen love to stick
Their hands into our bulging pockets.
Call it a little *** for tat--
Just keep us off your legal dockets.

"One of our leaders is Wayne LaPierre.
With every gun sale he's elated.
Some say he prevaricates;
We say truth is overrated.

"Gun manufacturers,
You scratch our backs, we'll scratch yours.
We'll make sure that all can access
Weapons that are made for wars.

"Certainly our Founding Fathers
Knew what they were doing when
They envisioned assault weapons
In the hands of all brave men.
 
"Join our 'well regulated
Militia' here in the United States.
We don’t like our beloved Second
Amendment to undergo debates.

"We are doing all we can
To weaken all gun safety laws.
Please don't mention violence;
Every system has its flaws.

"We subscribe to firearm freedom--
A genuine right that's everyone's.
Here's one way to look at it:
Religious liberty for your guns.

"'Life, liberty, and the pursuit of guns'--
That's our motto, simple and clear.
Gun grabbers had best beware:
The NRA will persevere.

"So now you know who we are:
We're your friendly NRA.
You can put your worries behind you;
We are here to save the day."

- by Bob B

Kellyanne CONjob is at it again,
Making up more alternative facts.
Then she is so upset and dismayed
When she learns how the public reacts.

Attempting to defend Donald Trump's
BAN on citizens from seven nations
That happen to have a Muslim majority--
The ban caused national demonstrations--

CONjob spoke of the Bowling Green Massacre,
Which never happened. Point number two:
She said that President Obama had banned
Iraqi refugees. Also not true.

In twenty eleven more extensive
Vetting procedures were implemented,
The facts of which fade away
When NEW "facts" are invented.

Really, you have to hand it to her.
She is adept at duping Trump's base.
Alternative facts, while fooling the public,
Can also make you fall on your face.

- by Bob B (2-3-17)

There was a great nation that wasn't that old.
Born when it broke from tyranny's hold,
The land once proclaimed freedom for all.
Who'd ever guess what would befall?
Here's what happened: a billionaire
With rude behavior and flaxen hair
Bluffed his way through an election
And won because of the law's imperfection.
Many voters could not understand
Why others had buried their heads in the sand.
That this outspoken man was the victor
Shocked many an election predictor.
Some said the win was not on the level
And gave the winner no reason to revel.
Whatever the case, this east coast resident
Became the nation's forty-fifth president.

(Many voters held misinformed views
From eating a steady diet of Fox News,
Gorging on pages of Breitbart sludge,
And wallowing in pools of something called Drudge.
They didn't see the signs that were looming
From a candidate NOT at all unassuming.
When demagoguery's alive and well
And one has a bill of goods to sell,
Some people miss the warning alarm.
They fail to imagine how much harm
A person can do to set back the nation,
And they give that person a standing ovation.
False news reports have power to affect
Election results when facts go unchecked,
And when people blindly accept what they read,
Manipulated "facts" do mislead.)

Before the newly elected official--
Whose reputation had been prejudicial--
Received an official swearing in,
He caused many heads to spin.
Posting on Twitter tweet after tweet--
Some of which were not so discreet--
He, on purpose or maybe not--
Depending on your school of thought--
Made many people and nations wary
With tweets that were more than a little bit scary.
To expand the nuclear capability
And disregard the world's volatility
Would be a plan that smacked of insanity
And also would be a threat to humanity.
The new leader just couldn't refrain
From posting such tweets that sounded insane.

Before taking office the leader selected
A team of advisers who truly projected
A frightening image to people who knew
What kind of damage officials could do.
Some appointees had donated huge
Sums to help elect their stooge.
Few had experience in their position,
But that didn't matter since their mission
Was not so much service, but instead
To **** the agency that they led.
One adviser, who stirred up much fear
And had his mouth in the new leader's ear,
Peddled conspiracy theories that made
Him sound like a madman on a crusade.
The country had never seen such a bunch
Of advisers so clearly out to lunch.

The new leader had a connection
With someone for whom he had great affection:
Vladimir Putin, a tyrant who led
A country called Russia, which once was red.
The reasons the two got so tight
Slowly but surely came to light:
The lifting of sanctions, business ties,
How to control people with lies…
The new leader's kids were also expected
To help their dad, who newly elected,
Had to make important decisions
Despite causing rifts and divisions.
(It's hard for a businessman
With a 90-second attention span
And whose thoughts keep disappearing
To make much sense of what he's hearing.)

The newly-elected president,
Who didn't care about time well spent,
Continued rallies from state to state.
The egomaniac couldn't wait
To stand before a cheering crowd
And share his petty thoughts out loud.
"I have a mandate," he muttered,
And falsehoods colored the words that he uttered.
"I'll make this country great again!"
Instead he made many hate again.
He promised to create millions of jobs;
But that was a ploy by him and his nobs.
The crafty plans of this bait and switcher
Would make the poor poorer and the rich richer.
The people would have a lot more to say
After Inauguration Day.

(To be continued…)

- by Bob B (12-26-16)

The Skotzki girls, Helga and Inge,
Fifteen and thirteen years old,
Boarded the SS St. Louis in Hamburg.
Let their story forever be told.

The girls' parents, Gunther and Charlotte,
Experienced with growing unease
The dangers of living in **** Germany.
The solution: to flee as refugees.

Nine hundred Jewish passengers
Aboard the luxury liner departed
In May of 1939.
For them a new life had started.

Or so they hoped. Two weeks later,
When they reached Cuba--the end of their trip--
Only twenty-eight of the people
Were permitted to leave the ship.

Discrimination and politics
Had suddenly played a deadly hand,
Affecting the fate of those who sought
Asylum in a foreign land.

Toward Florida the ship sailed.
The refugees begged for immigrant status.
The desperate cries refused to budge
The cold, political apparatus.

"We've already fulfilled our quotas."
"Careful! They might be **** spies."
Excuses emerged and rumors spread
With paranoid suppositions and lies.

The captain steered the ship back to Europe.
The refugees caught in a game of chance
Were spread among four countries:
The Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, and France.

Of the nine hundred passengers,
Two hundred fifty-four of them lost
Their lives while they were stuck in Europe
During the ghastly Holocaust.

Helga and Inge, along with their parents,
Probably struggled to comprehend
How politics could come before people.
In Auschwitz their lives came to an end.

We know we can't turn back the clock,
But we must do whatever it takes
To put people first and do what is right--
Or else we're doomed to repeat our mistakes.

- by Bob B (4-25-17)

A couple with eyes swollen from grief
Sits at the Thanksgiving table,
Wanting to let the sadness depart,
But at the moment they aren't able.

You see, the husband and wife just lost
Their son in a shooting two weeks prior.
An angry gunman entered a club,
Took out his gun, and opened fire.

The topic of being thankful arises.
The couple wonders, should they be
Thankful that their country permits
Shootings to happen to such a degree?

Should they also be thankful that
So many lawmakers have been unwilling
To tackle a problem that's out of control--
To stop or curtail the senseless killing?

Likewise, should they be thankful that
Hypocrisy and greed exist?
They--along with callousness--
Allow such nightmares to persist.

That far too many members of Congress
And the highest court in all the land
Are out of step with most of the people,
Whose wishes they fail to understand:

Should the couple be thankful for that?
Will anything change when they're less distraught?
Deciding what to be thankful for
At the moment would take a lot of thought.

No, it's better not to ask them
While their hearts are rent from sorrow.
What they need right now is hope
That there could be a brighter tomorrow.

-by Bob B (11-23-18)

Meet Francisco, an 18-year-old,
Born right here in the good ol' U.S.
Police held him in custody
For twenty-six days nevertheless.

Detention centers are certainly not
Five-star hotels in any form.
Frigid and crowded cages or rooms
And inhumane treatment are more the norm.

Francisco had his social security
Card and ID in order to prove
That he was really a U.S. citizen.
Border police still made their move.

Although someone spends many years
Elsewhere, our legal apparatus
Has to know that doing that
Doesn't change one's citizenship status.

They claimed that Francisco's identification
Information all was fake.
Of course, they have to find excuses
To cover up their big mistake.

Such "mistakes" are fairly common
When we have a president who
Says that what is true is false;
What is false, he claims is true.

Most people see through his dangerous lies,
But there are many who want to believe
Every word he says that offers
Support to ideas to which they cleave.

Stop atrocities at our border!
Stop treating people in ways
That NO human being should be treated!
Stop the processing delays!

Stop family separation
And caging asylum seekers as well,
As though to get even with them
Their lives are made a living hell!

How many more "Franciscos" are there
Who don't even make the news?
Whom will the president now attack?
Who is next on his list to abuse?

-by Bob B (7-28-19)

On January 27,
Holocaust Remembrance Day,
The president signed an executive order.
Our blue skies are turning gray.

From seven countries we are halting
Visas and travel. There's a list.
The countries happen to be Muslim-
Dominated. Get the gist?

The order says it's temporary,
And it will surely have its fans.
But one problem is that the order
Opens the door to further bans.

Trump says it's not discrimination
Against a religion. Don't believe him.
Using language to assert his power,
He's letting illogical thoughts deceive him.

Invoking the victims of 9/11,
He says that the order will
Protect our nation from terrorists--
A promise that he wants to fulfill.

What is interesting to note
Is NONE of the terrorists who were blamed
For atrocious attacks on 9/11
Came from the seven countries named!

They came from Egypt, Lebanon,
Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E.
But none of those countries are on the list.
What does that say? You tell me.

What a great way to alienate
Our allies with appalling success
And to radicalize more people
Around the world and in the U.S.!

The Statue of Liberty's torch is dimming.
Hardened hearts don't know why.
Look! The date on her tablet is fading!
Wipe a tear from Liberty's eye.

- by Bob B (1-28-17)

Who does Putin think he is
To move into Ukraine
In order to carry out his vicious
And murderous campaign?

His love of power has gone to his head;
His greed has hardened his heart.
He has proved that he knows how
To make corruption an art.

Decapitating the government
Of Ukraine: a Putin goal.
Then he can install pro-Russian leaders
And thus maintain control.

Dissenters in Russia who criticize
Putin's bellicose ways,
Can be arrested or worse, for Putin
Demands devotion and praise.

Freedom and democracies
Don't work, according to him.
But can the people vote him out?
Sadly, chances are slim.

He wants to show the world that he has
Control that's ironclad.
He thinks if his neighbors are democratic,
Then THAT makes him look bad.

Well, in truth it does, for he keeps
Russians under his thumb.
If you think things are bad right now,
Then watch what's yet to come.

-by Bob B (2-25-22)

The night calmly, quietly departed,
Letting the sun nudge in the dawn.
A new day often brings joy;
But not today, for Carrie has gone.

A torch has suddenly been extinguished;
A candle's flickering flame has gone out.
As hard as we try to hope against hope,
Some things we can do nothing about.

Full of life, exuberance, and charm,
Carrie touched many hearts with her spirit.
Try as one might to match her vitality,
Few people could ever come near it.

Her matchless energy filled us with wonder.
Her gregarious character was bubbly and hearty.
As soon as Carrie entered a room,
She became the life of the party.

A struggle-free path she didn't have;
A few demons madly pursued her.
Despite occasional challenges,
Death was the only one that subdued her.

Subdue her? No, that isn't right.
Her inimitable energy exists
In the turbulent, blowing desert winds;
In the cool, soothing mountain mists;

In the majestic, glorious New Mexican mesas;
In the gently rising hot air balloon;
In the crest of the regal desert roadrunner;
In the calm, peaceful face of the moon;

In the gracefully blooming yucca flower;
In the crisp, caressing autumn breeze;
In desert blooms; in the pinyon pine;
In the autumn colors bursting from trees.

I will not say good-bye to Carrie.
I'll just take in a breath of air,
Hear her voice, her songs, her laughter,
And feel her presence everywhere.

- by Bob B

To distract public attention from
Ongoing investigations,
Trump is on an overseas trip
Cementing international relations.

First stop: Saudi Arabia,
Where President Trump stamped his seal
On a one-hundred-ten-billion-
Dollar war weapons deal--

A deal great for jobs, they say,
And a death blow to the mujahideen.
Basically, it's a huge boost
To the mighty, monstrous war machine.

War crime violations continue
As Saudi bombs frequently strike
Hospitals and markets in Yemen
Causing the number of deaths to spike--

Deaths of innocent civilians including
Children. Children! What's going on?
Jobs so that the war monger
Conductor can wave his deadly baton?

We turn our heads when the Saudis commit
Domestic abuses and NOT in small scale--
While they carry out mass executions
And put women drivers in jail.

No, this isn't the first "deal."
Such deals have happened before.
Money is often the siren luring
Humankind to weapons and war.

This to Trump is a great plus
So he can proudly play the hero.
If anyone is keeping score:
Trump one; humanity zero.

-by Bob B (5-21-17)

"Distractions, yes! How I love them!
I love to keep the media guessing.
And I can do most anything
And still get my supporters' blessing.

"Wait until they see my budget.
I can hardly contain my laughter.
Crafty convincing will prove we don't
Need the programs I'm going after.

"The EPA? A waste of money.
How easy it will be to arrange
To spend our money on something much
More important than climate change!

"And programs for the needy? Bah!
Important to me is the person who offers
The most discreet methods of placing
Large amounts of cash in my coffers.

"My poorest supporters won’t even see
How badly they are being *******.
I'll keep blaming the dishonest press
And the Democrats' ineptitude.

"Those making over 250
Thousand dollars a year deserve
More in the way of tax breaks for they
Are the supporters I aim to serve.

"I don’t care if kids go hungry.
The rich and poor and in-between
Will benefit more if we direct funds
Into our giant war machine.

"I'm beside myself with joy.
I'm the expert. I'm so good
At making people think I give
A **** about their livelihood.

"The poor, the kids, the elderly,
People needing jobs…ALL
Will be so much better off
After I build my towering wall.

"I need my weekends at Mar-a-Lago.
It's there where I can clear my head.
Will three million dollars of taxpayer money
Per weekend put us in the red?

"It's great how you can manipulate
The people by making up facts and lies.
Most of them don't even know
You're pulling the wool over their eyes."

- by Bob B (3-17-17)

Instead of fixing Obamacare,
Republicans are making it worse.
They want to play Robin Hood,
But they are playing the role in reverse.

Wanting to come to someone's rescue,
They've come up with a major switch
By robbing money from the poor
And giving that money to the rich.

Cutting Medicaid by billions
Of dollars over the next ten years
Will hurt the people who need the money
The most. The plan deserves no cheers.

To give 880 billion
Dollars in tax cuts to those with wealth
Shows that many Republicans care
More about money than people's health.

Experts predict that over a decade
Twenty-four million people will lose
Their health insurance, which is not
Very reassuring news.

As usual, the elderly
And poor will be the hardest hit.
People have to raise their voices.
We have the right to throw a fit.

So raise your fist in protest while
Ryan and his merry men
With hypocritical smiles on their faces
All come riding through the glen.

- by Bob B (3-15-17)

It wasn’t much fun to be sick as a child.
I’m sure you would agree.
One thing, however, made it worthwhile:
LUCY on TV.
 
Morning reruns of I LOVE LUCY
Were a daily must.
And if the TV was out of order?
Oh, no! That was a bust!
 
How many years we watched Lucy,
Well, it’s hard to say.
I watched her up through my high school years;
But I’d even watch her today.
 
Every summer morning and every
Winter and spring vacation
Meant a daily dose of Lucy.
We watched with utter elation.
 
So what if we’d seen a particular show
Ten times in the past.
Each time watching I LOVE LUCY
Was just as fun as the last.
 
Watching her get into a jam
In every episode
Was exactly what we looked forward to—
And then watching Ricky explode.
 
Just the look on Lucy’s face
Was all that it would take
To make us all break out in laughter—
So much that our stomachs would ache.
 
There was Vitameatavegamin
Or Lucy stomping on grapes
Or Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory;
The two were always in scrapes.
 
It didn’t matter how silly the plot—
How corny, how dumb or inane—
Laughing at Lucy would lighten the heart.
Who needed food for the brain?
 
If there was a snag, Lucy would find it
And chaos would ensue.
And once the cat was out of the bag,
She had some “splaining” to do.
 
We knew the plots backwards and forwards;
We knew the dialogue by heart.
But that didn’t matter; we would still laugh
As Lucy’s schemes fell apart.
 
We owe a lot to Lucy and friends.
There’s a lot to be said
About growing up laughing at Lucy
And Ricky and Ethel and Fred.

- by Bob B

Ol’ Jonah was looking pretty **** pale
After three days and three nights in a whale—
Or giant fish (according to translation).
Whatever the case, it was no vacation
For Jonah, who had to be pretty smelly,
Spending seventy-two hours in that belly,
Fending off digestive juices
And other secretions that a body produces.
He didn’t agree with the creature, no doubt,
Because the animal spat him out.
If Jonah had early on followed directions,
This story would NOT be in our collections;
And he wouldn’t have taken that trip
And found himself being thrown from a ship.
 
Now Solomon they say was supposed to be wise,
Which is handy when certain situations arise,
Such as the “Judgment of Solomon,” which—
Luckily for him—went off without a hitch.
Solomon understood human behavior
And proved to be for one mom a savior.
Taking a chance, and entirely off the cuff,
He shrewdly called the false mother’s bluff.
It’s amazing it all worked out as it did;
Otherwise, there would have been a dead kid.
Back then could Solomon ever have guessed
The advantages of a DNA test?
 
Kind David’s son Absalom was handsome and charming;
His personality was rather disarming.
Ostentatious and debonair,
He was known for his huge mop of hair.
His thirst for power got so overblown
That he usurped his father’s throne.
So David and Absalom had to wage war;
Father and son had to settle a score.
At Ephraim’s Wood when trying to flee,
Absalom got his locks caught in a tree.
If he had kept his hair short and trim,
He wouldn’t have died on that blasted tree limb;
And his plans might not have fallen apart
As he hung from that tree with darts in his heart.
 
Salome loved to dance up a storm;
And apparently the lady had perfect form.
Her mother, Herodias, bore a deep grudge
Toward John the Baptist; and she wouldn’t budge.
Just imagine the trouble he was in
For having told her she was living in sin.
Unfortunately, he landed in jail
And languished there with no chance of bail.
When Herod’s birthday came around,
To get the merriment off the ground,
Herod asked Salome to dance for him.
He’d give her anything—whatever her whim.
She didn’t want gold or silver; instead,
She wanted John the Baptist’s head.
(Actually, for one reason or another
She wanted to give John’s head to her mother.)
If John had NOT insulted Herodias,
She wouldn’t have found him so odious.
And if Salome hadn’t been SO into dance,
The poor guy might have had a chance;
But since her dancing was so first rate,
His head ended up on a plate.
 
IF...THEN in retrospect
Makes us want to stop and reflect.
Actions and reactions both make up life
And sometimes bring happiness, sometimes strife.
Behave with wisdom and common sense,
And know that there’s ALWAYS a consequence.

- by Bob B

The recent Trumpcare plan encountered
Limited chances for survival.
It hacked away at Obamacare
And found itself dead on arrival.

The plan was altered to have more appeal
To the House Freedom Caucus. Why?
The House Freedom Caucus supports
The freedom to get sick and die.

Cutting ten essential services°
Made the proposed plan a sham
By turning it into a possible
Nightmarish insurance scam.

Praise to the members of Congress who
For the RIGHT reasons boldly decried
The plan proposed by Paul Ryan--
A plan laced with cyanide.

Affordable health care for all
Should be our principal goal.
Profit-making insurance companies
Shouldn't be getting out of control.

Trump says, "Let's just watch
Obamacare keep imploding,"
As saboteurs continue to take
Shots at the plan and keep reloading.

Republican leaders don't really want
To fix what we have, to tweak or massage it;
They want to see Obamacare fail
By letting companies sabotage it.

People first, then money.
Let's keep our priorities straight
And not let cold avarice thrive
While health and compassion disintegrate.

(3-25-17) By Bob B

°Ten essential services to be cut:
1. outpatient care
2. emergency room trips
3. in-hospital care
4. pregnancy, maternity and newborn care
5. mental health and substance abuse disorder services
6. prescription drugs
7. rehabilitative services
8. lab tests
9. preventive services
10. pediatric services

Radhika grew up in a poor Indian village.
She, her parents, and siblings survived
Droughts, famines, diseases, and monsoons;
Sporadic good fortune was always short-lived.

A gentlemen came to the village one day
And offered Radhika a job as a maid.
Oh, how exciting! A job in the city--
REAL work, for which she'd be paid!

Once in Mumbai, Radhika was led
To a hovel where she was brutally *****
And beaten and moved to a windowless room
At a brothel from which few girls escaped.

The poor young girl--eleven years old--
Learned very quickly how cruel life could be.
Her daily dream was to make her way home,
As soon as she found a way to flee.

Having lost years of her youth,
Radhika escaped and went home at sixteen
To parents who cast her out of the house
For being "sullied," for not being "clean."

Not knowing which way to turn--
With defeats piled on top of defeats--
Radhika returned in desperation
To the city, where she worked in the streets.

All over the world "Radhikas" exist,
But most of us never see them.
What will it take to end such cruelty?
We have to find a way to free them.

- by Bob B

Sing, Michael! Sing your song.
Let your voice be loud and clear.
Yes, you might have done some wrong,
But now what have you got to fear?

Suborning perjury, tax evasion,
Bank fraud, insurance fraud…
And yet your previous boss continues
To hide behind his MAGA façade.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg,
For we can guess what else he's done.
We wait for more revealing details
On Individual Number One.

What ever possessed you to be
The fixer for a conman who
Lies to us--the American people?
Did you not know what would ensue?

Illegal campaign contributions
Don't upset his supporters at all.
Their main concern is that their man's
In office and that he'll build his wall.

You have seen how his Republican
Goon squad in Congress has his back,
And how the members will lie and cheat
To help the megalomaniac?

You must face the consequences
For what you've done, but pray tell,
Will he have to pay for all
The illegal things he's done as well?

So you've lied for the president.
Maybe the truth will set you free.
We are patiently waiting for
The results of Mueller's inquiry.

So sing, Michael! Sing your song.
Let your voice be loud and clear.
Yes, you might have done some wrong,
But now what have you got to fear?

-by Bob B (3-1-19)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Go Go Go, Joseph" from JOSEPH AND HIS AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tze325xsYd4

(Narrator)
Nancy P. was looking to
Investigate what happened here
Back on a fateful winter day--
On January 6 this year.

(The People)
Hey, Nancy, you're doing what you must.
We want a probe that is robust.

Good going, Nancy, do not shy away.
Get to the cause of what happened that day.
Please don't stop, Nancy. You should find out
What the insurgence was really about.

(Narrator)
A group that was bipartisan
Was Nancy's goal--was Nancy's plan.
But she found resistance from
Kevin M.--the hatchet man.

(The People)
Hey, Nancy, he wants to derail
Everything, for he wants you to fail.

So she received from McCarthy some names.
He was intent on still playing his games.
One was Jim Jordan, the worst of the lot;
Another Jim Banks, to spoil the ***.

(Nancy P.)
Sorry, guys, but you have proved
That you're not worthy of this task.
I want people willing to
Be serious. That's all I ask.

(Narrator)
First, Jim Jordan hoped that he could prove
That Nancy here had made an unfair move.

(Jim Jordan)
Investigations like this are a sham.
If you don't want me, I don't give a ****.
If you ask me, I have known all along
That having this probe is both outrageous and wrong.

(Nancy P.)
Sorry that you feel that way,
So go back to what you were doing.
But studying attacks on our
Democracy is worth pursuing.

(Narrator)
Then Jim Banks stood up to speak his mind.
He and Jordan had been closely aligned.

(Jim Banks)
You have made this a partisan mess.
You're doing nothing but causing distress.
Forget all the riots; why can't we move on?
For me it is all just one giant yawn.

(Nancy P.)
How bizarre that you both live
In alternate realities.
Too bad that the two of you
Can't see the forest for the trees.

You are dangerous; it's clear to see.
I think that most people would agree.

(The People)
Don't worry, Nancy, you've done what is right.
Stick to your guns and don't give up the fight.
What those two men have done is quite clear:
Each one of them has his head up his rear.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Nancy, you've done what is right.
Stick to your guns and don't give up the fight.
What those two men have done is quite clear:
Each one of them has his head up his rear.
His head up his rear…
His head up his rear…
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

-by Bob B (7-25-21)

Technology's changing so very fast 
That trying to keep up is a pain. 
I'd hardly call myself a Luddite, 
But sometimes I feel left out in the rain. 
 
They come out with Windows 10
When you've barely learned Windows 8. 
Every time I open a program
It seems as though there's a new update. 
 
Then you're back to square one again. 
Good luck learning the fancy new features. 
If you get stuck, don't hesitate  
To find some kids to serve as your teachers. 
 
It’s amazing how kids at such a young age 
Are already showing familiarity 
With swiping, sliding, and tapping their fingers 
On touch screens AND with great dexterity. 
 
You can't just have a phone these days; 
It has to be a smart phone, you see. 
How we ever survived in the past 
With our not-so-smart phones is way beyond me. 
 
With smart phones you can lock your doors, 
Turn on the air or adjust the heat. 
Having a phone just to make calls 
In this day and age would be obsolete. 
 
Try to find a simple clock radio 
Or a simple phone without any frills. 
Young people don't know what it's like 
To need postage stamps to pay their bills. 
 
Practically everything needs recharging-- 
Laptops, tablets, cameras, phones. 
Our cars now operate by computers; 
Without technology we wouldn't have drones. 
 
Recharging batteries all the time
Is NOT as handy as it looks.
That's why I usually prefer
My good old-fashioned paper books.
 
- by Bob B

O Eve, we love you to death—
More than we can say, BUT
Why did you have to go
And get us into this rut?
Hey, you had it so good.
Talk about life of leisure!
But one little bite and zap!
That put an end to our pleasure.
Of all the fruit in the garden
You fell for the apple, of course.
You’re lucky that dear hubby Adam
Didn’t request a divorce.
Kicked out of the Garden of Eden,
You had to suffer the throes...
And because of you look what happened:
Now we all have to wear clothes!

Oh, woe is me!
What’s there to do?
Thanks to dear Eve,
We’re all in a stew.

O Pandora, beautiful lady,
Did Zeus not foresee the hard knocks
That would have to befall us
After you opened that box?
Did Hephaestus and Athena
Mold you out of the earth
Only to let out the evils
And put an end to our mirth?
We know that you weren’t being malicious,
For that’s not the person you were;
Your curiosity tricked you
Before you knew what would occur.
With all the plagues and diseases
I don’t know how we would cope
If you hadn’t left in the box
That one little glimmer of Hope.

Oh, woe is me!
What’s there to do?
Thanks to Pandora,
We’re all in a stew.

O Prometheus, why did you have to,
After making man out of clay,
Go and present us with fire?
Now we all have to pay!
Surely your flames have been useful
For helping us to warm our buns,
Or for boiling our drinking water
To keep us from getting the runs.
But look what else you have started:
Because of you and your fire
We now have powerful weapons
That we can never retire.
If we just had rocks and arrows,
We’d still be inflicting much pain.
But bombs that could blow up the earth?
I swear! That is truly insane!
 
Oh, woe is me!
What’s there to do?
Thanks to Prometheus,
We’re all in a stew.
 
Victor Frankenstein, tell us:
Were you not cognizant prior
To making your monstrous creation
That it was sure to backfire?
For the suffering that you caused
Numerous victims have scorned you.
I’m sure some wary friends said,
“Sorry, Victor, I warned you!”
We all know that you suffered.
Your daily life was hell.
And because of you and the others,
We all have to suffer as well.
We in our infinite wisdom,
Ignoring all the signs,
Continue to assemble
Our own Frankensteins!
 
Oh, woe is me!
What’s there to do?
Thanks to dear Victor,
We’re all in a stew.

-by Bob B

The teacher calmly sat in the dojo,
Waiting for his class to begin.
Seated on his cushion, he silently
Focused on the center within.

A student rushed into the building,
Stopped and gave a cursory bow,
And said, "Teacher, my goal has not
Been very clear to me until now.

"I want to master the martial arts.
What can I do to get there faster?
How many years does it take
A person like me to become a master?"

"Ten years," replied the teacher.
"Ten years? That can't be!"
The student exclaimed. "But I'll work hard--
Ten long hours a day! You'll see.

"If I practice and read and study
And work harder than all my peers,
How long then?" After a moment
The teacher replied, "Twenty years."

-by Bob B (2-28-17)

°An old tale retold here in verse

They say the path to liberation
Leads through valleys of utter despair
And over peaks of glorious wonder.
If you risk the journey, beware.
 
Our thoughts don't always reflect reality;
To us an idea that clearly seems
So real and permanent is really ephemeral
And creatively sculpted from notions and dreams.
  
Our thoughts can tantalize or torment us,
Depending on our state of mind
Or how attached we are to ideas
And concepts that we've proudly enshrined.
 
That which lasts--that which endures--
Remains utterly beyond our ken.
If we are lucky, flashes of awareness
Illuminate us now and then.
 
Are our questions superficial,
Or do they sink beneath our skin
To penetrate our bones and marrow
And deeply resonate therein?
 
Gratitude flows from every pore
As we glide along on a goalless goal.
An inner calm pervades our being
When we release the illusion of control.
 
We catch a glimpse of truly knowing.
Clouds of doubt that blocked the light
Shift, and we are bathed in the radiance
Of something inconceivably bright.
 
Part of us dies, but something's reborn.
We see through illusions, passions, and lies.
Divested of our strong attachments,
We see the world through different eyes.
 
The path we've sought is under our feet;
There's nothing mysterious--nothing arcane.
We lose our selves and find ourselves,
And we find that there's nothing we need to attain.

- by Bob B

The Bible has some interesting characters.
We can see in stanzas and rhymes
How they might have received some help
If they'd been living in modern times.

Lot, for example, had a drinking problem.
The man got drunk and slept with his daughter.
Actually with two! Advice to Lot:
Go to A.A. and stick with water.

An inferiority complex
Must have driven the angry Cain.
No matter what he did, he always
Seemed to incur God's disdain.
  
In searching for pairs of all animals on earth,
Noah's compulsion crossed the border
Of what today we would call
An obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
 
Saul had to be extremely bipolar.
Talk about mood swings! On different occasions
He tried to **** David, who luckily escaped
By the skin of his teeth and with no abrasions.
 
If someone--like Solomon--had seven hundred wives
And three hundred concubines, we'd tend to say
That he had a number of serious issues,
But we don't want to go there today.
 
Moses talked to a burning bush,
Samuel and Elijah heard voices that told them
What to do. Now we’d say they
Were schizophrenic if voices controlled them.

Harod was really into himself;
He had to be highly narcissistic.
When Paul was persecuting the Christians,
His behavior was rather sadistic.
 
Without A.A. or psychiatrists,
Or drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, thorazine,
******, Haldol, Abilify, Lithium,
Seroquel, Xanax, Paxil, and clozapine,
 
Our Biblical characters were on their own--
To fend for themselves to carry out their mission,
Without medical insurance and someone
To say, "Get thee to a physician!"

- by Bob B

Hercules is the alley cat
Who stalks the alleys at night
And climbs into the trash containers
To find a tasty bite.

“Cat food is a bore,” he says,
“And doesn’t suit my taste.
Besides,” he adds, “it’s silly to let
Good food go to waste.”

The local cats admire his skills
To manage on his own
And how he’s able to clean remaining
Meat off any bone.

Before the trash collectors come by
To empty the bins, ol’ Herc
Rummages through the open containers,
Keeping busy at work.

Rodents are no match for him
When he’s in the mood
To supplement his diet with
A fresher type of food.

“Residents don't,” he says with sigh,
“Appreciate us cats.
Because of our great diligence,
The streets have fewer rats.

“A problem nowadays," he laments--
“A definite no brainer--
Is how to manage when there is
A lid on the trash container.

“You must learn to be dexterous, agile,
Sneaky, snappy, and clever."
Some give up when they are challenged,
But Hercules will never!

It's said that Herc often receives
The blame for being a pater
After encounters with lady cats--
Sixty-some days later.

“I’m known for being promiscuous,
But that is just a rumor,”
He says with a wink to let us know
He has a sense of humor.

“It’s dangerous at night,” he says,
“For there’s a threatening owl
That flies in from the park, and dogs
Are always on the prowl.

“In order to survive in life--
You can take it from me--
You always need alternatives--
What you call Plan B.

“I am an expert at dodging and prancing;
My skills are hard to beat.
When YOU take a fall, are you always
Able to land on your feet?

"Fate has given me obstacles,
Which I call my 'Labors.'
If you don't believe me, well,
Just ask all the neighbors."

So Hercules, or Herc, if you will,
While not seeking fame,
Hopes that he, nevertheless,
Can live up to his name.

-by Bob B (2-10-20)

Mitch McConnell and fellow Republicans
For almost a year refused to budge
On President Obama's nominee
To serve as a U.S. Supreme Court judge.

As East Coast prime-time drama,
Trump made a big reveal:
To serve on the Court, a staunch conservative
Nominee--the real deal.

The judge, recommended by alt-right
Extremist Bannon and far-right groups,
Is going to have to prove himself
By jumping through a series of hoops.

The Right wants a judge whose thinking is based
On what our Founding Fathers wrote.
Oh, is that when Blacks were slaves
And women weren't allowed to vote?

Democrats in the Senate must learn
From die-hard Republicans--*** for tat--
How to be obstructionists.
Republicans have been experts at that.

-by Bob B (2-1-17)

Akkosaka Bhāradvāja--
The brahmin--found the Buddha one day
And railed against him, throwing harsh words
And abusive insults the Teacher's way.

The Buddha calmly said, "Dear brahmin,
Answer, please, my question to you:
You are a guest and your hosts offer food;
If you don't want it, what do you do?"

"I don't accept it," the brahmin answered.
"In that case to whom does the food belong?
To the hosts, no?" asked the Buddha.
"Tell me: am I right or wrong?"

"The offered food belongs to the hosts,
Of course," responded the brahmin surveying
With curiosity each word that
The great Master was wisely saying.

The Buddha said, "Likewise, if you do not
Accept the insults of those who blast you,
Their unwanted "gifts" stay with them,
While you are unscathed; you put it all past you."?

The brahmin, moved by the Buddha's words,
Reflected on the meaning and sought
Deeper understanding and wisdom
From all the lessons the Teacher taught.

If others try to hurt you with words,
Give their nasty comments short shrift
By staying unruffled, unperturbed--
By resolutely refusing their "gift."

- by Bob B

"Mommy says that Santa won't be visiting this year.
She says it is because I have been bad.
She always seems so angry and upset 'bout everything.
She always says, 'I'm going to tell your dad.'
 
"Just because I broke my sister's iPad yesterday:
I only wished to see if it could float.
And then I blew it once again when we all horsed around
And I spilled grape juice on her favorite coat.
 
"Last week I broke Mommy's Royal Copenhagen plates.
She said to me, 'That really takes the cake!'
But I don't understand because she didn't even use them.
It's stupid to collect things that can break!
 
"A month ago my daddy bought a brand new fancy car--
The old one, he said, was 'obsolete.'
Boy he really blew his stack one day when he found
My chocolate candy melting on the seat.
 
"My brother had a new flat-screen TV in his room.
He proudly called it 'state of the art.'
I kind of knocked it over, though, while playing with my friend.
Yeah, I know:  I wasn't being smart.
 
"If Santa has been watching me my chances will be slim
Of getting that expensive baseball glove.
But if you ask me, I think that it really ***** that Santa
Does NOT believe in unconditional love!
 
"I'm the victim here, you see. That is what I am.
I try to my best year after year.
If Santa wants to play that way I hope he gets my message:
Tell him he can stick it in his ear!
Yep!
Tell him he can stick it in his ear."

- by Bob B

World leaders met and Trump,
Who lives in various wonderlands,
Also had a meeting with Putin
And played right into the dictator's hands.

Trump admires Putin--a man
Who bullies targets to do his bidding.
If Trump's not aware that he's being played,
The neophyte has to be kidding.

A man who loves to undermine
Democracy and put down dissent,
Create chaos in the world
And pull the strings of our president,

Maintain control of a criminal state
Where greed, graft, and corruption hold sway,
And jail or **** opponents doesn't
Even deserve the time of day.

Yes, we know that power corrupts
And absolute power, absolutely.
Its hideous effect on a free people
Is something we're aware of acutely.

Does Trump just love the idea that Putin
Controls the country, controls the press,
Surrounds himself with loyalists,
And governs the people with fear and duress?

Not a pretty picture, of course.
Concerned Americans very much fear
That Putin-like threats to democracy
Are showing their ugly faces here.

- by Bob B (7-9-17)

Tell me how a man--a real estate mogul,
Who brags about women he can ****** or ogle;
Who NOT through hard work but by using his fame
Rakes in the bucks from brandishing his name;
Who supplements his fortune by appearing on TV
And adds to his resumé: celebrity;
Who stiffs his employees, as many have noted;
Who riles up his base against the scapegoated;
Who breaks all the rules and who shoots from the hip,
And earned himself a zero in statesmanship;
Who criticizes others for breeches in security
But whose own practices are clothed in obscurity;
Who hides from the world his shadowy case history
And wants to keep his tax returns a total mystery--
How can this man--this New York resident--
Become a country's 45th president?

There’s trouble in America. That’s what they say.
There’s trouble in America. That’s life today.
There’s trouble in America. Something is broken.
There’s trouble in America. Let the truth be spoken.

Tell me how a man can pull in donations
Despite--give or take--nineteen accusations
Of ****** harassment--of ****** impropriety--
That normally would bring you shameful notoriety.
Women, immigrants, and others whom he blasted:
Why weren't more of them completely flabbergasted?
How could he lead a Party to victory
When his behavior is so contradictory?
White House jobs go to son-in-law and daughter;
He talks of friend Putin as though he walks on water.
How can a person con his way to the top
And "waist" so much money--excuse the malaprop--
Spending so much time at his posh golf resorts?
(Maybe he's making up for time he'll spend in courts.)
How many voters regret what they have done
Now that the blowhard is leader number one?

There’s trouble in America. That’s what they say.
There’s trouble in America. That’s life today.
There’s trouble in America. Something is broken.
There’s trouble in America. Let the truth be spoken.

Tell me how a leader can garner support
When it comes to honesty and he comes up short.
When you're pathological, how do you earn
Respect from ALL of the people that you burn?
If your administration has a racist flavor,
You cannot be doing justice a favor.
Running a country requires a lot more
Than being rich and famous and thriving on lore.
About his private life, most don't give a hoot,
But now he's in bed with NRA to boot!
As the Russia probe keeps digging deeper,
The mountain of evidence keeps getting steeper.
"Un-presidented" is what the man would write;
"Unprecedented" would be more erudite.
Scandal after scandal in the USA!
Madness is only one tweet away!

There’s trouble in America. That’s what they say.
There’s trouble in America. That’s life today.
There’s trouble in America. Something is broken.
There’s trouble in America. Let the truth be spoken.

Trouble in America…

-by Bob B (3-12-18)

Astronomers have found what appears to be a planet
One thousand four hundred light years away
Called Kepler 452b.
What incredible news to convey!

If the universe has one hundred billion
Galaxies--give or take a few--
Then astronomers' dreams of encountering other
Living beings just might come true.

With a possible seventy trillion stars,
It's very likely we're not alone.
More than a few of these solar systems
Could have what is called a "habitable zone."

The orbit of Kepler 452b
Makes a 385-day year
As it circles a G2-type star--
One that's like our own solar sphere.

The newly discovered planet--it appears--
Is sixty percent larger than Earth
And was formed 1.5 billion
Years before our planet's birth.

If we determine it can't sustain
Life as we know it, chances are
There are other possible planet
Candidates circling another star.

What could the other life forms look like?
The creatures from ALIEN, STAR WARS, E.T.?
Are they beyond our imagination,
Or do they resemble you and me?

Some say be careful what you ask for;
Other life forms might hurt or annoy us.
Or even more frightful than that,
Other life forms could simply destroy us.

That's scary! But consider mankind's destruction
Of our planet Earth, and it's just getting worse.
It might be refreshing to know there's intelligent
Life somewhere in this universe.

- by Bob B

Obstructing an investigation
Is really easier than one thinks.
Surround yourself with fawning fans
To help you work out all the kinks.

It helps if you can early on
Fire the head of the whole shebang,
And then sully his reputation
With every subsequent harangue.

Build distrust in the FBI
So when the people hear those initials,
They'll remember how you impugned
The credibility of law officials.

Spread the fear that a secret society,
Cleverly organized and malicious,
Is out to get you, even though
In reality, it's fictitious.

Let your "friends" in Congress create
Alternate scandals that detract
From your investigation, even
Though they are not based on fact.

A news station that has the least
Credibility helps a great deal--
One that pedals conspiracy theories
With unabashed passion and zeal.

Undermine investigative
Efforts by frequently causing confusion,
And then repeat ad nauseum
"No collusion! No collusion!"

Using some Stalinesque techniques
Helps your cause, and once you've begun,
The people, too, will call the media
Public enemy number one.

Having power will make you feel
That you possess unlimited choices.
If democracy gets in the way,
Keep on trying to quiet voices.

All of the strategies listed above--
If they're mercilessly applied--
Will come in handy, especially
If you have something to hide.

-by Bob B (1-25-18)

A traveler needing help decided
It would be handy to rent an ***.
He found someone and made a deal.
Observe what then came to pass:
 
The owner of the *** followed behind
To drive the animal along on its way.
A few hours later the traveler and owner
Decided to rest; it was a hot day.
 
The traveler spied the ***'s shadow,
Which was the coolest place he could find.
"Oh no you don't," the owner said.
"That is MY spot, if you don't mind."
 
"Since," said the traveler, "I'm renting the animal,
"The shadow belongs to me as well."
"You're renting the ***--NOT its shadow!"
Exclaimed the owner. "You go to hell!"
 
Ooh, the argument grew tense and heated
And eventually led to shoving and blows.
Instead of seeking a compromise,
The two men acted like a couple of schmoes.
 
Suddenly, it dawned upon the men:
The *** was gone; it had run away.
The fight continued; each man said
The other one would have to pay.
 
What is the moral of the story?
If you are wise, surely you’ll wish you
Could focus less on the minor "shadow"
And more on the real, essential issue.
 
Or…
 
When we consider what is important,
There is a lesson for the masses:
You will likely be left in the lurch
If you place too much trust in *****.

- by Bob B

What a trip! Have you ever
Had a capsule endoscopy?
The prepping procedure's exactly what
You do for a colonoscopy.

It's SO much fun! Of course, I don't
Have to say I'm being sarcastic.
The feeling of peeing out one's rear
Isn't a feeling I'd call fantastic.

After the prep, it's all downhill.
A pill-like camera is ingested--
One that travels through the body,
Basically unmolested.

Wires taped to your body
Connect to a monitor, which will record
The camera's journey through your system.
"Everybody, hop on board!

"After the throat, we take a plunge
Down the esophagus. Hurray!
We're now in an empty stomach.
There's no food to get in the way.

"Watch out for those dangerous acids,
Which ask, 'What is this to digest?'
To them a camera passing through
Is NOT a very welcome guest.

"Next stop: the duodenum.
Here we go around the bend.
We still have a ways to go
Before our adventure nears its end.

"The long trek through the small intestine
Is a windy, curvy path
Five to seven meters long.
How many feet? You do the math.

"Say hi to Mr. Appendix
As we leisurely pass him by.
He's not the most appreciated
Part of the human body. Poor guy.

"As we traverse the colon we
Realize the end's in sight.
How refreshing to know that at
The end of the tunnel, there's a light!

"We hope the journey was a safe one
With NO dangers or major surprises.
The prep indeed was the worst part of all,
But life is full of compromises."

What happens to the capsule next
I'll leave to your imagination.
If everything comes out as planned,
That'll be cause for celebration.

- by Bob B (4-4-17)

Oscar Martínez and Angie Valeria,
A father and daughter from El Salvador,
Came to our border seeking asylum.
Their voices will not be heard anymore

Turned away at the border the father,
Mother, and daughter left in despair.
Desperation makes us take risks
Whenever our future is up in the air.

The Rio Grande near Matamoros
Proved not to be the family's friend.
Swept away in the rushing current,
Father and daughter both met their end.

Farewell to Oscar and Angie Valeria.
Let's hope that their deaths will not be in vain.
Urgency should call us to action:
Our treatment of others should be more humane.

Helpless, the frantic mother stood watching,
Feeling the pain that life can deliver.
The bodies of her two loved ones were found
In the murky waters near the bank of the river.

Who's passing blame or pointing a finger?
Who's going to turn a blind eye to sorrow?
How many more asylum seekers
Will lose their lives today or tomorrow?

Farewell to Oscar and Angie Valeria.
Let's hope that their deaths will not be in vain.
Urgency should call us to action:
Our treatment of others should be more humane.

-by Bob B (6-27-19)

Instead of dealing with real issues,
Trump wants the adulation
Of crowds of supporters at huge rallies
Continuing across the nation.

Obviously, he loves the spotlight.
The praise of the crowds turns him on
And brings a smile to a face
That's usually wan or woebegone.

The instant gratification he gets
From faithful fans and cheering crowds
Strokes his huge, overblown ego
And lets him keep his head in the clouds.

Smitten with the fervent applause
From fawning masses, loyal and true,
Trump beams. But let's not forget:
****** loved HIS rallies, too.

- by Bob B (11-18-16)

The house that I grew up in has changed through the years.
It hides now in the foliage so lush and thick around it.
It holds countless memories--of laughter, tears, and fears--
Despite the ocean of leaves and bushes that have drowned it.
 
I still can see us playing in what was once a yard--
Croquet, catch, softball, and often kick the can.
Finding things to keep us busy wasn't hard.
We played cops and robbers, tag, and Superman.
 
I see us in our costumes running out the door,
Eager to fill our trick-or-treat bags with treats.
In December, we rearranged the furniture before
Dad brought home our tree and Mom put out the sweets.
 
The smell of donuts frying in Mom's old deep fryer
Brought my weekend morning slumber to a halt.
The way she planned out life was something to admire.
She was thoughtful, caring, and organized to a fault.

I still feel the excitement of family get-togethers,
Visits from relatives, parties with our friends.
Our relationships were bonds instead of tethers.
I feel we maintained a love that never ends.
 
Then there was the time of chaos when my brother
Fell from a car, cracked his head, and almost died.
Though blinded, he survived; but unlike any other,
That was a time when we were terrified.
 
That house saw me pass through many years of school--
From kindergarten till I got my college degree.
During my hippie years when I thought I was cool,
The house was still my refuge while I was finding me.
 
Into the house came my newly adopted sister
While I was still in college. Soon the Army called.
I said good-by, but ****! how I missed her!
That was one of the few times I have bawled.
 
After I'd left for the Army, my parents moved away.
I never once set foot inside that house again.
Although I now live in a different house today;
I keep having dreams of that house from way back when.
 
Many many things are only memories now;
So many family and friends have departed.
I trust that thoughts of love and gratitude somehow
Will keep me from feeling down and broken-hearted.

- by Bob B

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Tammy" by Jay Livingston and Raymond B. Evans.)

You topped TV's televangelist scene.
Tammy Faye, Tammy Faye, you were the queen.
When hubby Jim Bakker was forced to come clean,
Tammy Faye, Tammy Faye, you were still queen.
Will we ever know
What it was
That made you tick?
And people still wonder why
Your make-up was so thick.
We can still picture your face with its sheen.
Tammy Faye, Tammy Faye, you were the queen.

When other preachers were badmouthing gays,
Tammy Faye, you had new pathways to blaze.
You offered them love in so many kind ways,
Even though there was much money to raise.
When the world was cruel,
So very cruel,
To people with AIDS,
Compassion for them became
One of your crusades.
Although people blasted your actions and mien,
Nonetheless, Tammy Faye, you were the queen.

-by Bob B (9-21-21)

Forty-nine bodies lay in Orlando
Morgues waiting to be promptly claimed,
Which forty-eight families did.
One, however, was too ashamed.

One body lay unidentified--
Alone, rejected, day after day--
Because a stone-hearted father
Objected to his son's being gay.

So intransigent, so consumed
By his intolerant, cherry-picked views,
A father preferred to leave his son lying
In a cold morgue. Heart-breaking news!

After the horror of the nightclub massacre,
Adding insult to injury that dad
Showed the capacity of the human heart
To lack compassion. How very sad!

Extended family of the young victim
Later convinced authorities to release
The body into their care, so now
The abandoned son can rest in peace.

For years did the son have any support
From his dad, or was it too much bother?
One thing we know without a doubt:
The son deserved a better father.

- by Bob B

How to win an election…
It's really simple these days.
Some would call it an art.
Let us count the ways.

One. Forget the truth.
Fill your speeches with lies.
Focusing on facts
Would probably be unwise.

Two. Find a scapegoat
Or two or three or four.
If that's not enough,
You can always find more.

Three. Social media
For spreading disinformation
Will easily hurt your
Opponent's reputation.

Four. Spread doubt,
Uncertainty and fear
In the minds of the people.
Smear, smear, smear!

Five. Hateful rhetoric
Will help further your cause.
Poke fun at violence.
Thumb your nose at the laws.

Six. Be certain
To run a bad faith campaign.
Admitting any fault
Should go against the grain.

Seven. Welcome support
From groups super extreme.
Bring some nativist members
Into your campaign team.

Eight. Find ways
To further vilify
Your opponent with
Help from the FBI.

Nine. Don't be afraid
To get some outside support.
Russia is--for instance--
A country you could court.

Ten. Blame the media
For everything that's wrong.
Accuse them with the obnoxious
"Biased" and "liberal" song.

There you have it. It's easy.
If your numbers lag,
Follow these rules and you
Have it in the bag.

(11-12-16) By Bob B

Beware the Sinclair Broadcast Group,
Where needed attention to truth is skipped.
Anchors from all across the country
Have to read the very same script.

Harmless? Well, that's what you think.
The trouble is problems arise
When the news stations are forced
To spread to millions the president's lies.

What should be an anathema to
A free society happens to be
A broadcasting system that is
The next best thing to state-run TV.

Here's the major emphasis:
Coordinate presentations.
The Group cunningly sets out
To brainwash viewers of local stations.

The wise, of course, see through all
The blatant deception, but many don't
See through the crafty propaganda
Machine--either they CAN'T or WON'T.

Woe is us if our news system
Imitates Putin's, and so
Beware the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Reject the dangerous puppet show.

-by Bob B (2-12-19)

From an enormous ocean of voices
Loudly emerges the voice of reason,
Telling you that fighting injustice
Has nothing to do with disloyalty or treason.

When a veil of confusion covers
Truth, depriving it of clarity,
The veil must be lifted so that
Honesty vanquishes insincerity.

When a foggy mist of deception
Completely obscures the seeker's view,
Doubt and uncertainty linger on
Until the light of truth breaks through.

A word that appears to be innocuous,
Can, depending on its source,
Manifest repercussions
With damaging, destructive force.

Don't be deceived by cunning distractions--
By sirens luring you to your doom.
Don't be afraid to stay the course
When clouds of intimidation loom.

Allowing you to see more clearly,
The true voice of reason will guide you--
Whether it calls you from the distance,
Or whether it comes from deep inside you.

- by Bob B (2-8-17)

What has happened to America?
How did democracy get so diluted?
How could its people sit by and watch
Repeated attacks go undisputed?

The nation has had its ups and downs
Since it began--no denying.
We strove to work out the kinks in our system
With dreams and efforts that were undying.

Autocratic leaders were once
Looked at with both disdain and suspicion.
Currently, world dictators are
Receiving our leader's recognition.

White supremacists used to spread
Their vile hatred from out on the fringes.
The mainstream door--now open for them--
Has even been taken off its hinges.

Struggles for rights have gone on for years,
And yet they continue. The clock is ticking.
Though many thought he was dead and buried,
Jim Crow is alive and kicking.

At times in the past, we would protect
Our people through almost any means.
Now our children in schools are being
Massacred by AR-15s.

Knowledge and wisdom once were praised,
And facts used to be highly respected.
Critical thinking is dying while
The art of lying is being perfected.

The free press used to be valued--
A sign that our freedom was thriving.
Misinformed voices, calling it fake,
Now accuse it of being conniving.

Through the years we've heard talk
Of formulating built-in protections.
Now--completely out of control--
***** money determines elections.

Immigrants used to be welcome here.
They've made us strong--without a doubt.
Lately, people keep looking for
More excuses to kick them out.

No system's invincible;
Any system will face attacks.
Democracy can be vulnerable--
Especially if it has cracks.

-by Bob B (3-8-18)

“Is the glass half
Full or half empty?”
Such was the question presented to me.
It depends on whether
The glass contains
A good Cabernet or a cheap Chablis.
 
If it contains
A good Cabernet
With a bold, full-bodied, smoky flavor,
The glass is always
Half empty because
That’s an experience I want to savor.
 
If, however,
A cheap Chablis
Stares at me from the glass’s interior,
That glass is always
Half full to me,
As I endlessly sip a wine that’s inferior.
 
What? You say
That I don’t get it—
That I am trying to redefine
The meaning behind
The expression? I say:
Just shut up and hand me my wine!
 
- by Bob B

Many think that the poor have it easy.
Well, let’s see if they really do....
Ah, they must if you carefully consider
What they do NOT have to go though.
 
They DON'T have huge investment dilemmas,
Such as "Is my portfolio complete?"
Or "Will I maintain my financial status?
It's hard keeping up with the elite!"
 
The poor aren’t faced with countless decisions
That make their daily lives so insane:
“Which car should I drive—the Mercedes or Lexus?”
“Armani or Gucci?” “Which pill for pain?"
 
The poor do not have thousands of options
For health care, so for them it’s a breeze.
"Why do they need preventative medicine?
Emergency care should put them at ease."
 
Taking care of a mansion is tough,
So the rich always have a reason to grouse.
"The poor have it easy with just an apartment,
Or if they’re lucky, a ramshackle house."
 
The rich, having to juggle their money,
Are in a quandary, so to speak.
"The poor can live simply, for they get to live
From paycheck to paycheck, from week to week."
 
It’s hard to organize fancy dinners;
To get the best caterers, you have to pull strings.
"It's so much easier for the poor:
On food stamps can’t they still live like kings?"
 
Hiding millions of dollars is a challenge;
The Cayman Islands are so far away.
"For those don’t have the money to hide,
Life’s less hassle for them, you might say."
 
Tax loopholes are also a headache;
It’s hard to determine which ones work best.
"Those with no money don’t have to worry
Because they lack the funds to invest."
 
Just ask the poor: if they had a choice,
Would they be willing to make a switch,
And give up the easy life of the poor
For the complex, difficult life of the rich?

- by Bob B