A poor farmer had grown so old
That he could no longer work on his land.
He sat on the porch and watched his son work,
Assuming his son would understand.

However, the son, working the fields,
Occasionally would look at his dad
And think to himself, "He does nothing!
His uselessness is driving me mad!"

The son's frustration increased daily.
His selfish resentment wouldn't subside.
He gathered some wood, constructed a coffin,
And told his father to climb inside.

Dragging the coffin to the edge of a cliff,
He stopped when he heard a tapping sound
Coming from the lid, which
He removed and laid on the ground.

The father looked up at his son and said,
"Son, I'd like to avoid a tiff,
But it is obvious to me that you
Are going to throw me over the cliff.

"Throw me over the precipice.
That's odd behavior, but I'll excuse it.
But keep this beautiful, wooden coffin;
YOUR children might want to use it."

- by Bob B (3-1-17)

°An old tale retold here in verse

"You want to make money? If that's true,
Have I got a proposition for you!
Sign up for my investment school.
Hesitating would be uncool.

"All my instructors will bestow
The best education on you. I know;
I picked them myself. They're tremendous.
My courses without a doubt are stupendous.

"What, you don't have money for food?
You won't get far with that attitude.
You can increase--it's not very hard--
The credit limit on your credit card!

"In fact, in order for you to buy
More seminars, we'll show you why
Obtaining and using more credit cards will
Build your self-worth. How's that for a thrill?

"To satisfy your innermost cravings
For elite courses, don't you have savings?
If courses require too large an amount
Of money, use your retirement account.

"For 35,000 dollars, behold:
A seminar-package that shines like gold.
Can't afford it? Come on, don't tarry.
Those words aren't part of my vocabulary.

"The bottom line is I will for sure
Make you a wealthy entrepreneur.
This is a pathway to wealth and success.
What we want from you is a "yes."

"I guarantee your life will be greater.
You know the drill: buy now, pay later.
All you have to do is sign
Right here on the dotted line."

- by Bob B

Touching her forehead to the cobblestone street
And raising her upturned palms in the air,
The beggar maintains her pose for hours--
A pose of misery, pain, and despair.

Into the Venetian square pours
A constant flow of tourist mobs.
Few pay any attention
To the beggar's miserable, plaintive sobs.

Once in a while her eye will catch
The eye of somebody passing by.
Feeling remorse, disgust, or discomfort,
The person turns away with a sigh.

Occasionally, a kind-hearted
Soul will drop a coin in the palm
Of the beggar woman's beseeching hand,
Hoping to give her a moment of calm.

"Grazie molto, signore, signora,"
The woman cries, lifting her head.
Tears stream down her wrinkled cheeks
From watery eyes, puffy and red.

"Don't encourage her," somebody says.
"Why doesn't she find some employment?"
"How disgusting!" says another.
"She puts a damper on my enjoyment."

Who knows the desperation
That brought the woman to her current state?
It's always easier to turn one's head,
To criticize or castigate.

One man says, "You'll never find me
Begging like her. That's what I know."
He's unaware that the poor woman
Said the same thing years ago.

-by Bob B

Floorboards creak; ceiling beams snap;
Walls crackle and pop.
Cold drafts chill me to the bone;
The shivers never stop.
I awaken at night to the sounds of moaning
That fill the house with grief.
An icy breath of anguish blows over me,
Allowing for little relief.
 
Lying awake, I wonder about
The cause of each eerie sound.
I’ll never know the answer unless
I take a look around.
Expansion, contraction, heat, cold:
A probable explanation;
But what explains the mournful moaning
That causes such consternation?
 
Feeling my way down the creaky stairs,
I shudder with coldness and fear—
Wanting to know but at the same time
Afraid of what might appear.
Silently standing at the base of the stairs,
I stare into the dark.
If asked how I felt, horror and dread
Would certainly hit the mark.
 
Groping the furniture, I sit on the sofa
And listen to the dead of the night;
I start to nod, then jump with a start,
Filled with panic and fright.
An amorphous figure appears before me—
Vague, undefined, obscure.
My fear turns into deep sadness,
Which is difficult to endure.
 
“Are you a spirit?” I whisper, and wait.
At first I have little success.
Finally, I hear a soft, sobbing sound—
A plaintive, fragile “Yes.”
Yeah, right, I think, a spirit that haunts
My house. Isn’t that cool?
Is this a joke—somebody’s trick?
Do they take me for a fool?
 
“What draws you here to my house,” I ask.
“What is this perverse
Penchant you have for creaking and moaning?”
The spirit replies, “It’s a curse.
Years ago I lived in this home.
My life was happy and free.
Everything was going my way.
Now look what’s happened to me.
 
“The world was in my hands; I had
Everything under control.
Nothing could get the best of me
Till death bells started to knoll.
No! I refused to succumb or give in;
Too hot were the fires
Of greed and longing and wanting and having—
Too powerful were my desires.
 
“Too late I realized my mistakes;
Too late, too late, too late.
I’m stuck here to play out all of my longings.
This is my cruel fate.”
It occurs to me to ask of its gender;
I am curious to hear it.
“Are you a man or woman,” I ask.
It laughs and says, “Just a spirit.”
 
“I’m sorry for your pain,” I say,
“Is there anything I can do?”
“No,” it answers, “it’s up to me;
I must see this through.”
“Obviously, you’re not,” I continue,
“As quiet as a mouse.
But could you be so kind as to haunt
Someone else’s house?”
 
“Aha! So you think that THIS is humorous!”
The spirit thunders with a roaring.
“I was here long before you arrived;
And YOU disturb ME with your snoring!”
“I’m sorry,” I say, and ponder what
Could be a possible solution.
One thing I know: these night-time visits
Are not good for my constitution.
 
“How about this? Let’s make a deal,”
I say. “You’re free to roam
As much as you want, and you can be loud
Whenever I’m not at home.
When I am here—asleep or awake—
So I can have peace of mind,
You be quiet and work on your karma,
If you’re so inclined.”
 
“Deal! You’ve got my UNDYING promise,”
It responds with a voice full and sunny.
I think to myself: Now it's the one
Who’s trying to be funny.
I yawn and say I’m going back to bed,
And I give the spirit my best
And hope that soon—VERY soon—
It finds eternal rest.
 
I often wonder if the gloomy spirit
Is still working its way
Through its torment, which I hope
Is being held at bay.
If I hear a creak or pop in the night,
Now peace and calm prevail;
I hope I’ve learned a lesson from my
Nocturnal visitor’s tale.

- by Bob B

(can be sung to "Over the Rainbow" from the film THE WIZARD OF OZ)

"Down on our southern border
There's my wall.
Even though you can't see it,
I see it standing tall.

"Some say it doesn't need to
Be in place.
But I've worked very hard to
Dupe my believing base.

"Congress might not give me cash,
But I've got ways to find the stash
To fund it.
I've declared--as you can see!--
A national emergency.
***** those who shunned it.

"I will get what I want; I
Always do.
My great wall is going to
Make all my dreams come true.

"If Putin gets his way, then why
Can't Donald Trump? Yes,
Why the hell can't I?"

-by Bob B (2-19-19)

You are very likely to have
Remarkable intuition.
What makes you extremely nurturing
Is your caring disposition.

You react emotionally
To everything, but sometimes notions
Might be instrumental in making
You a prisoner of your emotions.

You are attached to home and hearth,
But it isn't at all bizarre
For you to make a comfy, *****
Atmosphere wherever you are.

Because you're apt to cling to the past,
Sometimes you will find it hard
To let go of things in your life.
You have to be on your guard:

If you are not careful, you'll
Find your life in complete disorder
When you're no longer the avid collector
But instead the consummate hoarder.

Even regarding relationships,
It's hard for you to let them go.
Once you've reconciled that issue,
You'll have reached a new plateau.

Your sensitivity
Reflects the circumstances around you.
Being needed and helping others,
Are two things that solidly ground you.

Emotional security
Is, of course, your principal goal.
Just don't stoop to manipulating
Others in order to be in control.

A strong will and determination
Guide you to help others in need.
But if you feel too insecure,
Criticism will make you bleed.

If you feel at all threatened,
Your ambitions will remain hidden
Until you're somewhat confident
That all threats have been overridden.

You are deeply concerned about
What other people think of you.
So building your self-confidence
Is one of the best things you can do.

Only when you are comfortable
Will you open up completely,
Although your guarded nature will
Tend to make you do it discreetly.

You love feeding family and guests
Even if you aren't the best cook.
You love to add your personal flair
And hate to always go by the book.

Since you absorb so many feelings
From your surroundings, you must retreat
To a quiet place at times;
If not, your engine will overheat.

Don't let your moods get out of hand,
And work on being more direct.
Then the world will be your oyster--
More so than you'd ever expect.

- by Bob B (6-14-17)

There's a scammer born every minute!
Every time you turn around
There's someone with a scam.
It's frustrating to always have
A mailbox full of spam.
Can anything be done about it?
Maybe not, so ****!
There's a scammer born every minute!

There's a scammer born every minute!
Whether it is on the phone,
An email, or a text,
Or whether they are at your door,
What will they think of next?
The matter makes me furious,
Disgusted and perplexed.
There's a scammer born every minute!

There's a scammer born every minute!
How DO they live without a conscience?
That's how they survive.
By lying and deceiving they will
Keep their schemes alive.
Unsuspecting victims are
Their targets; thus, they thrive.
There's a scammer born every minute!

There's a scammer born every minute!
Unethical, unprincipled,
Amoral, creepy, vile,
Repugnant, shameless, loathsome, hateful,
They are full of guile.
Sorry, but to see them have to pay
Would make me smile.
There's a scammer born every minute!

-by Bob B (4-21-24)

Friedrich Trump… Heard of him?
Born in 1869
In a small town in Germany,
Not too far from the beautiful Rhine…

Grandfather of you know who…
Left home seeking fortune and glory…
Ran taverns and brothels in
Canada's Yukon Territory…

Returned to Europe in 1901
And found himself a German wife…
Skipped military service--
Who needs such a crimp in his life?--

By taking his wife to New York City…
When they returned to German soil,
News of the draft dodger reached
German officials and made their blood boil.

His actions also didn't sit well
With Prince Karl of Bavaria, who
Wanted Friedrich to be deported.
Friedrich's appeals to stay fell through.

On July 1, 1905,
The Trumps, having been told to scram,
Boarded a New York City-bound steamship.
If only they'd stayed in Germany! ****!

- by Bob B (12-6-16)

President Trump's first day
In office wouldn't allay your fears
If you've been worried about what we'll
Be seeing for the next four years.

Press Secretary Spicer,
Who's called upon to do Trump's bidding,
Had one major concern:
Crowd size! I'm not kidding!

Spicer castigated the media,
Saying that they had underreported
The size of Inauguration Day crowds.
The figures, he said, were greatly distorted.

Spicer insisted that Donald Trump's
Inauguration crowds had been
The largest that had ever witnessed
Such an event.^ Once again

Trump's insecurities
And hurt ego take front stage.
The media merely report the facts
And he flies into a rage.

Facts are facts: President Obama's
Numbers were greater. But NO big deal.
Instead of putting out a tweet,
Trump had Spicer deliver his spiel.

The numbers are not that important.
What's important is whether Trump can
Set aside his petty gripes.
Is that beyond the scope of the man?

- by Bob B (1-22-17)

^Spicer had said the following: "This was the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe." Just awkwardly worded, or intentionally vague?

(Can be sung to the tune of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail")

"You won't see my tax returns.
So what if you've got concerns.
You are never going to get your way.

"Though I talk transparency,
It does NOT apply to me.
You can ask but I will not obey.

"I've got **** Mulvaney,
And he has got my back.
I don't cave to pressure;
I will never crack.

"So you won't see my tax returns.
You can stick all your concerns
Up a dark place where the sun don't shine.

"No, YOU won't see my tax returns.
Just how much a president earns
Shall remain a secret, which is mine.

"I don't care if they resort
To laws, then we'll end up in court.
All I have to say is 'Make my day!'

"Business ties with Russia
And other countries, too,
And how I make my money
Are NO concern to you.

"So…
You won't see my tax returns.
Anyone who knows me learns
Very quickly I do things my way.

"Everyone has things to hide.
Cover-ups are justified.
My returns won't see the light of day.
No, my returns won't see the light of day."

-by Bob B (4-8-19)

Providing strength in diversity
And beautiful variety,
Like strands of gold woven into
The fabric of society,

Our Dreamers here greatly enrich
American communities.
How callous it would be to close
Doors to opportunities!

Their contributions to our country
Should NOT be disregarded,
Buried in forgetfulness,
Ignored, or even discarded.

They didn't come here on their own;
Their parents brought them here.
Whatever the reasons for the move,
One thing is clear:

Brought here at an early age,
They grew to look ahead
And now have fewer ties to
The countries that they fled.

You might be an American
Citizen, but do
You understand that Dreamers are
As American as you?

-by Bob B (8-30-17)

We have walked on the moon
And zoomed into outer space.
Messages travel the world
At a breath-taking pace.

We've landed rovers on Mars
And scoured the depths of the sea,
Snapped close-ups of Saturn
And explored to the nth degree.

We've studied the changing climate,
Prevented many a disease,
And invented artificial
Limbs and hips and knees.

We've made great strides fighting cancer;
New studies are taking root
In the area of quantum physics
And molecular biology to boot.

With all this amazing progress
We're still miles behind
When it comes to opening
The human heart and mind.

Misinformation takes precedence
Over rational thought;
Forgetfulness erases
The lessons we were taught.

Awareness, compassion, empathy…
Where have they gone?
Distrust, fear, and hatred
Ruthlessly live on.

It's almost as though some governments
Are insidiously in sync
At being flagrantly negligent
Of encouraging people to think.

More than ever it's crucial
To distinguish truth from lies.
It's incumbent on us
To open resistant eyes.

How do we treat other people?
Our human actions show,
That despite our advancements,
We have a long way to go.

- by Bob B

I met a turkey the other day
While on my daily walk.
Strange to say, his name was Tom;
And stranger, he could talk!

He wasn't in the greatest mood;
In fact, he looked downhearted.
"Feeling the holiday blues?" I asked.
He said, "Don't get me started.

"You would also be depressed
If you were a turkey
And people saw you as a meal
Or turned you into jerky."

He paused; "By any chance are you
A butcher or a grocer?
For if you are, you are NOT
Getting any closer."

I said, "No way!" to ease his mind.
"You don't have to worry."
When he tried to walk away,
I asked, "Now what's your hurry?"

"You know," he answered, "I'm in hiding--
At least until Thanksgiving.
To have to spend your days like this
Is not what I call living.

"Why are we the chosen ones
To grace your silly table?
It turns us into basket cases--
Neurotic and unstable.

"And don't say 'But your sacrifice:
Consider it an honor.'
I would rather live out my dreams
Instead of being a goner.

"Why not switch to tofu turkey?
They say it's not so bad.
You'd save a lot of lives and make
Many turkeys glad."

Giving him a chance to vent
Seemed to lift his mood.
I tried to be empathetic
And not see him as food.

Then he said, "You're going to think
That I'm a nasty fella,
But I think that it's super cool
When folks get salmonella.

"Sorry, but that happens to be
The only method that
We can use to get back at you;
I call it *** for tat.

But really, I must dash," he said,
And so I wished him well.
He waddled off to some safe place
As far as I could tell.

It really made me stop and think--
This unexpected meeting--
Whether I fully appreciate
The many things I'm eating.

My hope this year is simple: May
This one bird at least,
NOT be on the table when
I eat my holiday feast.

- by Bob B

"William Barr is my name,
But you can call me AG Barr.
Protecting Donald Trump must be
The highlight of my repertoire.

"I'll defy the rule of law,
And I don't give a **** if I'm--
Despite what others say or think--
A sly accomplice to his crime."

"Lindsey Graham is my name,
Call me Senator Graham, please.
Selling one's soul to the devil is
Where I have my expertise.

"I don't care if Trump's corrupt
Or stretches the truth all the time.
If he furthers my goals, I will
Be an accomplice to his crime."

"Devin Nunes is my name,
But you can just call me Devin.
Having Trump as president
Is a right-wing extremist's heaven.

"If you want to obstruct justice,
Follow the president's paradigm.
Give up your integrity AND
Be an accomplice to his crime."

"Sarah Sanders is my name.
I am THE press secretary.
Whenever I lie for President Trump,
I just say a quick Hail Mary.

"Working for this president
Is something that I'd call sublime.
No one really cares if he
Or she's an accomplice to his crime."

So many people willing to lie--
So many people willing to begrime
Their character and reputations
As accomplices to the president's crime.

-by Bob B (5-5-19)

A beginning is often an ending;
An ending is often a beginning.
Sometimes winning is losing;
Sometimes losing is winning.
 
Bad can come out of good;
Good can come out of bad.
Something that makes one happy
Might make someone else sad.
 
Though giving is better than receiving,
Sometimes receiving is giving.
Living leads to death;
Death contributes to living.
 
Bliss to some is ignorance;
Ignorance to some is bliss.
To one a miss is a hit;
To another a hit is a miss.
 
Sometimes we laugh when we cry;
Sometimes we cry when we laugh.
A bold move to you,
To me might be a gaffe.
 
A lie can sound like the truth;
The truth can sound like a lie;
Some people seem very distant,
Even though they're nearby.
 
You have to know to ask,
And you have to ask to know.
We need the earth, yes?
Does the earth need us? No!

- by Bob B

Every morning when she awoke
From her nightly repose,
There upon her doorstep lay
A single, crimson rose--

A rose as fresh and as fragrant as any
She'd ever smelled or seen.
She put it in a vase each day,
Wondering, "What could this mean?

Is it a secret admirer? Or could it
Be a secret gawker?"
Then a thought occurred to her:
"I hope it's not a stalker!"

She tried waiting up all night;
Her vigilance was in vain.
Every morning a new rose appeared
Despite wind or rain.

She figured that a surveillance camera
Would clarify everything surely.
"But maybe it's better left unsolved,"
She said to herself demurely.

So on and on the mystery of the roses
Continued year after year.
She was curious as to how long her secret
Admirer could persevere.

One day her neighbors noticed a pile
Of roses at her door.
Something wasn't right, for that
Had never happened before.

They entered her home and what they found
Caused them all to start:
Their lifeless neighbor lay on her bed
With a red rose over her heart.

- by Bob B

Summers at a South Dakotan lake
Were a constant delight.
My brothers and I--three young boys--
Lived each day outright.

Having been sent to stay with our grandparents,
We certainly didn't mind,
For every day was a new adventure;
We'd left our worries behind.

Mornings Gramp brewed our coffee--
He was the first to awake.
We drank it together as the morning sun
Shimmered on the lake.

He'd pour some coffee into his saucer,
Then lift it to take a sip.
I'd copy him and lift my own--
Mindful of my grip.

I'm sure I pestered him with questions.
He probably wanted to enjoy
The calm, peaceful summer mornings
Without a pesky boy.

But the loving man never complained;
The kindness showed in his eyes.
Those were special moments we shared
As we waited for the others to rise.

As soon as we could, we boys would dash
Outdoors to explore and play.
So many wondrous possibilities
And never a boring day!

My favorite activity was cowboys and Indians--
I got to wear feathers, you see.
I laugh when I look at photos of then;
We weren't very PC.

I don't know how I did it, but
We would catch frogs until
We had enough to cook frog legs
On a makeshift grill.

We also caught catfish, bullheads, and perch
As we fished off the pier;
Or we'd take the boat out on the lake
When the weather was clear.

Once when we were out on the water,
A summer storm approached.
We had to speed back to shore as dark,
Threatening clouds encroached.

Back at the house all hell broke loose
With lightning, thunder, and rain.
Gram feared a violent tornado,
Which was her constant bane.

She and I fearfully sat
By the cellar door and waited,
While Gramp snored away in his room
Until the storm abated.

When Gram and I weren't playing cards,
She would be making a feast.
In the kitchen she displayed her skills
As a culinary artiste.

I'll never forget her scrumptious cookies,
Rhubarb pies, and bread.
Needless to say, she saw to it
That we remained well-fed.

Gramp kept busy working on projects--
Building, maintaining, repairing.
Once in a while--to Gram's dismay--
We could hear Gramp swearing.

The days passed so gloriously by,
And it wasn't long before
Our parents set out for South Dakota
And suddenly appeared at our door.

Soon we left to visit more relatives
Before heading west.
Though we had left our childhood paradise,
We were wonderfully blessed.

Much older now, I'm more reflective
And still seeking wisdom and truth.
But I'll always cherish those glorious days
Of my carefree, golden youth.

- by Bob B

Tim Murphy° of Pennsylvania--
Proud of his anti-abortion stance
And long-time anti-abortion record--
Was caught doing a different dance:

Murphy's former mistress wonders
How the man has reconciled
His pro-life pretensions while also wanting
Her to abort their unborn child.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, Mr. Murphy.
But maybe the cloud has a silver lining
When you step down from your position,
For word is out that you're resigning.

Oh, you hypocrites! You love to decide
What's good for other people. How true!
But you do what you **** well choose,
For rules do NOT apply to you!

-by Bob B (10-6-17)

°Congressman from Pennsylvania's 18th District

Fact-checking is meaningless if
People have no respect for facts.
Just watch social media and you
Will see how the public reacts

To natural disasters or shootings.
Conspiracy theories quickly abound
And suddenly the Internet is
An informational battleground.

Knowing the truth no longer gives us
A feeling of calm or a sense of relief,
Since few people have an incentive
For altering a false belief.

Experts say our psychological
Weaknesses are targets for those
Who spread misinformation for
Ideological ends. These pros

Know how to use the media well.
Their credibility's merely a ruse.
And suddenly the falsehoods are
Amplified all over the news.

Hacks and kooks and fringe group crazies
Have been around forever; it's true.
If there's a chance to spread their lies,
They do not miss a cue.

Fringe groups going mainstream. Yikes!
That's a recipe for disaster,
Especially when a gullible public
Eats up the nonsense faster and faster.

Orwell's 1984
For many years made us wary.
The year twenty seventeen
Is also looking ****** scary.

-by Bob B (9-3-17)

The Mueller-led investigation
Continues. Everyone wants to know
If the findings will prove what many
People suspected a year ago.

So much suspicious activity!
So many meetings occurred!
How many shady dealings
With how many people were secured?

We hear that Cambridge Analytica--
The data firm for Trump's campaign--
Reached out to Julian Assange
(Tool of the Kremlin) to obtain

Documents stolen by
A foreign government to attack
Our voting process. And now look:
We're stuck with a megalomaniac!

It sounds very much like collusion
According to every indicator.
What about obstruction of justice?
Oh, well, that came later.

Meanwhile Trump continues to make
False or misleading statements each day
In efforts to bolster his base of support,
Confuse the issues, and lead us astray.

"I'm a very intelligent person,"
He likes to tell us again and again.
(Won't they have fun with that--
The commentators on CNN?)

What is happening defies belief.
The craziness was unforeseen.
Who ever knew the magnitude
Of Trump's propaganda machine?

-by Bob B (10-27-17)

(This poem can be sung to the tune of the traditional Scottish folk song "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean.")

D.T.:
“Oh, I have no problem with war crimes,
Though some people might disagree.
That anything goes is my doctrine.
No, war crimes do not bother me.

(Chorus)
“War crimes, war crimes,
Oh, war crimes do not bother me, not me.
War crimes, war crimes,
No, war crimes do not bother me.

“Some people frown upon torture.
They think it's cruel and perverse.
But I think that it can be useful.
Restrictive rules are such a curse.

“War crimes, war crimes,
Oh, war crimes do not bother me, not me.
War crimes, war crimes,
No, war crimes do not bother me.

“Terrorists are a big nuisance.
But one way to spoil their plots
Is to go after their loved ones.
Then they might have second thoughts.

“War crimes, war crimes,
Oh, war crimes do not bother me, not me.
War crimes, war crimes,
No, war crimes do not bother me.

“Soldiers out there who've committed
War crimes are heroes, you see.
I'll gladly give them a pardon
‘Cause war crimes do not bother me.

“War crimes, war crimes,
Oh, war crimes do not bother me, not me.
War crimes, war crimes,
No, war crimes do not bother me.

“To leaders who rule other countries,
Listen to me, for I swear
I'll bomb your cultural centers.
Let ALL the world's nations beware.

“War crimes, war crimes,
Oh, war crimes do not bother me, not me.
War crimes, war crimes,
No, war crimes do not bother me.”

-by Bob B (1-8-20)

Frederick Trump°--we know of him.
What about his son Fred--
The father of Donald J,
Whose reputation is now widespread?

Fred started out fairly young
Building houses and apartments in Queens.
Later forming a company,
He soon became a man of means.

In 1927 Fred
Attended a parade on Memorial Day--
One that just happened to have been
Organized by the KKK.

Police arrested Fred, for they
Had told him to leave; instead he stayed.
Was he an innocent bystander
Or a participant at the parade?

1954 proved
That controversies weren't disappearing.
Fred was investigated
For wartime profiteering.

Later tenant Woody Guthrie
Accused him of stirring up racial hate.
(The Trump family always seems
To have something to litigate.)

In 1973 Fred
And son Donald faced accusations
Of unfair treatment of blacks--in short,
Of civil rights violations.

So bad blood between the Trumps
And the DOJ has a history.
Thus, Donald J's attack
On the justice system is not a mystery.

Both sides claimed victory,
But father and son hated the fact
That they were told to acquaint themselves
With the current Fair Housing Act.

(Funny, but we can see a pattern
In watching the president's evolution.
He also has difficulty
Understanding the Constitution.)

Fred suffered from Alzheimer's
The final years of his life. What's scary
Is the possibility
That maybe it's hereditary!

When looking at grandpa, dad, and son,
Very few would disagree
How they bring to life the saying:
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

-by Bob B (2-6-18)

°Born Friedrich

Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires.
What a fitting name!
Countries that try to conquer it
End up leaving in shame.

THREE TIMES the British tried
To tame the unruly land,
And THREE TIMES they left it because
Things didn't go as planned.

In fact, 1919 is considered
Independence Day.
That was the THIRD time that the British
Invaders walked away.

In 1979 the Russians
Tried to make it their own,
Which eventually became
Another cause to bemoan.

The U.S. helped insurgent fighters
Called the mujahideen
Fight the Russians. Maybe it wasn't
Wise to intervene.

The Russians left in '89.
Their goals had dissolved.
After the 9-11 attack,
The U.S. got involved.

In just a few months, the Taliban
Were brought to their knees,
But U.S. foreign relations are often
Lacking in expertise.

The U.S. devoted ninety percent
Of its efforts to Iraq.
Soon in Afghanistan, voilà!:
The Taliban were back.

We heard about Russian bounties
On U.S. soldiers, no?
Payback for what the U.S. had done
Forty years ago.

And so the story goes on and on:
For 20 years we fought
An ongoing war in Afghanistan,
Which finally came to naught.

Four presidents can share
The blame for what occurred.
To put all the blame on one of them
Would be completely absurd.

And so, regarding the Graveyard of Empires,
The world remains perplexed.
Will other countries make the same
Mistake? Who'll be next?

-by Bob B (9-24-21)

When Trump took office, Sean Spicer,
Press Secretary, expressed
Negative feelings about low figures
For unemployment and further stressed

That such statistics were meaningless.
The important thing is jobs, he said.
Apparently, he was implying
That we have often been misled.

New figures have just come out
Regarding the unemployment rate,
Which is 4.7 percent.
The White House NOW thinks that's great!

Suddenly, figures and numbers
Have meaning, though they didn't before.
Isn't it odd how credibility
Doesn't matter anymore?

The White House has no faith at all
In what the CBO° has to say
Regarding repercussions of
The Republican "fix" for the ACA.°°

White House figures will be more accurate,
Spicer insists, which implies
That we are going to be bombarded
With more alternative facts and lies.

- by Bob B (3-11-17)

°Congressional Budget Office
°°Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

He says he is the "chosen one."
Could the man be more deluded?
That he's totally lost his marbles
Could easily be concluded.

Listening to his rants can drive
The conscientious person insane.
How much more nonsense does he
Harbor in his addled brain?

To save us from what? That's the question
One must ask. One thing's clear:
His strategies divide the country,
Causing hatred, doubt, and fear.

Keeping track of all his lies
Is a monumental task.
Could he be more unfit for the office
Of president? one must ask.

He couldn't care less whether
His policies are in error
Or if he mistreats immigrants
During his odious reign of terror.

Our history of cruelty
From slavery to internment camps
Has haunted us for years, but Trump
Is gleefully upping the amps.

Was he "chosen" to help the wealthy,
Damage the economy, take away rights,
Inflict deep pain, hurt the environment,
And pander to evangelical whites?

If he was chosen to do all of that,
He has been doing an excellent job.
Just to know how much chaos he's wreaked
Certainly makes his cruel heart throb.

So if he must be chosen for something,
If only he forevermore
Could soon be the one CHOSEN
To EXIT through the White House door!

-by Bob B (8-22-19)

(This poem can be sung to the tune of the 1922 song "Toot…Toot…Tootsie, Good-bye.")

Good-bye, Tucker,° good-bye!
How did things go awry?
I CAN'T say we will miss you.
For years we hoped that your producers would dismiss you.
How so could you not know
How low you tried to go?
Did you not see
How it would be
If you kept on lying through your teeth on TV?
And so, Tucker, nice try!
Good-bye, Tucker, good-bye!

Good-bye, Tucker, good-bye!
No, we're NOT going to cry.
We are glad that you're going away,
And we won't say to come again some other day.
Tell us, Tucker, why you
Did what you tried to do.
When they all rant,
Hypocrites can't
Care about the ones out there whom they disenchant.
I'll say with a dry eye,
"Good-bye, Tucker, good-bye!"

-by Bob B (4-25-23)

°Tucker Carlson: political talk show host fired from Fox News

We've progressed in many ways:
We know the earth's not flat.
But killing in the name of God?
Now how absurd is that?

They say we have a developed brain,
But when you hear the news, it
Is pretty clear that many people
Don't know how to use it!

I know it's wise to try to find
What makes others tick.
But sometimes--****!--it's difficult
To put up with their shtick.

To give the benefit of the doubt
Sounds very fine,
But there's a dangerous point at which
People cross the line:

Killing others just because
They don't think like you
Has to be a blatantly
Stupid thing to do.

All over you can find wise people--
In every nook and cranny.
You'll also find many a fool
Whose head is up his *****.

- by Bob B

They say that in the Manot Cave
In the area now known as Galilee
Part of a human skull was found,
Which is important for you and me.
 
The fifty-five-thousand-year-old remains
Put **** sapiens in Neanderthal land.
We know that despite some interbreeding,
**** sapiens got the upper hand.
 
The Neanderthals became extinct.
Why they disappeared is a mystery.
Violence, pathogens, competitive replacement?
Whatever it was, it is ancient history.
 
The findings help us to know our past,
To see our connectedness and to probe
Into the early migration of mankind
To view how we populated the globe.
 
Life wasn't easy for humans back then.
We can tell when we dig up bones.
How did they ever manage to survive
Without computers and mobile phones?

- by Bob B

The president has caused a stir.
OH-ME-oh-MY-oh.
He has pardoned Arizona
Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

A man convicted of criminal contempt
Of court enjoys impunity.
He violated civil rights
At every opportunity.

Refusing to follow an order of the court,
He's a man who fudges
When it comes to obeying laws
And listening to judges.

The practice or racial profiling equals
Clear discrimination.
It looks as though it also wins
Trump's approbation.

He has called the bigoted sheriff
A "selfless public servant"--
A ludicrous description to
Those who are observant.

Is this one of many pardons
That Trump extends
To others as he pardons his
Family and friends?

Thumbing your nose at law and order--
OH-ME-oh-MY-oh--
Happens when you pardon crooks
Like Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

-by Bob B (8-26-17)

Life is a journey. We MUST be receptive
And view our adventures with fond regard.
Take a trip through the symbol-rich Tarot--
The Major Arcana--card by card.

0-The Fool
We, the seekers of knowledge and wisdom,
Set out on our journey at birth.
May we be open to all the wonders
And opportunities offered on Earth.

1-The Magician
Within and without are all the tools
Necessary to find our way.
Find the Magician within to guide you
To say what you mean and mean what you say.

2-The High Priestess
Know that universal truths
May or may not remain concealed.
Open your heart to be receptive
To what is yet to be revealed.

3-The Empress
Fecundity of imagination
Adorns the earth and nurtures the heart.
Compassion and kindness are gentle offspring,
As are glorious music and art.

4-The Emperor
Stability and power thrive
When reason's lovingly applied.
Greatness gains both awe and respect
When honor and truth walk side by side.

5-The Hierophant
Know when to follow what's tried and true
And tends to be more orthodox,
And know what to do when your inner guide says
It's time to think out of the box.

6-The Lovers
Love yourself or you will find
It's hard to love other people, indeed.
Choices, yes, have consequences.
A great oak grows from a tiny seed.

7-The Chariot
Maintain your balance; gather your forces.
Past experience plays a role.
Take control of your life, but hark!:
There's ONLY so much you can control.

8-Strength
Now you can focus on inner strength,
The wise application of which
Gives you greatness of character.
Even with little, you'll still be rich.

9-The Hermit
Take the time to look inside you;
Calmly reflect on all you've learned.
Mindfulness in actions brings
Inner peace to all concerned.

10-Wheel of Fortune
Know when it's time for you to act;
Know when it's time for you to bend.
Cause and effect and impermanence
Are necessary to comprehend.

11-Justice
Things turn out the way they do
For many reasons, so we must
Do our best to always try
To aim for what is fair and just.

12-The Hanged Man
Life's not always black and white.
A smile is just the reverse of a frown.
If your point of view is stagnant,
Then look at things from upside down.

13-Death
Embrace the new, let go of the old;
Don't become attached to duration.
Failure to go with the flow impedes
Any hopes of transformation.

14-Temperance
Lack of moderation and self-
Indulgence mustn't be ignored.
Find the right combinations
To let your balance be restored.

15-The Devil
We indulge in addictions, desires,
And pettiness, and take great pains
To hide from the truth: that we have the power
To free ourselves from our bonds and chains.

16-The Tower
If we fail to heed the warnings
That show the corruptive nature of power,
We will learn the hard way as we're
Struck down from our ivory tower.

17-The Star
But healing exists all around us.
Hitch your wagon to a star.
Let the wonders of hope and insight
Help you discover who you are.

18-The Moon
Reflecting the light of the sun, the moon
Shows us that EVERYTHING is fleeting.
Things aren't always what they seem.
"Trust yourself!" is worth repeating.

19-The Sun
Life and the sun walk hand in hand.
Light is awareness; awareness is light.
Appreciate the rays of the sun
That chase away the darkness of night.

20-Judgment
Judgment's a type of wake-up call.
You'll find strength in the aftermath
Of inner shake-ups. You'll be fine,
Just as long as you stay on your path.

21-The World
You're making progress. Congratulations!
If self-discovery is your objective,
Start again; the cycle continues.
Observe the world from a new perspective.

-by Bob B (1-15-19)

He walks in the footsteps that few can tread.
His gentle voice is commanding--
Not in a commandeering manner,
But full of understanding,

Kindness, compassion, patience, and peace.
There's no way to measure
The love that permeates his being.
His words: a priceless treasure.

While others with judgmental views
Tear the world apart,
This man has not one speck
Of hatred in his heart.

Deep humility guides his steps
And isn't a mere abstraction.
Passion for humanity
Governs his every action.

You mean Christ, you say to me
With words one could defend.
Christ? No, I mean George,°
My school chum and my friend.

-by Bob B (6-28-17)

°The Eleventh Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey

They say a secluded monastery
High in the mountains was very strict.
How long a monk could withstand
The rigid rules was hard to predict.

Maintaining a vow of silence was part
Of the monastery protocol.
Every ten years the monks were allowed
To utter TWO WORDS. That was all.

After his first ten years, a monk
Went to his master and bowed his head.
His master asked to hear his two words.
"Bed…hard" was all that he said.

"I see," the head monk replied.
The young monk bowed, left the room,
And then returned to finish his tasks--
The grounds as silent as a tomb.

Ten years later the young monk appeared
At his master's door, eager to say
Two more words. "Food…stinks"
Was all that he could say that day.

"I see," the head monk replied.
Ten more long, silent years passed.
The no-longer young monk returned
To utter his words at long last.

This time he said, "I…quit!"
"Well," said the master with a look of disdain,
"I understand why you'd want to leave;
All you ever do is complain."

-by Bob B (3-6-18)

°A story (source unknown) often told in Zen Dharma talks, retold here in verse

(For Shirley, 10-31-1929 to 7-13-2018)

Countless stars light up our lives
And fill our hearts with brightness and splendor.
Sometimes they flash with sparkling brilliance;
Sometimes their rays are gentle and tender.

A star to me was my cousin Shirley,
Whose comforting warmth and radiant glow
Outshone even our glorious sun.
Anybody who knew her would know.

Emitting the light of true compassion,
She never let the darkness prevail
Or woefully impose restrictions
On love impossible to curtail.

And, oh, that love shone on so many.
From a place close by or even from afar,
Shirley's loving-kindness would touch you
As though you'd been touched by the warmth of a star.

But stars do not shine forever.
One sad day their brightness will fade.
Shirley's light was extinguished this week.
Though death is something we cannot evade,

The light of love that Shirley spread
On all who knew her still glows and gleams.
It fills our hearts with goodness and kindness;
It gives us hope; it guides and redeems.

The most spectacular sunrise that ever
Spread across the New Mexican skies
Would still be no match for the beauty of Shirley,
Her smile, or the love that poured from her eyes.

Rest in peace, beautiful cousin.

-by Bob B (7-13-18)

Back in September, certain members
Of Congress learned from the CIA
In secret briefings that Russia had
Very maliciously found a way

Through cyber intrusions, for example,
To take advantage of circumstances
To sway our presidential election
By giving a boost to Donald Trump's chances

Of winning, which would have to be
An unprecedented stunt
By a foreign government
To meddle here. Such an affront!

Mitch McConnell and others chose
Not to believe what they had heard
From the CIA, and consequently
Decided not to spread the word,

Thereby allowing certain factors
To affect our election. Imagine instead
If the Russians had helped Hillary Clinton.
Republicans would have been seeing red!

Trump downplays the news, of course.
Through all of this, one thing is clear:
People hear--unfortunately--
ONLY what they WANT to hear.

- by Bob B (12-12-16)

According to the dictionary,
A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR would be
Someone who with great compulsion
Stretches the truth habitually.

A NARCISSIST would be a person
Showing an excessive preoccupation
With him- or herself and also displaying
Overwhelming self-admiration.

An exaggerated sense of self-
Importance also plays a part
In how the NARCISSIST behaves.
The person has very little heart.

Abnormally egotistical
And overly self-absorbed and conceited,
The EGOMANIAC can cause
A lot of damage if left untreated.

Being even one of the above
Would make people think you're a ****.
But if you were all THREE of them,
You'd be a real piece of work.

- by Bob B (2-10-17)

For many months people asked,
"With Trump as president, what could go wrong?"
Well, a lot. It's already started,
And it hasn't taken very long.

Gag orders have been imposed
On various agencies, saying "Whoa!"
Not only to our freedom of speech,
But also to our right to know.

Cutting the flow of information
Of agencies such as the EPA°
Is a frightening sign and something
We must address straightaway.

It's ONE thing for Trump not to agree
With an agency's recommendations;
It's ANOTHER thing altogether
To silence the voices of organizations.

To silence agencies meant to protect
Our quality of life? Shame! Shame!
Whose voice will he stifle next?
At which right will he next take aim?

An authoritarian country wants
Its people to live in ignorance and fear
By limiting what people can say,
By limiting what people can hear.

A growing number of angry voices
Will shout the command: "For'd, harch!"
If we care about our rights,
There might have to be another march.

- by Bob B (1-25-17)

°Environmental Protection Agency.
The Department of the Interior and
the Department of Agriculture were
also affected.
°°24 hours after the gag order was
issued, it was rescinded. Pressure
and public protest work.

This is a tale of a ruler;
Vladimir Putin's his name.
Unlike a man with a conscience,
This one has no sense of shame.

His paranoia controls him.
His ego controls him as well.
Among our current world leaders,
We can find no parallel.

Running the world's largest country
Can be a challenge that's tough;
However, as large as it is,
To Putin it's not large enough.

So now he has sent Russian troops
Into the land of Ukraine.
Putin's great thirst for power
Is something that he can't contain.

Putin can't stand the idea
Of having a country next door
That's strong and democratic.
For him that's a reason for war.

And so he came up with excuses
To justify his attack.
How does one deal with a lying
Megalomaniac?

How many people will suffer?
How many people will die?
How many now will be homeless?
How many children will cry?

How many more dissenters
Will end up going to jail?
Which world democracies
Will Putin try to derail?

Who is the next to be poisoned
For speaking his or her mind?
With how many more rubles
Will Putin's pockets be lined?

Most of the world agrees
That Putin is clearly a brute.
Praise that day when the Russians
Finally give him the boot!
Yes, praise that day when the Russians
Finally give him the boot!

-by Bob B (2-27-22)

HOPE

The White House has lost its Hope.
Will Trump be able to cope?
Did she rhapsodize
His little white lies?
Is he at the end of his rope?

-by Bob B (3-2-18)

TRADE WARS

When Trump has a bad day,
All of us have to pay.
A trade war because
Of tariffs? Where was
His babysitter? Away?

-by Bob B (3-3-18)

DOSSIER #2

We hear that a SECOND dossier
Has recently come into play.
The word "collude"
Gains certitude
More and more every day.

-by Bob B (3-6-18)

HUH?

Some evangelical preachers
Prove to be rather odd creatures.
Judicious thought
Is something that's not
One of their outstanding features.

Although Trump's values collide
With theirs, they're still satisfied
That as chief of state
He'll make us great
For he still has God on his side.

-by Bob B (3-16-18)

TRUMP CONGRATULATES PUTIN ON HIS “VICTORY”

Advice often falls on deaf ears
As Trump crosses brand-new frontiers.
Best wishes to Putin
Don't make for smart shootin'.
He ALWAYS confirms our worst fears.

The man just cannot resist
Putin, who’s first on his list.
Will no one say why
Putin's his guy?
Melania ought to be ******.

-by Bob B (3-22-18)

DACA

Trump might seem to talk a
Great deal about DACA.
Often he’ll dare
To say Dems don’t care.
What a bunch of ****!

-by Bob B (3-24-18)

INTERVIEW WITH STORMY DANIELS

In Stormy's concise interview
Not much was revealed that was new.
Does IT seem to strike
You, too, that it's like
Experiencing déjà vu?

-by Bob B (3-26-18)

Let's call it what it is
And NOT cater to far-right haters--
Neo-Nazis, white supremacists,
And KKK demonstrators--

Who in polo shirts and carrying
Tiki torches in the night
Proclaim to us that expressing their hatred
And bigotry is their right.

Let's not legitimize
Efforts to take us back in time--
Efforts to recultivate
A prejudicial paradigm.

Trump and his administration
Of nativists and alt-right advisers,
Have openly given a green light to
Racist rally organizers.

Fringe groups that were somewhat obscured,
Have stepped into the light of day,
Emboldened by what irresponsible
Leaders might say or not say.

People were injured in the discord;
A counter demonstrator was killed.
Let's not allow desires for odious
Racial injustice to be fulfilled.

A president who says he wants
To make American great again
Is really much better at
Making America hate again.

-by Bob B (8-16-17)

A little after two A.M.
This morning forty-nine names were read--
The names of forty-nine victims who
Now are sleeping among the dead.

They lost their lives a year ago
When a gunman, ISIS-inspired,
Sneaked his weapon into a nightclub,
Held it up, and open-fired.

Those who survived the horrible shooting
At the gay club where the crime took place
Will constantly relive that nightmare.
It's hardly something that time can erase.

Fifty-three patrons were wounded that night,
Many of whom still are reeling
From the horror, and they still require
Physical and mental healing.

Think of the families and friends of the victims.
Think of the magnitude of their loss.
How do you measure the sadness when
Extremists and innocent lives crisscross?

People from all over the world
Were appalled by the killer's barbarity
And sent kind words of sympathy
As they joined together in solidarity.

However, from under a dark veil
Of hatred and hypocrisy,
Emerged some voices of hatred from those
Hell-bent on a theocracy.

Voices of fanaticism,
No matter the source, always destroy
The goodness that is meant to be
And stifle liberty and joy.

Today in Orlando and in other cities,
Forty-nine times the church bells will sound.
May we remember the innocent victims
And let love and compassion abound.

- by Bob B (6-12-17)

"Obstructionism...obstructionism:
It has to be my favorite -ism.
So what if we have a schism.
Three cheers for obstructionism!
 
"Who cares if it’s wrong or right?
The important thing is fight, fight, fight.
I don’t care what others say;
But I'll be ****** if they get their way!
 
"You have your cause, I have mine;
But still I have to draw the line:
I don’t believe in compromise—
That’s a word that I despise.
 
"My constituents voted for me.
I am sure they’ll all agree
That I’m the one who knows the best
When any issue is addressed.
 
"So we shut the government down.
There’s a jewel in the crown:
Knowing you can always guide
The folks to blame the other side.
 
"I know there’s a golden rule,
But let me tell you: I’m no fool.
It does not apply to you
When YOU'VE got wealth and status, too.
 
"I let lobbyists speak their mind
And with their cause I’ll be aligned.
(That depends on the amount
That ends up in my bank account.)
 
"How I love to filibuster
With ALL the effort I can muster!
Also, stalling—it’s worth noting—
Is good for keeping us from voting.
 
"It’s political suicide
To let yourself forget to hide
Your real feelings on a matter
And not to indulge in senseless chatter.
 
"Please don’t think we are inept.
Actually, we’re quite adept
At killing proposals one by one
(And getting very little done).
 
"Obstructionism...obstructionism--
The next best thing to favoritism.
We have an ideological schism,
So three cheers for obstructionism!"

- by Bob B

Did you hear of the chicken
Who wanted to be a duck?
You have to admit that the chicken
Had a great deal of pluck.
 
Scrutinizing her duck friends,
She sought out the best model,
But despite weeks of practice,
She still couldn’t waddle.
 
“This clucking,” she said, “won’t cut it.
I need to learn how to quack.”
But the only sounds she emitted
Were still not a “quack” but a “clack.”
 
“I prefer to eat duck food,”
She boasted, and with that
She gobbled up all she could
And ended up getting too fat.
 
“Ducks are good at flying,
So it makes perfect sense
For me to try it,” she said—
Barely reaching the fence.
 
“That’s it!” she finally exclaimed.
“For swimming ducks are renowned.”
She dashed into the lake,
Flapped her wings, and drowned.
 
The ducks sighed in sadness.
Poor chicken—she just couldn’t see
THAT THINGS AREN’T NECESSARILY
ALL THEY’RE QUACKED UP TO BE.

-by Bob B

I read a while back that if climate change
Continues to progress unabated,
The existence of ONE in SIX species
On our planet could be ill-fated.

In other words, one in six
Of Earth's species could disappear
By the end of the 21st century
As conditions become more severe.

As extinctions threaten many species,
Experts exhort us to banish doubts.
Many can't adapt to heat waves,
Rising sea levels, and horrible droughts.

According to scientists, five mass extinctions
Have occurred since this planet's birth.
The next one will be the first
Largely caused by humans on Earth.

Earth--five billion years of age,
And look at the effects of mankind's blight.
Actually, relatively speaking,
We have done this overnight.

Some people say, "Ah, whatever!
By that time I won't be around."
Do these people hear themselves
And know how stupid and selfish they sound?

If we want to save our earth,
We can't survive by constantly taking.
Mankind's modus operandi
Is to push to the point of breaking.

The future of Earth rests in our hands.
What do we want our legacy to be?--
Dwindling food supplies, political chaos,
Polluted land, a poisoned sea?

- by Bob B

During the election campaign, Trump        
Railed against Cruz and Clinton for
Their connections to Goldman Sachs--
Something we were supposed to abhor.

This week Donald Trump announced
His FIFTH high-profile hire
From Goldman Sachs to join his team.
Hypocrites are hard to admire.

If Trump's Goldman Sachs complaints
About the others helped you decide
To vote for him, well, sucker,
You were taken for a ride.

- by Bob B (1-13-17)

Caution! Watch out for Russian bots.
They're out there to deceive you.
Share if you will the messages,
But who do you think will believe you?

Bots show up on the screen of your phone,
Your tablet, or your computer,
And if you're on to their tactics, they
Resemble a pesky suitor.

Suitor? No, more like a stalker--
Disruptive and insidious--
Whose sly, deceitful game plan is
Destructive and invidious.

Recognizing the bots in social
Media isn't so hard.
But many a Twitter or Facebook fan
Is frequently caught off guard.

The bots are extremely useful for
Encouraging disconnections.
They've also proved to be handy for
Influencing elections.

Putin will say, "Bots? What bots?"
Ah, but he's a sly one!
If he can strengthen a road to disruption,
He will fortify one.

Hazards of our computer age:
Troll farms and bots,
Causing frustration and trying to
Manipulate our thoughts.

-by Bob B (2-28-18)

Trump has accused Hillary Clinton
Of having practiced pay-to-play;
Once again, he's taking advantage
Of his supporters' naïveté.

So far, he has appointed SIX
Campaign donors to top positions--
A telling move that ought to cause
Many people to have suspicions.

He took on Wall Street during his campaign,
Which would be a major feat.
Now he is offering Cabinet
Jobs to the economic elite!

Millions of dollars will go to Carrier
To save jobs. But did you hear?
The company wants to automate,
So many jobs will disappear.

The "blue-collar billionaire"
Role of Trump is a scam.
He says he's fighting for workers, but
He doesn't give a tinker's ****.

- by Bob B (12-10-16)

Eight at night and the doorbell rang,
And THERE right before my face
Was a newspaper—almost touching my nose
And barely giving me breathing space.
 
“Here’s your free paper,” I heard a voice say.
I stepped back to read the name of the rag.
At once in my mind I realized that
The name of the paper had raised a red flag.
 
“Sorry, but I don’t read that one.
Anyway, thank you for your time,”
I said to the kid as I started to close
The door, but the kid blurted out, “I’m
 
Hoping that you’ll subscribe to my paper.
Sign up right here; you won’t regret it.”
I shook my head in amazement and said,
“Do you know what? I don’t get it:
 
“I just told you that I don’t read it,
So why would I want to buy a subscription?”
The frustrated kid refused to take NO
For an answer and started to have a conniption.
 
“BUT...just do it for me!” he cried.
“The more I sell, the better my luck
In winning a trip to Hawaii; what’s more,
I’m also trying to earn a buck.”
 
At THIS point I was the frustrated one.
I thought to myself, This guy’s too much!
He’s completely clueless; moreover, he’s acting
Like a son of a such and such!
 
“Good luck with your sales,” I politely said.
“But wait, I’ll wash your car!” he cried.
“I’ll mow your grass; I’ll trim your trees.”
“NO thanks, AND good-by,” I replied.
 
Exasperated he bellowed out,
“I need this sale to up my score!”
I calmly said, “This conversation
Is over,” as I closed the door.
 
I didn’t hear him walk away;
For all I know he could be there still
Pushing his paper, trying to earn
More points but actually scoring nil.
 
While the kid lacked tact and subtlety,
I doubt he’d ever take my advice.
A bit more sense would serve him well,
And a little less pushiness would suffice.
 
A future politician? I wondered.
Or maybe a future billionaire?
Whatever the case, he's got chutzpah,
I thought as I returned to my chair.

- by Bob B

(Can be sung to the tune of "King Herod's Song" from JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR)

Oh, I feel a duty to my donors and my base.
If I don't act, Rush and Ann will say I'm a disgrace.
I pass laws…to titillate my fans.
I hate it when dissenters disagree with all my plans.

So give me my wall, my huge, giant wall.
It's a promise that I made.
Join me in my wall crusade.
Come, hear my plea.
Come on and do it for me.
Be nice and give me my wall.

You don't know how hard it is to work with people who
Don't appreciate all the terrific things you do.
My great wall…will be a tour de force.
And little Stevie Miller will be satisfied, of course.

So give me my wall, my huge, giant wall.
If people starve, well, Uncle Sam,
I don't really give a ****.
It feels so nice
To snuggle with ICE.
Come on and give me my wall.

Some say that my wall is useless; they don't understand
How its usefulness will help us keep out contraband,
Druggies and rapists, and all those other sorts.
I will get my way if I keep stacking all the courts.

So give me my wall, a huge, giant wall,
That stretches along our southern border.
Don’t say it's too tall an order.
I'll go to town and shut the government down
Unless you give me my wall.

Oh…yes…please…
Give my me wall, my huge, giant wall.
Five billion bucks should do it.
You say that's too much? Aw, ***** it!
Putin agrees, and so I beg on my knees:
Give me my beautiful wall!

-by Bob B (12-22-18)

(This poem can be sung to the melody "Clang, Clang, Clang Went the Trolley," by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and sung by Judy Garland.)

With my questions teeming, with an open mind,
And with fear of what might come about,
I scoured the information and looked for inspiration
To deal with rampant doubt.
As the COVID virus spread around the globe,
It was not some silly little game.
It spread and it spread, and what lay ahead
Made it clear we'd remember its name.

Zoom, zoom, zoom went the virus--
Si-, si-, silent but real.
Why, why, why, asked the people,
Do we have to face such an ordeal?

Squirt, squirt, squirt went the vaccine
Pumped, pumped, into each arm.
Crossed, crossed, crossed went our fingers
That the vaccine would work like a charm.

Though not foolproof, somehow it works.
We know that vaccinations have a lot of perks.
We will be safe to a degree--
Safer than without it; that is a cinch to see.

Hiss, hiss, hiss went deniers.
Stop, stop, stop! went their screams.
Free-, free-, freedom! they shouted.
And the more that they squawked with their reasons half-cocked,
We could tell…
They enjoyed raising hell.

Why do they have to be so strange?
Maybe there is hope that some of them will change.
Why don't they listen to the pros,
And stop believing lies that add to all our woes?

Sniff, sniff, sniff go our noses.
Swish, swish, we wipe our tears
As we remember our loved ones.
After we've dodged the darts
Let us hold in our hearts all the vast
Memories we've amassed.
What a blast! Not aghast we'll hold fast when at last
COVID'S passed. Yes, and THEN…
We'll be safe once AGAIN!

-by Bob B (10-20-21)

Twenty-oh-six was a good year for Trump--
A fifth child, some love affairs.
We could go into greater detail
But maybe that would be splitting hairs.

Did we say that the little flings
Both took place during his marriage?
I guess certain institutions
Are fair game to flout or disparage.

Two ladies--a ***** star
And an ex-******* bunny--have stories,
Both of which put them in
Slightly different categories.

Both ladies received hush money
During the presidential campaign
In different ways, but nonetheless,
Silence is sometimes hard to maintain.

Despite substantial payoffs, Trump
Denies the affairs even occurred.
But people wonder how many more
Times he's said, "Mum's the word."

How the president wants to define
His marriage--we must reiterate--
Is up to him. Hopefully it's
Appropriate for a chief of state.

We also think that a president
Should be sincere in matters political
And not live a double standard
And act in a manner that's hypocritical.

For white evangelicals
Trump's behavior undermines
Nothing, for didn't Solomon
Have three hundred concubines?

-by Bob B (2-17-18)