This is my fourteen-hundredth poem
Published on my blog so far.
My inspirations are almost endless--
Sort of like an open bar.

I'm going to quote myself this time
By using almost to the letter
Lines that come from my twelve-hundredth poem.
It's hard to say it any better:

I've "published" my poems on various sites,
Which, as I said, include my blog.
"For me, my poetry collection
Is almost like a travelogue--

"A mental travelogue depicting
My thoughts traveling to and fro."
I'm never certain where my thoughts
Will take me. "I just go with the flow.

"Today might be a little visit
To a place called 'Hypocrisy-land.'
There you'll find politicians
Who have gotten out of hand.

"Tomorrow might take me to a place
Where I spend a lot of time--
A place where animals can talk
And anecdotes are put to rhyme.

"To outer space my mind might travel;
Or out to explore nature's wonders.
Perhaps I'll take a nostalgic trip
Or write about people's triumphs or blunders."

Climate change, current events,
"Unknown figures, people of fame,
Likable folks, and miscreants, too,"--
All these topics become fair game.

Religion is not off-limits, for I
Detest religious hypocrisy,
The ways religion is misused,
And the dangers of a theocracy.

Sometimes I'll write a poem that could
Be sung to a melody of my own;
Or maybe I'll write a poem that could
Be sung to a song that is well known.

"Eschewing ambiguity
Or language rich in metaphor,
I find that a simple, conversational,
Straightforward style suits me more.

"To many poets, poems that rhyme
Are--according to them--passé.
Although it has its limitations,
Rhyming for me is here to stay."

The quoted lines are what I wrote
In December 2021.
Writing continues to be a challenge
That's stimulating, exciting, and fun.

So when it comes to poetry,
I don't want to be myopic.
I maintain that anything
Imaginable can be a topic.

-by Bob B (6-5-24)

Sadly, we can see that in Congress,
Republicans still have a bone
To pick with Dr. Anthony Fauci.
They CANNOT leave him alone.

As much as the doctor has tried to do
To save Americans' lives
During the recent COVID pandemic,
Ignorance still thrives.

Far-right extremists in the House,
Instead of legislating,
Are wasting energy and time
Being nauseating.

It's really hard to listen to
Their baseless accusations,
Paranoid, nonsensical rants,
And ludicrous speculations.

They won't admit that they've been wrong
And even say they're sorry
For persecuting a doctor whose
Reputation is starry.

Instead, they'll put their trust in a man
Who said that viral infections
Could perhaps be treated if we
All took bleach injections!

Because of all the senseless attacks
That have taken place,
Dr. Fauci has received
Death threats from Trump's base.

Let's elect people to Congress
Who wisely use their positions
To focus on laws that help all people
And not just the politicians.

-by Bob B (6-4-24)

Donald Trump, convicted felon…
We know it's power for which he thirsts.
Craving attention, he's also managed
To earn for himself a number of firsts:

The first U.S. president
Impeached by the House, not once but twice!
(He always has to one-up himself.
For MOST presidents, just ONCE would suffice.)

The first former president
Tried and convicted on thirty-four counts!
(While ONE would be enough for most,
We know how much he loves AMOUNTS.)

The first convicted felon running
For the office of U.S. president!
(How many firsts can this man handle--
This New York/Florida resident?)

Our justice system is catching up
With Donald Trump, and it's about time.
For many years the man's been able
To get away with crime after crime.

But once again he'll play the martyr--
Especially now that he's been convicted--
Even though his constant troubles
And suffering are self-inflicted.

Thirty-four counts! But wait, for there
Are more indictments. Will there be
More convictions down the road?
We will have to wait and see.

-by Bob B (5-31-24)

-Confusion-
Whether or not you seek glory,
Whenever you're writing a story,
You'll know on the double
That you're in big trouble
If you confuse "hoary"° with "whorey."

°definition: old and trite

-Grammar-
It's really quite shocking to me
When speakers of English can't see
What they convey
Whenever they
Use "him" when they ought to use "he."

-Subjunctive-
They say the subjunctive° is dying.
If I said, "Who cares?" I'd be lying.
If I were you,
I'd do what I do:
Perfect it! At least I'd keep trying.

°The subjunctive mood expresses wishes, suggestions, demands, or desires.

-Past Participle-
To another thing I must ask "Why?"
To the past participle, say "Bye!"
Why don't folks give a ****
When they say "We have swam,"
"He has ran," "I have drank"? My, oh, my!

-Past Perfect-
The past perfect tense I can tell
Can cause people problems as well.
Some folks abuse it;
Some just don't use it.
Use "had" with the past par…. Ah, hell!

-by Bob B (5-28-24)

Back in January this year
Sergeant Kennedy Sanders was killed.
Today, for all her dear loved ones,
The hole in their hearts remains unfilled.

Assigned to a military outpost
In Jordan, she and her team became
Targets of a drone attack.
Islamic terrorists were to blame.

Operation Inherent Resolve
Was a mission to combat hate--
The hate that's being perpetuated
By groups such as the Islamic State.

Rebuilding infrastructure was
Why the engineers were there.
The threat of danger was always something
For which the soldiers had to prepare.

Just one day prior to
The day that Kennedy met her end,
She and her mom had talked about
The kinds of Girl Scout cookies to send.

How sad! Because of fanaticism,
Countless innocent people have died.
Religious extremism proves to be
A giant thorn in humanity's side.

Unfortunately, the suffering
Is NOT just caused by militant groups.
Sometimes fanatic leaders cause grief
Through bombing raids and sending out troops.

Kennedy's friends and family
Will sadly but proudly make their way
To Kennedy's grave where they will leave
Flowers on this Memorial Day.

-by Bob B (5-27-24)

When growing up, I never had
The feeling that I was a finicky *****,
And even though it wasn't a custom
For us to parade around in the ****,

My easygoing Midwestern parents
Never felt that it would befoul
Our minds if after bathing they
Returned to their bedroom wrapped in a towel.

I learned, however, that some people were
In many respects less modest than others.
For instance, my friend's mother's behavior
Was very different from my mother's.

We'd be playing--my friend and I--
When all of a sudden his mom would prance
Into his room not wearing a thing,
Almost as though she was doing a dance.

It was…different, but not for me
A reason for laughing, fleeing, or fainting.
I was used to seeing scores
Of nudes in many a Renaissance painting.

Unfazed, my friend and I continued
To do whatever we were playing
As though we had merely witnessed his mom
Vacuuming, baking pies, or crocheting.

We humans are the only mammals
That stifle our belches, excuse our farts,
And feel that it's very necessary
To cover up our private parts--

Unless you are a nudist, of course.
That, we know, is a different matter.
So, birthday suit or covered body?
I think I will stick with the latter.

I have been to **** beaches
Both in the States and overseas.
Instead of feeling liberated,
I felt a little bit ill at ease.

I do not find ******
Offensive at all, so please take note:
If that's your thing, then be my guest
And do whatever floats your boat.

If "clothes make the man," as the saying goes,
****** levels the playing field.
But I feel more relaxed if certain
Body parts remain concealed.

-by Bob B (5-20-24)

I remember when I was a youth
How consoling it was to know
That I had little to worry about.
Ah, but that was long ago.

If, perchance, the roof had a leak,
Dad would be up there in a flash
To find the problem, and once he did,
Off to the hardware store he would dash.

Electrical trouble? He had it down.
Plumbing issues? No problem at all.
He examined the situations,
Addressing the problems large and small.

If my mom wanted a door
Moved from one wall to another,
My dad got out the sledgehammer.
Anything to please my mother.

Carpentry was not his thing.
That is where he came up short.
Intellectual creativity
Was his passion, his love, his forte.

My mom was super organized
And ready for any circumstance.
She handled the bills, managed the home,
And planned our meals weeks in advance.

Multi-talented she was!
She cooked and baked, knocked down fences,
Gardened, and kept us kids in line.
Discipline meant consequences.

She even managed to work for a store
As a bookkeeper. We always knew
That everything was under control,
Though we were far from well-to-do.

We kids all had our weekly chores,
Which we begrudgingly did, of course.
However, the way my folks made us feel
Safe and secure was a tour de force.

Life is very different now.
There's no way that I can repair
Leaky roofs, wiring, or plumbing.
I couldn't even on a dare.

I know how to call an electrician,
Plumber, roofer--anyone
To handle concerns at which I'm inept.
I want repairs correctly done.

But every so often I catch myself
Being at peace in my childhood room,
Thinking that all was well with the world
And having no thoughts of doom or gloom.

Young and naïve, all I knew
Was my little world, safe and secure.
Threats to that tranquility
Were imperceptible, obscure.

Little did I know at the time
That life for others wasn't so sweet,
That some lacked food and shelter and had
Difficulty making ends meet,

That some were caught in the middle of clashing
Armies, that innocent people were dying,
That people struggled for rights and freedom,
That life for some was horrifying.

Naïveté and complacency--
As comfortable as they might seem--
Can insulate us from world problems
As though we're living in a dream,

One from which we must awaken.
And when we do, we have to decide
Whether we'll work to better the world
Or stay in our comfy cocoon and hide.

-by Bob B (5-19-24)