Look around and pay attention.
A scary movement is on the rise,
Which ultimately could turn this country
Into a fascist's paradise.

Christian nationalism is what
The movement is called, and what it's about
Is a merging of church and state
And turning this country inside out.

Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus,
And everybody else beware.
You might like you current freedoms.
Christian nationalists don't care.

Infiltrating local, state,
And national government positions,
They're pushing their religious agenda
And pressuring other politicians.

Christianity's not the problem.
It's Christian fanatics who want to thrive.
They love the extreme ideas expressed
In Project 2025.

They want to quash the rights of gays,
Deny women the right to choose,
And reshape the federal government
With loyalists who share their views.

They're also weary of immigrants,
And climate change to them is fiction.
They claim to love this nation, but that's
A hypocritical contradiction.

Some even think that violence
Is justified to help them prevail.
It's almost as though they'd like to live
In Gilead of THE HANDMAID'S TALE.

If being agnostic can develop
By degrees, then I must say
That these religious extremists make me
More agnostic every day.

-by Bob B (7-8-24)

Supreme Court justices,
Smiling at autocracy,
Have pounded one more nail into
The coffin of democracy.

Immunity! That is what
They decided Trump should get.
Of course, Trump and his Court lackeys
Are in one another's debt.

Receiving immunity for actions
While serving a term as president
Is dangerous for a person like Trump
Who has an egomaniacal bent.

Giving so much power to him
While he's in office unfairly slights
The rest of us, for such a move
Diminishes the people's rights.

Yes, the rights of the rest of us,
For we have seen how he abuses
The power of the executive branch
To do whatsoever he chooses.

Our founding fathers emphasized
That no one is above the law.
The Court regards our Constitution
With a deprecatory "Pshaw!"

There were dissenters--only three--
Who criticized the Court's decision.
But sadly it is not enough
For three to have a clearer vision.

Treating the president of the country
As though he were a powerful king
Makes me sick, especially when
People sing "let freedom ring."

-by Bob B (7-4-24)

Trump has no idea as to
How to debate. That's NO surprise.
He merely bombards his opponent with
A litany of foolish lies.

Lie after lie shoots out of his mouth.
How does he do it with no chagrin?
Attempts to address his many untruths
Has one wondering where to begin.

January 6? He lied.
Immigration? He lied again.
Roe v Wade? Another lie.
Do your job, CNN.

For moderators of Trump's debates,
I'd like to offer a little suggestion:
Stop him when he rambles on
And say, "Mr. Trump, answer the question!"

Getting him to make any sense
Was difficult, to say the least.
His fans who eat up his lies with gusto
Were offered that night a real feast.

He blamed the failure to call the National
Guard on Nancy Pelosi! How rude!
How dare he cast the blame on her
For his own ineptitude!

That Democrats think women's choice
Should be determined by each state?
The truth for Trump is meaningless--
Only something to desecrate.

It's really hard to imagine how
American voters would desire
To have a president in office
Who's such a pathological liar.

-by Bob B (7-1-24)

I HAVE to admit that I'm baffled when I
Hear English usage that's gone quite awry.
I CANNOT stop thinking that things are amiss
When I hear English that's spoken like this:

"Tina and I's corporation is strong."
How can the speaker not see that that's wrong?
"Me and Tina's" before "corporation"
Likewise should bring about mortification.

"My" is possessive for "I," we should note.
In grade school we all should have learned that by rote.
And since the word "my" cannot stand alone,
It must precede something that we have or own.

"Tina's and MY corporation…" Now THAT
Is hitting a homer when you are at bat!
"Tina's and my…" placed in front of whatever
Does NOT make you sound high-and-mighty or clever,

It's merely the way to express what you mean
With no trepidation of sounding thirteen.
Of course, if you want, you can always say "I's,"
But frankly that's something I wouldn't advise.

-by Bob B (6-21-24)

My dad could be a character.
He often loved to get your goat,
But in a fun or teasing manner
And always keeping his wit afloat.

Very well read and articulate,
He used his humor to be quite punny.
However, when he teased my mom,
She didn't often find him funny.

He could be loquacious with his
Gargantuan vocabulary.
Since he could talk about anything,
The topics, of course, would always vary.

He possessed the enviable
Ability to think on his feet.
To hear him talk at events to me
Was an unforgettable treat.

My mom would listen attentively,
But after a while her ire would spike.
I could hear her softly mumbling,
"******, Warne, put down the mic!"

The use of the word "******" here
I have to admit is rather tame,
For both of my folks could string together
Words that would put a sailor to shame.

No offense to sailors here,
But certainly you know what I mean.
After we left our family
Gatherings there'd be a scene.

"Stop talking politics
At family parties!" Mom would shout.
"And stay away from religion," she'd add.
Of course, I've left the cuss words out.

But Dad was truly a loving man--
Warm, affectionate, and kind.
His liberal outlook on life taught me
To open both my heart and mind.

Twenty-six years ago he died,
And yet so much of him survives:
The love that he had for his family
And the ways that he touched so many lives.

-by Bob B (6-16-24)

Recently, Israelis rescued
Four hostages. People are thrilled.
But during the rescue, how many innocent
Palestinian civilians were killed?

The attack by Hamas on October 7
Was indeed an abomination,
And when a life is saved, that
Should be a cause for celebration.

But let's not lose sight of the huge loss
Of innocent lives since all this started.
It's hard to see what's happening
In Gaza and not feel broken-hearted.

What a shame that so many people
Are caught in between two warring factions
And suffer because of Hamas's attacks
And Netanyahu's revengeful reactions.

Reports vary as to how many
Civilians have died, but numbers are high--
More civilians than combatants,
But numbers are hard to verify.°

We must put pressure on BOTH sides
In order to make these numbers drop.
They have to put an end to this conflict.
All this killing has got to stop!

-by Bob B (6-12-24)

°The U.N. estimates more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza and more than 1,200 people in Israel have died in the war.

People often say what they wish,
And when they do, it's always nice
When speakers of English express themselves
In language that is clear and precise.

Presently, if you're somewhere else,
And I would rather have you near,
And if I were speaking with you on the phone,
I'd say, "I really wish you were here."

If, however, I speak of the past,
And my disappointment I wish to convey
Because you couldn't be where I was,
"I wish you had been there" is what I would say.

For "wish" situations, if present, think past:
"I wish I knew the method right now."
Here I am saying that if I were able
To demonstrate something, I'd show you how.

For past situations, think past perfect:
"I wish I had known the secret back then."
Whatever the secret was, this means
That I didn't know it way back when.

"I wish she were able to join us today."
"We wish we had a million bucks."
"I wish you had been at the game with us."
"He wishes he hadn't said, 'That *****!'"

When "wish" expressions are used with care
And modeled for others to hear and read,
We say exactly what we mean,
And that is marvelous indeed!

-by Bob B (6-11-24)