Why for months has Hello Poetry
Been so out of whack?
Is the problem really such
A hard nut to crack?

I can’t see a lot of poems
That I would love to see,
And many people cannot read
The ones written by me.

There’s a contact address, but is it
Just there for show?
Since I never get a response,
How am I to know?

The site needs a technician who knows
What he or she is doing.
If it continues to function this way,
Frustrations will keep brewing.

It was a wonderful site, but now
I keep wondering whether
It’s going to be able once again
To get its act together.

-by Bob B (4-11-20)

This is the tale of a woman--
One who thought she knew best.
Social media allowed her
To get a few things off her chest.

COVID-19, she claimed,
Was merely a media hoax
Created by “radical people”
To hoodwink all of us folks.

She called it "socialistic.”
Moreover, she said it had
The trappings of an effort
To make her dear leader look bad.

We DON'T need hand sanitizer
Or rolls of TP by the tons.
What we need, she insisted,
Are "faith” and "fight” and "guns."

At the time she expressed her feelings,
What was unforeseen,
Was that a couple weeks later,
She'd die from COVID-19.

Had she but listened to experts
Instead of to nitwits and fools,
Maybe she'd be here today.
She should have been following rules.

Not to disparage her faith,
But somehow it didn't prevent
The woman from catching the virus
To such a deadly extent.

Would SHE have abandoned her faith
And her weapons? Probably neither.
But one thing we know for certain:
Her guns didn't help her, either.

The lesson we learn from her story
Is one that is NOT hard to miss:
Fools are not to be trusted,
For ignorance isn't bliss.

-by Bob B (4-7-20)

Tell me: where's a leader when you need one--
When we have a crisis in full swing?
What we have is hardly what we need now:
Instead, we have a man who would be king.

We know the president's administration
Attended crisis briefings; it was warned.
And yet when people point out some of its failures,
They in turn are pilloried and scorned.

A national emergency requires
That we have all the proper tools at hand.
It requires a coordinated effort
And someone with some know-how in command.

What does Trump do? He puts Kushner in charge;
He wants his son-in-law to run the show,
As if he's an expert on pandemics.
Tell me: what the hell does Jared know?

The willful ignorance of those in charge
Of fighting a deadly virus that knows no borders
Has led to chaos. And sadly some who have spoken
The truth have been given their marching orders.

The states shouldn't have to compete for supplies.
And no one out there should be making a killing
On badly needed medical equipment.
What we see occurring is truly chilling.

By downplaying the crisis at the start,
The president put many lives in danger.
The fact that some have praised his slow response
In fighting COVID-19 is even stranger.

Also, playing favorites isn't right
When doling out necessary supplies.
Patchwork policies aren't going to help.
And most of us are tired of all the lies.

It's hard when the leadership is feckless--
And when there's moral bankruptcy at the top--
For any country to deal with major crises.
When is the nonsense going to stop?

So tell me: where's a leader when we need one?
The one we have leaves much to be desired.
If only this November we will hear
The lovely words, "Mr. Trump, you're fired!"

-by Bob B (4-5-20)

Because COVID-19 is spreading
Rapidly around the globe,
Much to my dismay, I am
Becoming a major germophobe!

Taking care of groceries now
Takes a good part of the day.
I have to disinfect every
Item before I put it away.

Handles? Yes, I have to clean them--
On cabinets and on chests of drawers.
And all over the house I have to
Disinfect the knobs on the doors.

Remote controls? Telephones?
They all get the treatment, too.
My cell phone's probably crawling with bugs.
I hate to think what's on each shoe.

When going to the store, I say to myself,
"Be careful about all that you touch."
And what about the shopping cart?
This is getting to be too much!

My wallet? My money? My credit cards?
All of them might be harboring germs.
Where can we find a germ-free surface?
Is THAT a contradiction in terms?

Everything now is a major process--
A step-by-step procedure to rid
Everything we touch of the virus.
But really, whom are we trying to kid?

What about airborne droplets
Of COVID-19? Another worry.
If anyone near me sneezes or coughs,
I try to get away in a hurry.

When I come home, do I have to
Change my clothes just in case?
I almost need to tie down my hands
In order to keep from touching my face!

At gas station pumps, at ATMs,
The sneaky virus could also be lurking.
Should I wear a mask in public?
Many feel that masks are working.

No handshakes, kisses, or hugs, for I
Must keep a safe distance from all.
My hand sanitizer should have
A large amount of alcohol.

Alcohol? Hmmm. If it
Can **** the virus, could I be
Safe if I drink daily martinis?
Would that keep me virus-free?

Wishful thinking, I guess. I'll have to
Be mindful of every move that I make.
I'd MUCH rather be safe than sorry;
It's good to be cautious for everyone's sake.

-by Bob B (4-1-20)

An Arkansas pastor claims
That half of his church is willing to lick
The floor to prove that COVID-19
Is merely a hoax--a liberal trick.

In Florida, a megachurch
Pastor brazenly defies
An order restricting gatherings
Of more than ten people. NOT very wise.

The Bible study teacher for
Trump's Cabinet displays
His ignorance in blaming the spread
Of the virus COVID-19 on gays.

But no, not only on gays, but on
Environmentalists to boot.
How dangerous when an adviser at
The White House is a spiritual brute!

As if he knows the mind of God,
He says that God is angry; hence,
God is punishing humankind.
Where are reason and common sense?

It's hard to believe that in this year--
2020--one could swallow
Such poppycock, such balderdash,
Such vacuous words, cold and hollow.

-by Bob B (3-31-20)

(This poem can be sung to the tune of "If I Only Had a Brain" from THE WIZARD OF OZ.)

We can wash our hands completely
And socialize discreetly.
We have the wherewithal.
We should spare no expenses
To keep up our defenses
If the virus pays a call.

We can scrub down every finger--
So nothing bad can linger--
With rubbing alcohol.
Though our hands start to chafe now,
We feel that we are safe now
If the virus pays a call.

We can keep a social distance
To strengthen our resistance.
The task is far from small.
I hope you do not slug me
Just 'cause I won't let you hug me
'N case the virus pays a call.

It's not a sci-fi plot;
The problem's very real.
The virus can survive on many surfaces.
So tell me how that makes you feel.

Yikes!

We ought to be investing
In lots and lots of testing,
But someone dropped the ball.
We need negotiators
To find more ventilators
If the virus pays a call.

I can't wait till this is past us.
We CAN'T let it outlast us;
Let's make the numbers fall.
Be cautious and be wary
And do all that's necessary
If the virus pays a call.

-by Bob B (3-29-20)

Yes, it has been in the news
And from reliable sources, too.
For some people it's all about
The worship of money and revenue.

Certain Trumplicans maintain
That some of us are really dispensable
And ought to sacrifice our lives.
Such ideas are reprehensible!

They say that we who are up there in age
Ought to do our part to save
The world by going to work every day,
Even though it could mean the grave.

By working during the current pandemic,
We can keep the economy going.
Never mind the lives that are lost;
Just keep that money flowing.

"Come on, Grandpa and Grandma," they say,
"Do this for your grandkids now.
They will love your noble gesture."
And then they bow to their sacred cow.

Money over human lives:
That's what this is all about.
If you think that's a good idea,
Then go to work, but count me out!

-by Bob B (3-29-20)