Our terms often overlap
And merge in different ways.
Attempts to see connections have us
Wandering through a maze.

Often we walk the path together;
At times we walk apart.
Does the heart shape truth, or does
Truth direct the heart?

Names are arbitrary, and our
Interpretations vary.
It's when they clash that circumstances
Move from sound to scary.

Sometimes we will go off course
Or stumble as we go.
As long as we can learn from our
Mistakes then we can grow.

Our path through life should constantly
Encourage us to seek
Answers that will penetrate
The depth of life's mystique.

Once the answer's clear to us,
We've reached a higher level.
Enlightenment then equates to God
And ignorance to the Devil.

-by Bob B (7-25-22)

It certainly will not spell your doom
If you can't decide when to use "whom."
I always stay calm and never lose it
When folks aren't sure about how to use it.

I will attempt--for the duration--
To avoid a grammatical explanation.°
That will be hard--I must admit--
And if it gets too tricky, I'll quit.

"To whom it may concern" is easy
(Although to some the phrase sounds cheesy.)
Substitute "him"°° for "whom" and see
That "whom" is correct; we DON'T say "to he."

"He is a person who I believe
Will never, ever get a reprieve."
"Whom" here wouldn't fit the bill
Because the word "who" is the subject of "will."

"Whom did you see at the park today?"
If "I saw him" is the answer, okay,
Then "whom" is good, even though you
And others might STILL prefer to use "who."

“For whom did you bake the bread?” I ask.
“For him,” you answer. Easy task?
So, in that sentence, “whom” toes the line.
And if you make “for” the last word, fine.

“Who do you think deserves to win?”
"Whom" would be a problem therein,
For "who" must go with the verb "deserves."
A little knowledge can calm your nerves.

But how about "Whom did you see at the gym?"
If the answer is "I saw him,"
Then "whom" it is. But if you're confused,
Know that "who" is more often used.

"The guy whom I saw at the meeting last week
Spoke English, German, French, and Greek."
"I saw HIM at the meeting…" Voilà!
So "whom" works there. Got it? Hurrah!

Once you’ve got it, your next endeavor
Will be practicing who- and whomever.
It's up to you, but I'll say directly,
If we use "whom," let's use it correctly.

-by Bob B (7-24-22)

°I could talk about subjective and objective pronouns, but I'll leave that for later.
°°Of course, we could use "she/her" to test the pronouns, but "he/him" works well because of the final "m."

What has happened before our eyes
Hasn't been a big surprise,
But puzzle pieces--bit by bit--
Have come together, and how they fit!

Eight broadcast hearings and we
Can see Trump's culpability
When violent thugs decided to storm
The Capitol--so true to form.

Trump didn't care that some were armed,
For he wasn't worried that he'd be harmed.
He riled up the mob that winter day
And sent it on its merry way

To the Capitol. Yes, even a noose
Was hung there as all hell broke loose.
Trump was watching the violent scene
On his giant TV screen.

For OVER THREE HOURS, the big man child
Let the violent mob run wild
While he did nothing--zero, zip--
To call it off. That's leadership?

Lives were threatened; lives were lost.
Damage was done; lines were crossed.
People pleaded, and yet it's known
That Trump just tweeted and talked on his phone.

In fact, as flames of violence grew higher,
He kept throwing fuel on the fire,
For he continued to incense
The mob, further endangering Pence.

And yet Trump seeks absolution
For thumbing his nose at the Constitution?
He should have to pay--amen!--
And NEVER hold an office again.

-by Bob B (7-22-22)

Welcome, folks, to Gilead.
Sit down for a spell.
You are going to love it here.
Oh, yes, we can tell.

You have freedom to believe
What we dictate here.
If you are confused, don't worry;
We will make it clear.

You will know your place here. Yes,
There's no room for doubt.
Strict control to make things flow
Is what we care about.

Making your life miserable
Is easy for us to do
If you don’t behave the way
That we want you to.

Those who fail to follow rules--
Who are, let's say, too loose--
Will be introduced to our
Trusty hangman's noose.

But do not worry. You will love
NOT having to think.
Of course, all of that is done
For your own good. (Wink wink)

Majority opinions do not
Matter here at all.
Dissent and you will find yourselves
Hanging on our wall.

Religious choice in Gilead?
Yes, I'll clarify:
You can choose to believe our creed,
Or you can choose to die.

Women controlling their own bodies?
You know that's all rot.
For them to make their own decisions
Is just a liberal plot.

What? You want to leave now? Oops.
I see a problem there.
Now that you are here, you aren't
Going anywhere.

So, lesson one: I will speak
And you will follow suit.
It's very simple; repeat after me:
BLESSED BE THE FRUIT.

-by Bob B (7-20-22)

°The totalitarian society of THE HANDMAID'S TALE

This is the tale of a felon.
Guy Reffitt is his name.
Aligned with the Three Percenters,°
He plays a dangerous game.

He had been planning a trip
To Washington, D.C.
It wasn't to tour the city;
It wasn’t a shopping spree.

On January 6
In 2021,
At the Capitol, Reffitt
Was present and armed with a gun.

He was also equipped
With zip ties and body armor.
This man from the state of Texas
Looked like quite the charmer!

There to "take the House"
Was Reffitt's insidious plan--
To "rip them out by their hair!"
What an upstanding man!

On multiple felony counts
Reffitt was later convicted--
On five to be specific.
That should have been predicted.

One count was for obstruction
Of justice. Reffitt got caught
Threatening two of his kids
By telling them "traitors get shot."

When Reffitt receives his sentence,
Let's hope that he gets no reprieve.
What other brutal attacks
Does the **** have up his sleeve?

Good luck now, Mr. Reffitt.
We hope you enjoy your stay
At a federal prison,
Learning that crime doesn't pay.
You'll have time to reflect on
Your stupid behavior that day.

-by Bob B (7-19-22)

°A far-right militia group

We are on a slippery *****
When people push the envelope
When speaking English. Look below,
And you'll see what I mean to show.

"Who has ever seen an elf?"
"Luna, Richard, and myself."
Hearing that, I wonder why
"Myself" is used instead of "I."

When "myself" is used that way,
People, much to my dismay,
Forget that "I" will do the trick
And think the word "myself" sounds slick.

"I SEE myself" makes perfect sense.
And "I MYSELF can do it." Hence,
Here's a thought that should be stressed:
Use "myself" where it's used best.

"Please inform my office aide
OR myself." Well, I'm afraid
That when I see or hear that, it
Causes me to have a fit.

Please replace "myself" with "me."
"Myself" does not belong there. See?
ONLY I am able to
Inform MYSELF--not they, not you.

"Please inform…me" is what's meant.
Again, some folks circumvent
What's right with that which I suspect
They feel is perfectly correct.

"Tom and myself were asked to lead."
That sounds very odd indeed,
For doesn't "myself" sound awkward to you
When a simple "I" would do?

When speakers are a bit confused,
Words can sometimes be misused.
The following examples might
Provide a sense of what sounds right:

"Help yourselves to lunch," we hear.
And "Do not let yourself show fear."
"She bought herself a brand new fan."
"He himself designed the plan."

Reflexive pronouns they are called--
Intensive, too, and I'm enthralled
When English speakers are aware
Of using pronouns with great care.

-by Bob B (7-13-22)

We--YOU and I--both know
That rain will make the flowers grow.
It also makes your windows blur;
MARISOL and I concur.

SHE and I have never seen
A dog whose fur was emerald green.
But if you see one here or there,
Please make HER and ME aware.

When SHE and WILLIAM went to swim,
The lifeguard rescued HER and HIM.
“Please don’t tell a soul!” said he.
"Keep it between YOU and ME."

William and I play soccer each day.
That’s the only sport we play.
Give both HIM and ME a break,
For winning’s not a piece of cake.

HE and I will sometimes win.
When not, we take it on the chin.
The other team is good, and thus,
It’s perfect for both THEM and US.

When THEY and WE play soccer games,
We don’t lose sight of our clear aims:
To do our best and have great fun.
But fun’s priority number one.

William, Marisol, and I,
Instead of aiming low, aim high.
Folks like THEM and ME profess
To always seek out happiness.

"You must dream big," we always say,
"And keep your doubts and fears at bay."
HE, SHE, and I will strive
To keep our goals and dreams alive.

But always, always be on guard.
For YOU and ME that can’t be hard.
If YOU and I both concentrate,
We can keep our pronouns straight.

-by Bob B (7-10-22)