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)

When a loved one dies,
Our lives take a sudden turn.
It’s something we often forget--
Something we have to relearn.

Reasons and explanations
Remain beyond our ken.
We learn our lives will never
Be the same again.

Our heart, laden with sorrow
And pushed to the point of breaking,
Becomes overwhelmed
With painful, relentless aching.

Memories might console us
And give us some relief,
But nothing can prevent
Another visit from Grief.

When he pays a visit,
He tells us he's our friend,
Although his true intentions
Are hard to comprehend.

Quietly, he approaches
And whispers in our ear,
"Know that in the future
I will always be near."

-by Bob B (2-7-20)

The Great Cover-up. That's what it was.
The trial in the Senate--a sham.
The Trumplicans want the process behind them.
Water over the dam.

Witnesses were not allowed
To testify, which meant
That many of us were disappointed
With how the process went.

Whatever the outcome would have been,
The truth was highly suppressed.
That's what happens when evidence
And facts are not addressed.

Praise to Romney, the only Republican
Senator who admitted
That Trump at least on one of the charges
Should NOT have been acquitted.

The other Republican Senators
Chose absolution.
They backed their cultish leader instead of
Defending the Constitution.

Good-bye, rule of law. Good-bye,
Democratic protections,
For Trump's been given carte blanche to
Corrupt future elections.

-by Bob B (2-6-20)

If Trump was uncontrollable,
Which made you unconsolable,
Just watch him now.
If it's hard to understand
How lying can get out of hand,
Just watch him now.
If his supporters in Congress don't muster
The courage to tell him that he's nothing but bluster,
And instead they bow to him,
Grovel and kowtow to him,
THEN YOU JUST WATCH HIM NOW.

If his nominations
Never met your expectations,
Just watch him now.
If you thought his judges
Would help support his grudges,
Just watch him now.
If you found his polices unfair and perverse,
Thought the situation here could never get worse,
And simply found the man unfit
And basically a hypocrite,
THEN YOU JUST WATCH HIM NOW.

He loves to stir up
A hullabaloo.
Just imagine how much
More damage he'll do.

If you thought his major pitch
Went to help the filthy rich,
Just watch him now.
If you thought he wouldn't dare
To tamper with our Medicare,
Just watch him now.
If he thought himself above the law, then
He is going to break the law again and again.
So, Senators, you who cower,
As Trump takes away your power,
YOU JUST WATCH HIM NOW.

-by Bob B (2-5-20)

(This poem can be sung to the tune of the Shangri-La's 1964 pop hit "Leader of the Pack.")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8UKf65NOzM

Are they really voting for him?
Well, yes, they are. Just ask them.
Voters, are those MAGA hats that you're wearing?
Hm-hmmm…
Gee, it must be strange voting for him.
Did you think he'd make the country great again?
Uh-huh.
Tell us why you support him.

We watch him on the TV screen.
It seems his simple words ring true--
That's what we think. (Yes, you do.)
That's why we follow (the LEADER OF THE CULT).

He says that he is the chosen one (one, one).
And knows how the country ought to be run.
(Whaddya mean when he says he knows how the country should be run?)
He says he can't do wrong--
That with him we'll be strong.
That's why we follow (the LEADER OF THE CULT).

He says the president's like a king.
Silencing his critics is his thing.
(Whaddya trying to say when you say he's like a king?)
He will defy Congress, he said.
And that's how we will get ahead.
That's why we follow (the LEADER OF THE CULT).

He doesn't care if Russia's involved
In our elections--that's all right.
In his opinion, Russia is absolved.
If he acts out of spite,
As long as he wins, that'll be delight!

Right now! Right now! Right now! Right now!

He says that his intentions are real.
We don't care what things he tries to conceal.
We'll let him get his way;
We're going to do whatever he'll say.
We will always follow (the LEADER OF THE CULT).

-by Bob B (2-2-20)

Shadow is a scaredy-cat,
His tough appearance a masquerade.
It takes little to scare him, for even
His own shadow makes him afraid.

Loud noises terrify him.
The telephone rings, a door slams,
A horn honks, fireworks go off,
The vacuum roars and Shadow scrams.

When guests come to pay a visit,
As soon as Shadow hears the sound
Of a knock on the door or the ring of the doorbell,
The scaredy-cat's nowhere to be found.

Under a bed, behind a couch,
Deep in the closet--out of sight--
Shadow waits in the grip of panic,
His green eyes open wide with fright.

One would think that by this time
Shadow's fears would be subsiding.
However, as long as he hears strange voices,
He remains in his places of hiding.

As soon as guests have left the house,
Shadow appears, looking as though
He's saying to his insensitive masters,
"Why do you have to torment me so?"

Whatever is out of the ordinary
To Shadow is an impending threat.
Imagine the pandemonium
Whenever he has to see the vet.

Nobody knows why Shadow's so fearful.
Deep in his past was something traumatic?
His doctor can't begin to explain
Why his behavior is so erratic.

Who can fathom the mind of a cat?
Something frightening must have spooked him.
The sad effects of a horrible nightmare?
Had someone long ago harshly rebuked him?

Astrologers looked at his birth chart to find
What could have caused his alarming neurosis.
“Mercury square Saturn,” they said,
And then they recommended hypnosis.

A Tarot card reader saw the Hermit
And the Eight of Swords, both reversed,
Flanked by the Moon and the Nine of Wands.
“My goodness!” she cried. “The poor cat’s cursed!”

A local preacher dropped by and said,
“I can pray this problem away.”
He then proceeded to speak in tongues.
It didn’t work, needless to say.

If you have a list of suggestions,
Do him a favor and check your list.
If Shadow is going to shake off his fears,
He's going to need a therapist.

-by Bob B (2-1-20)

Sidestep’s a political cat--
Seldom around when you need him.
But it never fails: he is there
When it's time to feed him.

Early on, his mother knew
He'd be a politician.
As a kitten, he proved to be
A glib rhetorician.

He could talk his siblings out of
Any treat or favor.
He quickly learned what went down fast
And what he needed to savor.

In kitten school, he highly excelled.
Though not an expert reader,
He was good at giving orders,
For he was a natural leader.

When it came to loyalties,
You barely knew where he stood.
He was known as the "cagey one"
Throughout the neighborhood.

Now he thinks that caterwauling
Expresses his constitution,
And he has devoted time to perfecting
The art of circumlocution.

When you think you've pinned him down,
Much to your dismay,
He evades your prying questions
And suddenly slips away.

His donors, extolling his policies,
Are proud to be in his tribe.
What they might call a major donation,
Others call a bribe.

"Donations" consist of a dying lizard,
A tasty, half-eaten mouse,
Or a scrumptious piece of grasshopper
Next to the door of the house.

When the spotlight shines on him,
Oh, how his eyes glisten!
But sometimes he talks way too much
And doesn't like to listen.

He maintains his strategies
Are crucial for survival.
Thus, he looks for ways to smear
Any political rival.

He thinks he is quite the card.
However, opinions are split.
Though liked by some, many think
He's really full of spit.

"You will always win with me!"
Is one of his favorite quotes.
He hopes his fake sincerity
Will win him a lot of votes.

Sidestep runs a messy campaign
As he stands in front of the flag.
He just hopes that no one lets
The cat out of the bag.

-by Bob B (1-31-20)