Opposition leader in Russia
Alexei Navalny sadly has died.
Putin is surely rejoicing because
Navalny had been a thorn in his side.

In a remote prison that lies
Above the Arctic Circle was where
Navalny spent his final days
To get him out of Putin's hair.

Having survived attempts on his life,
He kept blasting the Putin regime,
Saying leaders were crooks and thieves.
Corruption was his central theme.

Eventually, ******* up charges
Sent him to prison, thus preventing
His attempt to run against Putin,
Whose cruel tactics are unrelenting.

Who'll now lead the opposition,
Knowing that efforts will be curtailed?
High-profile critics of Putin
End up dead, exiled, or jailed.

Navalny wasn't afraid to speak up;
He wasn't afraid to bell the cat.
He hoped to liberate Russia from
The rule of a crooked autocrat.

-by Bob B (2-16-24)

(This poem can be sung to the tune of the 1922 song "Toot…Toot…Tootsie, Good-bye.")

Tucker,° can't you say when?
You have done it again.
What IS your fascination
With someone who's a real threat to our free nation?
Giving Putin free rein
Is nothing short of insane!
How could you not
Be overwrought
When you let the Russian tyrant bolster his plot?
Therefore, fingers are crossed
That you'll somehow get lost!

Letting Putin spread lies,
Tucker, isn't so wise.
You, of course, are guilty of that,
And when you do you cater to the autocrat.
You think Moscow's so nice.
So, I won't tell you twice.
Surely you could
Do what you should:
Pack your bags, get on a plane, and move there for good.
When your jet's in the sky,
Tucker, we’ll wave good-bye!

-by Bob B (2-14-24)

°Tucker Carlson: political talk show host fired from Fox News in 2023

(This poem is based on Poe’s poem “The Bells.”)

I. (Initial rain)

It’s the luscious sound of rain—
Gentle rain.
How it seems to soothe my nerves and calm my weary brain!
How it patters, patters, patters
In the early morning hours!
And we're certain that it matters
That with every drop that splatters
It will feed the hungry flowers
As it falls, falls, falls,
Dripping down the roofs and walls.
Oh, the wonder of the music made so gloriously plain
From the rain, rain, rain, rain,
Rain, rain, rain--
From the gentle pitter-patter of the rain.

II. (Subsequent days of rain)

It's the dreadful sound of rain--
Heavy rain.
How the constant pummeling is driving me insane!
How it beats and beats and beats
On all our windows and our walls!
And the windows now are leaking
And some inside walls are streaking
As the dismal water falls.
And it pelts, pelts, pelts
As my optimism melts,
And my hopes for storms to quickly pass are miserably in vain.
It's the rain, rain, rain, rain,
Rain, rain, rain--
The depressing and distressing sound of rain.

-by Bob B (2-5-24)

“This happened because that happened.”
That’s what the Buddha is said to have said.
It permeates the thousands of pages
Of Buddhist writings that can be read.

Of course, people will probably say,
"That is neither profound nor sublime."
Ah, but the words are really both
Complex and simple at the same time.

It sounds as though we're talking about
Chain reactions or cause and effect.
The words can make a great deal of sense
When we view things in retrospect.

All the interconnected events
That brought us to this moment can be
Overwhelming, to say the least,
For there is so much that we cannot see.

Although we might not notice it,
Simple reactions occur this way:
You offer someone a genuine smile,
And maybe you made that person's day.

When we look at history
And how religions arose and grew,
Interconnections are much more complex
But clearly are at work there, too.

Viewing historical events
In depth can help us understand
Why things are the way they are
And how ideas get out of hand;

How the human ego works
And how human behavior evolved;
Why so many conflicts exist
And why so many remain unresolved.

The process of deeply examining
Ourselves and our world can open our eyes
To why we think in a certain fashion
And how to see through falsehoods and lies.

“This happened because that happened.”
Although we cannot erase the past,
We can alter the way we think
And then make positive changes that last.

-by Bob B (2-3-24)

Allah, Jehovah, Brahma, Zeus…
They're all the same to me
And represent humankind's
Quest to find a key--

A key that will unlock the door
To what can't be explained
And hopefully confirm that seekers'
Hopes can be sustained.

People search for meaning that
Transcends the commonplace
Within this giant universe
Of particles and space.

Some say that instead of looking
Outward, search within.
To search for deeper truths, that is
A good place to begin.

And if we think we have the answer,
We should not forget
That other folks with different answers
Should not be a threat.

Ultimately, if we do
Or don't see eye to eye,
Frankly, none if it will truly
Matter when we die.

-by Bob B (2-1-24)

Putin's war drags on and on
Since his forces invaded Ukraine.
For two years now, Russian soldiers
Have followed his orders. Imagine the pain!

Actually, the Russian attack
Dates way back to twenty-fourteen
When Putin stole Ukrainian land.
The current invasion's a bloodier scene.

Life goes on for the rest of the world.
We work; we play; we party; we feast.
Ukrainians are suffering,
But some people don't care in the least.

Extremist Republicans who kiss
The ring of king Trump, do not care
If Ukraine falls, or if the country
Is torn to shreds by the eastern bear.

If Putin is victorious, then
Other countries may fall as well.
People will suffer, and what's more
The Russian brute will be hard to repel.

Pressure on Putin and aid to Ukraine
Are two ways to put an end to the war.
The dictator already has
A great deal to answer for.

-by Bob B (1-31-24)

It's said that a dog is "man's best friend."
To me they're a pain in the ****.
Usually, when I see a dog,
I see a mangy mutt.

Yipping, barking, slobbering, howling,
Shedding, pooping, and such,
Dogs are very high maintenance creatures,
Which can be a bit much.

I cringe when they run up to me
And want to spray them with mace
When after licking their rear, they try
To lick me in the face.

And cleaning up after them? My goodness!
It would make me gag
To pick up a giant pile of ****
With my hand in a plastic bag.

They can let the smelliest farts.
Granted, so can we.
But we can leave the room, or at least
Say, "Please pardon me."

And when they get sick, they crap all over
And ***** and make a mess.
It makes me want to throw up as well
And find a rapid egress.

Sometimes they'll ruin household items
By chewing on this or that.
And I will scream the loudest curse
Whenever I step where they shat.

Some dogs are much more tolerable
Than others, I'll admit.
If I pet one, I'm being nice
And not a hypocrite.

Dogs, I know, bring lots of joy
To people's lives. That's fine.
But I expect their pets to behave.
That's the bottom line.

I'm sure I'm in the minority
To feel the way I do.
But everyone has the right to share
His or her point of view.

Dog lovers will probably say
I'm just a grumpy old man.
Perhaps, but when it comes to dogs,
I'm simply not a fan.

-by Bob B (1-26-24)