All would be quite different today
If we hadn't interfered
In Iranian politics
In the 1950s. What is weird--

Or maybe isn't when you consider
How the world functions--is how
What we did way back then
Is coming back to haunt us now.

Helping to orchestrate a coup,
Our CIA helped a man--
Mohammad Reza, the Shah--return
To be the leader of modern Iran.

The Shah moved the country forward,
But there was also a huge increase
Of harsh acts to stifle dissent
By the Shah's secret police.

The 70s brought a revolution.
The people rose up, and then voilà:
Iran became an Islamic Republic
And said good riddance to the Shah.

What we have now is a mess:
Iran wants to define its role
In the Middle East, while we have
A leader with no impulse control.

Ignoring possible repercussions
And thinking he knows so much more
Than all the experts, he could likely
Involve us in a senseless war.

A recipe for disaster? Yes.
The president MUST be stopped in his tracks.
A sense of diplomacy and brains
Are two important things he lacks.

-by Bob B (1-11-20)

What a curse: hypocrisy!
Oh, when all is said and done,
Our president doesn’t serve the people;
He looks instead after number one.

The hypocrite says he wants a clean
Environment, and yet he'll dare
To serve the many companies that
Pollute the water and poison the air.

The current admin would rather give
More benefits to the heads
Of big pharma instead of helping
People desperate for the meds.

The right to vote is precious, but still
He helps those who have an obsession
Not with serving American voters
But serving instead voter suppression.

Catering to religious groups,
He wants to see his ratings spike,
And yet his uncouth words and lies
Are not very Christianlike.

When he doesn't get his way,
He seeks immediate retribution,
Not by obeying the law but by
Tromping on the Constitution.

When he campaigned, he complained
About Hillary's emails, and yet
The man himself remains a giant
National security threat.

Is the president motivated
Mainly by power or greed, or both?
When he was sworn into office, did
He take the Hypocritic Oath?

-by Bob B (1-10-20)

The president says that we should be happy?
He brought us to the brink of war
And then he lied about the reasons.
Of course, we have seen that before.

Lies, lies, again and again…
He thinks he can legitimize
His actions by bombarding us
With lies, lies, and even more lies.

Fifteen thousand four hundred
False claims from the lying pro.
But you have to keep in mind
That that was more than a month ago!

Now he's lying about Iran.
He says he has a better feel
For how to apply maximum pressure--
Better than the nuclear deal.

Abandoning the agreement that
Was working clearly made no sense.
Trump prefers to provoke Iran.
Diplomacy is a better defense.

Diplomacy means "weakness" to Trump.
He would rather pound his chest
And act as though he knows what he's doing.
Tell me: is the man possessed?

Lies, lies, again and again…
How can anyone not despise
A leader who defames our country
With lies, lies, and even more lies.

-by Bob B (1-9-20)

(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)

D.T.:
"All of this impeachment talk
Is really getting on my nerves.
My strategy to thwart it doesn't
Get the attention it deserves.

"Let's see….What can I do?
Ah, yes! Create a distraction.
If I can start a war somewhere,
That would surely get a reaction!

"A war with China, North Korea,
Russia? No! Out of the question.
A messy war with Iran might do it.
Now THAT would be my best suggestion!

"I'll take out the number two
Person in the Iranian scene.
Then I'll get my staff to help me
Oil my propaganda machine.

"Bush succeeded in making up
Stories of weapons of mass destruction.
I'll convince my base at least,
For I'm an expert at seduction.

"We will say that Soleimani
Was a dangerous, imminent threat.
If Iran retaliates,
That is something they'll regret.

"So if hundreds of thousands die,
To me my plan has great appeal.
In any war there's bound to be
Collateral damage. No big deal.

"It's time for me to make a decision,
For we're approaching zero hour.
It's amazing what you can do
When you have tons of power.

"Impeachment talk will fade away
After I start my war with Iran.
But first I have to make a call
To see what Putin thinks of my plan."

-by Bob B (1-7-20)

Death--a relentless stalker--
Never leaves us alone
Until he once and for all
Makes us one of his own.

We think that we elude him.
Although our defenses are weak,
We try to play a fruitless
Game of hide and seek.

He knows every refuge--
Every hiding place--
And hates it when we spurn
His unwelcome embrace.

"Death, be gone!" we say.
"For you I have no use.
Your never-ending threats
Are nothing but abuse."

"Can't you see," says he,
"That I’m determinative?
Only because of me
Are you able to live."

Lurking in the shadows,
He hopes that we'll forget
To heed our inner warnings
Acknowledging him as a threat.

His efforts to cajole us
Into succumbing are steady.
He demands our compliance
Whether or not we're ready.

When he takes our hand,
The best that we can do
Is stare him down and say,
"I'm not afraid of you!"

-by Bob B (1-2-20)

In twenty nineteen, what we saw
Was a truly historic event:
The House of Representatives
Impeached the country's president.

That was only the third time
In two hundred forty-three years.
But he will likely remain in office--
At least that's how it now appears.

Moscow Mitch has already said
That he won't be an impartial judge.
Impeachments, he says, are political.
From his opinion I doubt he'll budge.

A trial in McConnell's Senate would be
A "wham, bam, thank you, ma'am."
In other words, a Senate impeachment
Trial would be a total sham.

Concerned voters across the country
Have to make an important decision:
Will 2020 unite the country,
Or will there be even greater division?

After months of campaign madness,
We'll have a chance to see what ensues.
Maybe a change in the presidency?
Wouldn't that be wonderful news?

-by Bob B (1-1-20)