A wealthy merchant lived in a house,
No, in a mansion on many acres.
He had scores of servants to help him,
Along with drivers, butlers, and bakers.

The mansion itself wasn't the safest
Place in which to live, for it
Had dangers lurking about, and many
Would say that to live in, it was unfit.

The building had only ONE entrance,
Which meant that people could be in a scrape
In case an emergency arose
And all the occupants had to escape.

One day indeed a fire broke out.
The wealthy merchant was petrified.
Although his staff all left the building,
His children continued to play inside.

"Children, run out quickly!" he yelled.
"You'll die if you don't listen to me."
Ignoring him, his children kept playing,
What would it take for them to flee?

Then the father had an idea,
Even though it wasn't true.
"Children, leave the house right now.
I have some carts that are waiting for you.

"Some are pulled by goats, while some
Are pulled by deer or oxen," he said.
"Stop playing inside. Come out
And play with these gorgeous carts instead."

The children, excited, pushed their way
Out of the house, escaping the fire.
Outside, the promised carts were not
To be seen. So, was the father a liar?

In the meantime, the father was having
The most incredible carts created
Ever seen by anyone.
The eager kids stood by and waited.

Beautiful beyond belief,
The carts were covered with gems and flowers.
Pure white oxen pulled them around.
The kids delighted in them for hours.

If the father hadn't thought fast,
The fate of his children could have been grim.
The gift he gave them exceeded his promise.
Their safety was what was important to him.

Our great house is burning, too.
If benefits of leaving seem small,
By heeding the words of the experts, we'll find
A greater gift awaiting us all.

-by Bob B (8-16-23)

°From THE LOTUS SUTRA

Trump keeps talking and talking and talking,
Hoping his statements will serve as a tool--
A self-fulfilling prophecy--
To tamper with the jury pool.

He's also trying to stir up his base.
He thinks he'll get away with whatever
He says to discredit our courts, our system.
Let's hope he's being more foolish than clever.

His campaign trail is going to be crazy
With detours to visit court after court.
One would think he would be more careful,
But keeping quiet is not his forte.

Trump can bully, berate, and disparage
Others, yet when he is criticized,
He plays the poor, innocent victim
Who doesn't deserve to be so despised.

The judge has got to put a stop
To all his nonsense. What will it take?
A sock? A muzzle? Some time in jail?
How to subdue a venomous snake….

He will NOT stop talking, he says.
You'd think he'd be on a slippery *****.
Will it all come back to bite him?
Let's cross our fingers and hang on to hope.

-by Bob B (8-9-23)

Trump and his lawyers had better shut up
If they want to win his case.
They're digging a deeper grave each day
In efforts to try to stir up Trump's base.

Every time Trump opens his mouth
He sticks his foot deeper inside.
He lies to justify his actions,
But facts are something from which he can't hide.

We have the videos, speeches, and tweets,
In which Trump makes his intentions clear.
Will he keep pushing the envelope
As the upcoming trials draw near?

"Most Republicans act like weak jerks,"
Says Trump, as he goes after his own.
Nothing or no one is sacred to him;
He can't even leave his supporters alone.

They have to "get tough" and "fight fire with fire,"
He says. The man cannot keep quiet.
It's almost as though he's intent upon
Instigating another riot.

Trump has been admonished to watch
His words and actions before his trial.
Is that even possible
For someone like him who lives in denial?

Will he attempt to cooperate?
Most likely he will try to derail
Our system of justice. We will see.
Maybe he'll blow it and end up in jail.

-by Bob B (8-5-23)

DT:
It makes no sense to me at all.
It's really stupefying.
Why don't more Americans
Believe me when I'm lying?

I have had SO much practice.
It's SUCH a cinch to do.
After telling fibs, I start
Believing they are true.

My fans, of course, have no trouble.
They will not deceive me.
I could say the earth is flat,
And they all would believe me.

Republican opponents are scared
Because I'm in control.
I'm ahead of all of them
In poll after poll.

I have no fear of all of these
Indictments. They're baloney!
If prosecutors say that they
Have evidence, it's phony.

Me a co-conspirator?
Well, now that depends.
I prefer to say that it
Is friends helping friends.

That ****** misconduct crap--
That's another gripe.
I wouldn't touch those women, for
They're clearly not my type!

I lie and say that Democrats
Like an open border
And socialism. Thus, I cause
Chaos and disorder.

Oath Keepers, Qanon,
And Proud Boys are my fans.
I can count on them to help me
Carry out my plans.

Even if I am convicted,
That would be okay
Because I know my fans would still
Send their votes my way.

If I continue to muddy the waters,
I'll be sitting pretty,
For I'll turn people against the system.
Aw, what a pity!

I laugh when people talk about
Accountability,
For don't they know that all those rules
Do not apply to me?

I'll have to play the religion card
To bring in millions again.
Here's my plea: "O Praise the Lord
And send those checks! Amen!"

-by Bob B (8-4-23)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "America the Beautiful.")

America--red, white, and blue--
Please keep your hopeful dreams,
And don't let folks diminish you
With all their shameful schemes.
Protect yourself, America,
From all who'll do you harm.
We hope to see democracy
Remain our good luck charm.

When you hear sounds of people's lies…
When folks conspire and plot
And tamper with your character
To make you what you're not,
Protect yourself, America!
We watch with hope and awe
As you shall strive to keep alive
Our vital rule of law.

How sad it is when folks conspire
To damage and defraud
And place within their line of fire
This country that we laud.
Protect yourself, America!
Don't fret and don't give in!
In times like these stay strong and please
Don't let conspirers win.

Democracy is fragile, so
When times are getting hard,
We trust that we'll survive, although,
We must be on our guard.
Protect yourself, America!
Our values must stay strong.
When people say we've seen our day,
We have to prove them wrong.

-by Bob B (8-2-23)

I heard that seventy-percent
Of people here in a recent poll
Believe in angels, which I find
Very interesting on the whole.

It's quite all right if people want
To believe in their hearts that angels exist.
But I admit that I'm a skeptic
And do not want to be on that list.

I bet that most believers, however,
Do not think that angels have wings
And sit around in flowing gowns,
Holding their harps and plucking the strings.

Angels, spirits, ghosts, and demons
Are interesting and make great stories.
I find them entertaining, and I
Place them in similar categories.

Mythological characters
Are fascinating, and I suppose
That from our human collective unconscious
Such fantastical figures arose.

Do you believe in guardian angels?
Again, it's perfectly fine if you do.
Mine are doctors, nurses, teachers,
Friends, and paramedics, too.

So if I tell you that you're an angel,
You know I mean it figuratively.
It means you're special, and that is something
About which we would both agree.

-by Bob B (7-30-23)

For far too long Trump has gotten
Away with far too much.
For years, he has thought he is
Someone the law can't touch.

As president, he thought he'd get
Away with anything.
Ask the far-right extremists whom
He's taken under his wing.

He thinks that running for president
Means his chances are slim
That all the crimes he might have committed
Are going to catch up with him.

By yelling "Witch hunt!" and lying he hopes
That prosecutors will cower.
There is nothing I know of that
Can quench his thirst for power.

How stupid does he think we are--
Voters here in the States--
When he supports his fake electors?
That's how he operates.

In different states he's facing charges.
Watch each news report.
For a number of months he will be
Spending some time in court.

Prosecutors, do your work.
Juries, listen hard.
Trump's attorneys will grasp at straws.
You'd best be on your guard.

He MUST be held accountable;
If guilty, he should pay.
May the rule of law win out;
May justice win the day!

-by Bob B (7-29-23)