Hawks are present. Perhaps you can't
See them all, but they are there--
Waiting for the perfect moment
To capture you, unaware.

You are told it has to do with
Needed management and control.
But know they long to tear you apart
Because they cannot swallow you whole.

Are they circling overhead?
Listen carefully; decipher their cries.
Despite what you are told to believe,
They want to rule the land and skies.

Always on the lookout for victims,
They tie power and strength to wealth.
They seek out the vulnerable.
Their strategy: attack by stealth.

While you earn your livelihood--
Working hard to make ends meet--
To them you are nothing but
A menu item--something to eat.

They can spot you from far away.
Your home's a fragile sanctuary.
Is your encounter part of a plan,
Or is it strictly arbitrary?

When they say, "Do not fear;
We're your friends." That's not true.
One false move and it's all over.
Certain things you can't undo.

It doesn't matter whether you
Are fast or slow, strong or frail,
Once they have you, say good-bye.
Your screams will be of no avail.

-by Bob B (8-4-18)

Some people call it karma;
Others just cause and effect.
One might also call it comeuppance:
What we sow, we will collect.

While many towering figures attended
The funeral of John McCain,
Trump was forced to watch from a distance.
A TV screen was safe terrain.

Without even hearing the president's
Name mentioned, anyone
Could hear in eulogies and speeches
The great damage that he has done.

We will rise above this, we hope.
We will survive direct assaults
On freedom and democracy.
We can grow and learn from our faults.

Don't worry, Mr. Trump.
One day you'll be invited
To something most don't want you to miss:
That's when you get indicted.

-by Bob B (9-3-18)

I lost a furry friend today:
A squirrel that often came to visit.
Can't the hawks go somewhere else?
That's not too much to ask, is it?

The squirrel would often sit in our tree
And wait for me to take it a treat:
Some grapes, some nuts, some whole wheat
Whatever the little beggar would eat.

Quite content, he'd chomp away,
Always vigilant and alert.
He didn't want to be another
Animal's dinner or dessert.

Sometimes my little visitor,
Hoping that I'd give him more,
Would jauntily prance up to my house
And stand on the steps outside my door.

Today the hawks were in the trees,
On the roofs and in the sky.
One flew off a while ago,
Carrying the little guy.

Couldn't the hawks just eat rats?
I guess that breaks some natural rule.
Nature--so grand and majestic at times--
Can also appear to be so cruel.

Instead of killing squirrels, why can't
Hawks--like vultures--feast on carrion?
Or better yet: why don't they try
A diet strictly vegetarian?

-by Bob B (8-30-18)

THEY will have the final word.
Believe what the PARTY says is true.
Even Facecrime gives you away,
For BIG BROTHER is watching you.

Honesty? Bah, such nonsense!
Loyalty is what must sell.
State-spread rumors incite the mob
In your bleak, dystopian hell.

Reject evidence of eyes and ears.
That's what THEY say. Watch how hate
Turns the unquestioning supporter
Against the enemies of the state.

The Goodthinkful, unaware
How language affects their thoughts and behavior,
Show how ignorance is strength
And lavish praise upon their savior.

Manipulating public opinion,
THEY know well-spread lies will last,
For that's how THEY'LL control the future,
And that's how THEY control the past.

Doublethink is what THEY call it:
The clever art of reality control.
Ignorance is strength, THEY tell you.
Controlled insanity is THEIR goal.

The more powerful THEY become,
The less THEY prove to be your friend.
It's NOT about what's good for the people.
Power is NOT a means but an end.

War is declared on language and memory.
Inconvenient facts are rejected.
Science is reviled, and THEY
Discredit people once respected.

Doublespeak narrows the range of thought.
By caving in you might survive.
Two and two make four, but sometimes
THEY'LL say that two and two make five.

Opinions are not tolerated.
Protective stupidity: that's THEIR plan.
You think THEY can't control your thoughts,
But, oh, THEY can. THEY really can.

Do you look at your screen, or does
Your screen look at you? Or Both?
Do you know how much THEY know
Or if THEY know you've kept your oath?

Who's the next to be vaporized?
Who's the next to become an unperson?
As long as THEY control your "thinking,"
Everything can only worsen.

If only to awaken from the nightmare
Where truth becomes a likelihood
And we retain humanity!
Wouldn't that be "doubleplusgood"?

-by Bob B (8-30-18)

Lower the flag to half-staff.
Sing out loudly. Repeat the refrain:
Let us honor the legacy
And life of Senator John McCain.

McCain was the son and grandson of navy
Admirals. In his wild past he
Garnered a nickname from fellow students
Due to his cockiness: McNasty.

Later McCain's cockiness
Transformed into pluck, resolve, and verve.
Following in his father's footsteps,
He, too, decided to serve.

McCain proved that he could succeed
Despite not being at the top of his class.
Though he was fifth from the bottom at the
Academy, he would still pass.

Off to Southeast Asia he went.
On one mission while trying to destroy
A power plant, his plane was shot down
Over the skies of central Hanoi.

Captured, brutally beaten, and tortured,
McCain spent over 2,000 days
At the "Hanoi Hilton"--not what he
Would call in life his happiest phase.

Released in 1973
And broken in body but not in spirit,
He'd serve his country in other ways.
Life gets you down only if you fear it.

Elected to the House in '82
And then to the Senate in '86,
McCain wanted to make a difference
By throwing himself into politics.

In his first run for president,
A smear campaign did him in.
He tried again in 2008,
But again he wasn't meant to win.

A "maverick" they called McCain.
He didn't seek glory, fame, or applause.
Fighting for causes larger than himself
Was truly fighting for a real cause.

Many a politician on both
The right and left would admit to be a fan
Of John McCain. One didn't have to
Agree with him to respect the man.

Not afraid to admit his mistakes,
And though often called a hawk,
McCain came around to admit his error
In having supported the war in Iraq.

He'd also call out the president
If the leader abused his power
Or acted in ways that he considered
Unseemly. McCain would never cower.

McCain was also quick to forgive.
Note his efforts: for peace to thrive,
He pressed to restore relations with
Vietnam in '95.

"We need to learn the lessons of history,"
McCain declared. He also detested
Hearing the media called the enemy.
When he heard that, he protested.

Although he called himself an "imperfect
Public servant," McCain had style.
Not afraid to compromise,
He reached out to colleagues across the aisle.

The "joyful warrior" and "lion of the Senate"
Lived with dignity and honor, and not
Like some people in power to whom
Such qualities are an afterthought.

John McCain's battles in life
And challenges would never cease
Until he succumbed to a brain tumor.
May he now rest in peace!

Lower the flag to half-staff.
Sing out loudly. Repeat the refrain:
Let us honor the legacy
And life of Senator John McCain.

-by Bob B (8-28-18)

(Can be sung to "If I Only Had a Brain" from THE WIZARD OF OZ)

"I swear that you'll regret it.
Don't take it as a threat; it
Just shows how far I've reached.
Wall Street will fumble
And stocks will take a tumble
If I ever get impeached.

"My supporters will be livid,
My language much more vivid.
You know how much I've preached.
Without my expert thinking
The country will be sinking
If I ever get impeached.

"Oh, why don't you see that I
Can fix this country now.
I'm the only one with answers as to how.
Excuse me while I take a bow.

"Compared to me he's scrawny--
My buddy Giuliani--
And, oh, how he has screeched.
But he will stand right by me
While others vilify me
If I ever get impeached.

"Why do my critics shout
When talk leaks out about
All the protocol I've breached?
You'll all have to worry
When I unleash my fury
If I ever get impeached."

-by Bob B (8-27-18)

°Inspired by parodist John Di Domenico, also known as Randy Rainbow. I wanted to write the poem/song from the president's point of view. Thanks, RR, for the idea of using the topic of impeachment with the song from THE WIZARD OF OZ.

A mob boss for president…
Yikes! That's what we've got--
One who profits from crime
Without a second thought;

Who keeps his family close by;
Who's close to each paisano;
Who looks less like a Lincoln,
And more like Tony Soprano;

Who praises convicted felons,
And pardons them as well;
Who cares less about country
And more about his cartel.

Loyalty is his mantra.
His underlings owe him all.
He sounds like a mobster when
His back's against the wall.

He'll rip you a new one if
You ever decide to flip
And prove that you're a rat,
Or try to give him the slip.

"Flipping should be illegal,"
He brazenly repeats.
Without it he knows there'd be
More crooks on the streets.

A power-hungry bully:
It's his goal to be one.
Listen to his rhetoric:
"I know a rat when I see one."

His fixer threatens reporters
And does the boss's bidding.
But when he seeks revenge,
The boss isn't kidding!

Driven by ambition,
Egomania and greed,
He lets mob ethics guide him
To always take the lead.

He's the kind of guy
You read about in books.
Watch how he surrounds
Himself with other crooks.

Those who cooperate
With law enforcement will find
That he retaliates
If ever he's maligned.

Top decision maker,
He gets such a thrill
Promoting or demoting
Anyone at will.

Having a no-good mob boss
As leader strikes a nerve
Because it's hard to accept
That that's what we deserve.

-by Bob B (8-25-18)

How many pickles can Mr. Pecker
Put the prickly president in?
All of his predicaments
Already make a person's head spin.

Trump's a master at putting himself
In his own pickles, without much assistance.
His course for putting himself in a jam
Follows the path of least resistance.

David Pecker, CEO
Of the NATIONAL ENQUIRER,
For a long time has been a chief
Donald Trump admirer.

(Trump, by the way, is of the opinion--
And, no, this is not a gag--
That David Pecker's paper is
Truly a highly respectable rag.)

Anyway, Pecker is now
Tied to the Michael Cohen case.
It's his turn to pass the baton
In this criminal relay race.

They say that Pecker has a secure
Safe--or vault--that once contained
Hush money stories of Trump.
Can their whereabouts be explained?

Won't it be curious to hear the songs
That Mr. Pecker is going to sing?
There's still so much to be uncovered
Revolving around the cover-up king.

By the way, if you want
To alter your name, you can arrange it.
If Pecker were your family name,
Don't you think you'd want to change it?

-by Bob B (8-24-18)

Telephone scams are driving me crazy--
Both on my landline and on my cell!
I'm on the verge of telling every
Pesky caller to go to hell!

The IRS is after me.
Oh, the message sounds so dire.
The person says I'd better respond
Or I will be in big trouble. Liar!

Or a recording tells me that my
Router has been hacked, and so
If I don't call them right away,
They'll shut my router down. Oh, no!

A caller claims he's from HP
And says that they know for sure
That my computer has a virus.
I want to say he's full of manure.

Another swears he's calling from
The FBI, demanding money
Because I'm being investigated.
I must pay, or else! Funny!

Because you've managed to make our lives
So miserable, scammers, I swear:
There has to be a special place
In hell for you. You'd better beware!

-by Bob B (8-23-18)

Yesterday was a rotten one
For Donald Trump. What a shame!
In desperation Trump has jumped
Out of the frying pan into the flame.

His friend and former campaign manager,
Paul Manafort, was convicted
On eight felony counts, although
More convictions had been predicted.

Then his lawyer, Michael Cohen,
Pleaded guilty on eight counts
And implicated the president
In a felony, as the tension mounts.

Trump is an unindicted co-
Conspirator in a federal crime,
According to Cohen--something that many
Have suspected all the time.

Also, an early supporter in Congress,
Hunter Duncan, was indicted
For the misuse of campaign funds.
Do all who touch Trump become blighted?

Meanwhile, Omarosa says
She has many more tapes to play.
It almost seems as though the president's
Teflon coating is wearing away.

As Trump's Republican defenders
In Congress flat out refuse to condemn
Trump's actions, people wonder,
"What does Putin have on THEM?"

"I always hire the best people,"
Donald Trump would frequently boast.
Stay away from Donald Trump
Or you, too, are going to be toast.

-by Bob B (8-22-18)

Listen intently now, if you will,
To the sorrowful story of Emmett Till--
A black fourteen-year-old lad
Who hadn't done what they said he had

In August of 1955.
It's possible he could still be alive
If only he…if only…well,
Listen to what I have to tell.

Caught in one of those circumstances
Of having made ****** advances,
Till, whose actions were taken for granted--
Note: his accuser later recanted--

Was brutally tortured, lynched, and shot.
His body was left in the river to rot
Not very far from Glendora, Miss.
How shocking to hear stories like this!

Two white men, in a great hurry,
Were later acquitted by an all-white jury.
Such incidents are a wound indeed
On the soul of America. Watch it bleed!

In 2007 a sign was erected
At the site of the ******, but someone objected,
And suddenly the sign disappeared,
Just as many people had feared.

A second sign replaced number one,
But thugs seeking perverse fun
Destroyed the sign with bullets, and so
Sign number two had to go.

Officials did what they had to do,
And sign number three replaced number two.
Within a few weeks, it, too, was marred
With bullet holes leaving it scarred.

The bullet-riddled sign demonstrates
There's work left to do in all fifty states.
Prejudice and hatred are blinding;
The road to justice is long and winding.

-by Bob B (8-21-18)

Watch out, or you will find that you're
On President Trump's Enemies List,
For democratic values and Donald
Trump cannot coexist.

Former CIA Director
John Brennan, now has learned
That when it comes to silencing critics,
Trump will leave no stone unturned.

After hearing Brennan's critical
Words, the angry Trump was stewing.
Bam! He revoked Brennan's security
Clearance despite no wrongdoing.

The crazed, vindictive leader called
John Brennan's behavior "erratic."
Muzzling the freedom of speech, Trump's
Becoming more autocratic.

The office of the presidency
Has never, ever been sullied so.
This vicious attack on our First Amendment
Rights is a terrible blow.

Trump accused Brennan of making
"Baseless charges." Real translation:
Brennan didn't hail Trump
With sycophantic adoration.

On Trump's list are others who
Might lose clearances as well.
Here his lack of integrity
And pettiness have no parallel.

Another motive for Trump's action
Is more diabolical yet:
He wants to strip the power away
From all people who might be a threat

Because of their connection to
The Russia probe. That makes sense.
As more dots are being connected,
The situation is growing tense.

While servile Republicans in Congress
Defend their despotic president,
Let Brennan's powerful words
Resound: "I will not relent."

-by Bob B (8-16-18)

Wow! I've made it to sixty-nine.
I'm feeling sort of lucky
To have my health and everything else.
Everything's just ducky!

Sixty-nine years behind me…
My spring has long ago sprung.
When I was a kid, it sounded so old;
Now it's sounding young.

Although I'm not a daredevil,
Life's been full of adventures.
I have a crown or two, but I'm
Still not wearing dentures.

Maintaining a curiosity
Has been energizing.
Does that have something to do with being
A Leo with Virgo rising?

Certainly there are things
I CAN'T or WILL NOT do.
But every day I challenge myself
To learn something new.

I'm still a sexagenarian.
In one year I'll see
My name with the septuagenarians
If that's meant to be.

-by Bob B (8-15-18)

Play the tapes, Omarosa!
It's sad to think they're necessary,
But times like these require that we
Think out of the ordinary.

When White House stories change daily,
And the president cannot be trusted
To say the truth, how does one ever
Cope with a leader so maladjusted?

Play the tapes! Let us hear--
From the horse's mouth, so to speak--
How the Trump administration
Reveals the damage that it can wreak.

"Vengeance is mine!" saith Donald Trump.
With his usual *** for tat,
He'll pursue his critics with
The fervor of an autocrat.

Calling you a "lowlife," a "dog,"
He demonstrates his verbal finesse
By finding pejorative words and expressions
That for him are hard to suppress.

Whether YOUR words, Omarosa,
Have more credibility than his,
Anybody who sees through Trump
Knows who the real lowlife is.

-by Bob B (8-14-18)

Play the tapes, Omarosa!
It's sad to think they're necessary,
But times like these require that we
Think out of the ordinary.

When White House stories change daily,
And the president cannot be trusted
To say the truth, how does one ever
Cope with a leader so maladjusted?

Play the tapes! Let us hear--
From the horse's mouth, so to speak--
How the Trump administration
Reveals the damage that it can wreak.

"Vengeance is mine!" saith Donald Trump.
With his usual *** for tat,
He'll pursue his critics with
The fervor of an autocrat.

Calling her a "lowlife," a "dog,"
He demonstrates his verbal finesse
By finding pejorative words and expressions
That for him are hard to suppress.

Whether Omarosa's words
Have more credibility than his,
Anybody who sees through Trump
Knows who the real lowlife is.

-by Bob B (8-14-18)

Oleaginous swamp monsters
Inhabit the swamp where they
Carry out nefarious deeds,
Victimizing their prey.

Pertinacious in how they manage
To obfuscate their acts,
They disregard well-meaning
Attempts to get at facts.

Fleecing America, laundering money,
Wily defrauding banks,
And practicing insider trading:
Some ways they fill their tanks.

How their greed pushes them
To plot and plan and scheme!
How they pledge allegiance to
The Swamp Monster Supreme!

They do their best to cover their tracks.
Not only do they smother
Investigations, but they also
Steal from one another!

Who can get away with more?
Who can feel no shame?
Who can withstand more shocking scandals?
It almost becomes a game.

Many people will fall for the lies.
They can rest assured
That falsehoods will be one thing to which
They'll have become inured.

As long as the murky swamp remains,
The swamp monsters will thrive.
If we fail to take on the monsters,
How will we ever survive?

-by Bob B (8-9-18)

Attorney General Jeff Sessions
Continues to open wide the door
To bigotry and narrow-minded
Repression in his holy war.

Current plans: a task force,
One that is religious, in fact,
Within the US government--
A holy crusade to be exact.

Sessions feels that Christians are victims
In the separation of church and state.
Protecting their so-called religious liberty
Will give them the right to discriminate.

In countries where both religion
And government go hand in hand,
Injustice reigns, thoughts are controlled,
Rights are suppressed, books are banned.

We are seeing church and state
Dangerously intertwined,
Which goes against the kind of country
Our founding fathers had in mind.

What's happened to America--
The land of the free and the home of the brave?
Thomas Jefferson has to be
Turning over in his grave.

-by Bob B (8-2-18)

To return to the essence of what I was
Before I was: a mystery.
Will knowing who or what I was
Before I was be clear to me?

To speculate on lofty dreams:
Wistful efforts to fantasize
Something that’s unheard by formless
Ears or seen by formless eyes.

Disintegration of ruins show
The odd conception of what became
A vainglorious attempt to have
A monument outlast its name.

Will the name be muffled by
The echoes of a limitless void
When all semblance to what we think
Is real is once and for all destroyed?

Even though impermanence
Governs what we think and feel,
Maybe a deep understanding
Reveals something pure and real--

As real as any bubble that bursts
Or lightning flash from sky to earth.
Must being be purely palpable,
Or does it somehow transcend our birth?

Speculation gives the seeker
Hope--a blissful sanguinity--
While past, present, and future constantly
Merge into infinity?

-by Bob B (7-28-18)

Manipulating information
To craftily plot your lore
Is necessary if you want
To continue an information war.

Specific example: Deny Russian
Collusion and interference in
U.S. elections, and do not stop
Seeking info that you can spin.

After months of denying Russian
Cyber attacks and election meddling,
Then admit the possibility
Through a little backpedaling.

Say that well…maybe they meddled,
But hastily add: so did others.
Say you'd still end all queries
And probes if you had your druthers.

It's vital, of course, that you keep
Bashing the press. Be sure to accuse
Investigative journalists
Of making up tons of fake news.

Finally, say the Russians will
Interfere in the U.S., and that's
How in elections this November
They plan to help the DEMOCRATS!

Why? Because you're so hard
(Wink!) on Russia. You'll be winning.
Your fawning fans will eat it up,
And you will have all heads spinning.

Your friends on your favorite TV station
Will help you criticize and demean
Those who don't agree with you.
Praise to your propaganda machine!

Who cares what the world thinks?
You've got your fans; you've got your base.
There's no match for a stable genius
Who says to the world, "In your face!"

-by Bob B (7-25-18)

Nondescript, muffled sounds
Can penetrate cement and wood
And dirt, but silence dominates
This dank and dreary neighborhood.

Days are long and nights are frigid
Here where I’ve been laid to rest.
I slumber with my Purple Heart
And other medals across my chest.

How fickle life is! Good intentions
And dreams often come to naught.
Too late we learn the consequences
Of trusting all that we were taught.

Alas, the mighty powers that were
Had in mind a contrary plan.
They sent me off to fight their war
In the mountains of Afghanistan.

“When Johnny Comes Marching Home”: my buddies
And I would sometimes sing that song.
But fate presented a different plan
For my return all along.

I "marched" home, although my marching
Was somewhat a paradox:
I came home covered with medals
And lying in a flag-wrapped box.

Medals! Let the generals keep them.  
If I had a choice, I’d rather be
At home playing with my kids
And caring for my family.

-by Bob B (7-23-18)

When the anthem begins and the players
Hear the words "Oh, say can you see…"
Some have chosen not to remain
Standing; instead, they've taken a knee.

Taking a knee to protest injustice,
The players have faced their critics who feel
That when the national anthem is played,
People don't have the right to kneel.

But what about a president
Who criticizes our institutions--
Who calls the press the enemy
And scorns their vigorous contributions?

What about a president
Whose racist ties are loud and glaring--
Whose stance on U.S. asylum laws
Is unequivocally cold and uncaring?

What about a president
Who boldly refuses to take a stand
Against the industries that poison
Our water and threaten to ravage our land?

What about a president
Who throws our allies under the bus
And sidles up to Vladimir Putin
After what Putin has done to us?

What about a president--
A blowhard who has dropped the ball
In dealing with corruption, for his
Admin's the most corrupt of all?

What about a president
Who calls unpatriotic those
Who take a stand--or knee--against
Practices that they oppose?

This from a man whose actions border
The actions of someone strangely psychotic!
Trump has no right to call any
Other American unpatriotic.

-by Bob B (7-21-18)

"Donald, you are learning fast.
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Excuse me for a minute while
I adjust the puppet strings….

"Fooling the public is a must.
Listening to me will ease your fears.
I have been duping people
All over the world for many years.

"You are learning in leaps and bounds.
Sometimes I even think you're smart.
Calling the press the enemy
Is a wonderful way to start.

"Controlling the media is a must.
Your tweets are useful memoranda.
Your Sinclair Group and Fox News
Can help you spread your propaganda.

"It's very important to keep up the lies.
Let your admin team transmit them.
They will ride roughshod over
The people; they won't know what hit them.

"When your attacks on the FBI
And DOJ are intensified,
I can't help admitting that
I get all tingly inside.

"Of course, one thing that makes
It easy for you to break the rules
Is the fact that many of your
Republican members of Congress are fools.

"You also must remember that NATO
Countries are your REAL foes.
When you trash them, I say to myself,
'Donald'***** it on the nose.'

"Oh, about those deals you mentioned...
Well, we can discuss them later.
We appreciate all you're doing
To help us make Russia greater.

"Don't forget: When people mention
Subjects that for you are taboo,
Just stop and ask yourself,
'What would Vladimir Putin do?'"

-by Bob B (7-17-18)

(For Shirley, 10-31-1929 to 7-13-2018)

Countless stars light up our lives
And fill our hearts with brightness and splendor.
Sometimes they flash with sparkling brilliance;
Sometimes their rays are gentle and tender.

A star to me was my cousin Shirley,
Whose comforting warmth and radiant glow
Outshone even our glorious sun.
Anybody who knew her would know.

Emitting the light of true compassion,
She never let the darkness prevail
Or woefully impose restrictions
On love impossible to curtail.

And, oh, that love shone on so many.
From a place close by or even from afar,
Shirley's loving-kindness would touch you
As though you'd been touched by the warmth of a star.

But stars do not shine forever.
One sad day their brightness will fade.
Shirley's light was extinguished this week.
Though death is something we cannot evade,

The light of love that Shirley spread
On all who knew her still glows and gleams.
It fills our hearts with goodness and kindness;
It gives us hope; it guides and redeems.

The most spectacular sunrise that ever
Spread across the New Mexican skies
Would still be no match for the beauty of Shirley,
Her smile, or the love that poured from her eyes.

Rest in peace, beautiful cousin.

-by Bob B (7-13-18)

Ladies and gentlemen, here you have
An amazing three-ring circus before you.
You might want to turn your heads.
But keep your focus; we implore you.

Center ring: Peter Strzok--
Top spy finder of the FBI.
On the right: House Republicans.
Their main goal: to mortify.

Ring on the left: Democrats,
Giving Strzok some vital support
While the clowns in the other ring
Make of the show a kangaroo court.

Gowdy--the walking dead of Congress
Who's always eager for moments of glory--
Stirs up disorder and chaos as he
Tries to obscure the REAL story:

The details of what was really behind
Russian meddling in our elections.
Instead, he and the ones on the right
Labor to make foolish connections.

They are determined to prove their point.
Watch them as they grasp at straws
To smear the FBI and show
How it suffers from major flaws.

Gowdy, Gaetz, Jordan, and others--
All on the conspiratorial team--
Are loyal NOT to America but
To themselves and the Trump regime.

Their blatant behavior is the kind
That makes honest truth-seekers seethe.
Their heads are so far up their you-know-whats
It's hard to imagine how they can breathe.

What a show or spectacle--
One that's embarrassing to boot!
One clown makes a fool of himself;
The other clowns will follow suit.

-by Bob B (7-13-18)

Picnics, parties, marches, laughter,
Potato salad, apple pie…
Friends and families united
And fireworks lit up the nighttime sky.

Some, however, couldn't partake--
Some with horrific stories to tell,
Who, if they could see the fireworks,
Had to watch them from a cell.

Parents separated from children
Here seeking refuge learned
How the rules of immigration
Can be so quickly overturned.

Some are forced to be deported
To Mexico and beyond--
Forced to leave their kids behind,
Denied due process, denied even bond.

The president and his admin team--
These our heroes! These our champs!--
Propose a plan to reunify
Families in internment camps!

Refuge seekers torn apart
Learned not in a pretty way
How people in America
Honor Independence Day.

If Lady Liberty were able,
She’d lay down her tablet and flame
And raise up her hands in order
To hide her tearful face in shame.  

-by Bob B (7-5-18)

A Republican delegation
From Congress has taken a little trip
To Russia, where the members hope
To strengthen a budding relationship.

But have they asked critical questions
About Crimea--the annexation--
Russia's support for Assad, or even
One human rights violation?

Have they asked about Russian meddling
In our elections? What about
Jailed dissenters, poisonings,
And freedoms that the leaders flout?

What about Russian involvement
In other countries' important elections?
Or did they even think to question
Russian-U.S. financial connections?

Were any of these questions asked?
The answer is no--none of the above.
Their murky mission instead is for them
To go to Russia to…spread their love

Prior to Trump's meeting with Putin--
The secret meeting behind closed doors,
Where the former KGB spy
Will have Trump groveling on all fours.

When there are reasons for cover-ups,
It isn't hard to understand
How out of desperation someone
Could play into another's hand.

Not only are Putin and Donald Trump
Lovingly exchanging rings,
But Putin also has Trump's lackeys
Dangling from his puppet strings.

-by Bob B (7-4-18)

Hey, Sarah Huckabee Sanders,
Now you know how others feel
When they go to a restaurant
And aren't allowed to order a meal;

Or when they visit a business from which
They're turned away--for goodness' sake!--
Because the owners flatly refuse
To bake them a wedding cake.

Take a walk in the shoes of others,
Sarah, instead of pontificating
And parroting the president's lies
Without even hesitating.

Unfortunately, you have chosen
To back an agenda, vile and hateful.
You can hardly expect that those
Who suffer from it are going to be grateful.

Displaying a bit of empathy
Would make you sound a little smarter
And more caring, unless you prefer
To play the put-upon victim or martyr.

-by Bob B (6-29-18)

(A poem to be sung to the melody of Frank Sinatra's "My Way")

Despite all that you hear,
I'm doing great; I'm number one now.
My made-up "truths" endear
Me to my base; we're having fun now.
My ranting and my raving show that mine's not the small fry way.
You'll win…you'll win much more by doing things my way.

I wish the FBI
Would stop investigating.
They know too much. That's why
It is all so aggravating.
I never liked a wuss who would take the humble pie way.
No, I am much more ruthless doing things my way.

I've told some lies, once in a while…
Well, every day, but that's my style.
My Congress ***** have got my back. At the right time we'll attack.
I plot and scheme for my regime by doing things my way.

Putin's my friend, oh,
And Kim Jong Un and I are buddies.
Merkel and Trudeau?
My goodness, they're such fuddy-duddies.
All I have to do is just display my evil eye way,
And I'll get what I want 'cause it is my way.

I am the law; that's plain to see.
And very few are smart like me.
I will say what comes to mind, and I don't care if it's unkind.
A little greed helps you succeed when doing things my way.

Yes, do things my way.

-by Bob B (6-26-18)

Start a humanitarian crisis.
Separate families at the border.
Remind people that immigrants
Are very low in the pecking order.

Continue with a counter program.
Keep repeating hundreds of times
How immigrants are dangerous
And also the cause of so many crimes.

Then reverse the order that
Separates the families so
You can pretend you care immensely
(Even though it's just a show).

Blame the Democrats all along
For causing all the injustice and pain.
Say they all want open borders--
That they are the ones who are inhumane.

After bombarding the people with
False "facts" on immigration,
Their tolerance for cruelty
Will grow. The power of demonization!

The frequent use of negative words
Will help to galvanize your base.
Make them insensitive
To basic rights; then play your ace.

Send to the border the First Lady.
Give her a tasteless jacket to wear
So she can add more controversy
And callousness to the whole affair.

Have your conspiracy theory friends
And harpy friend appear on the news
To brainwash viewers so more and more
People will start to share your views.

Encourage your sycophants in Congress
To parrot your buzzwords hour after hour,
And you'll be well along the way
To having what you want: POWER.

-by Bob B (6-24-18)

Melania must not care
About the hullabaloo
Over her jacket that said
"I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?"

She should know that people
Perchance could misconstrue
Why her jacket says
"I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?"

A lack of sensitivity
Of course came shining through
When she chose to wear
"I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?"

Going on a mission
Is not the time to debut
A jacket that has the words
"I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?"

Her callous motivations
And what she chooses to do
Sound just like her husband's
"I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?"

If she married Donald
For money--if that's true--
It's her life, her choice.
"I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?"

When he's sent to prison
And she cries out, "Boohoo!"
We’ll say to one another,
"I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?"

-by Bob B (6-22-18)

How much more of this can we take?
How can people stand idly by
While major atrocities are being
Committed and STILL turn a blind eye?

Parents are still being separated
From their children at our border.
The Trump administration is
Ruthlessly carrying out the order.

We hear the children cry for their mami,
Cry for their papi, and what do we do?
We put them in cages and tents, heedless
Of all of the pain they are going through.

Secretary Nielsen has tried
To justify the hard-line position,
Blaming the victims and giving excuses
As to the importance of the mission.

White nationalist Stephen
Miller must be jumping for joy
As he achieves his goal: provoking
Anybody he can annoy.

AG Sessions cites the Bible
To find support for his devilish deeds.
At the same time, authorities
Are confiscating rosary beads.

John Kelly is all for it.
He thinks being cruel is fine
When you badly need a deterrent
To keep people from crossing the line.

Spineless Republican members of Congress
Worry about offending Trump's base.
Dragging their feet on the issue, they
Don't care if they're a disgrace.

Meanwhile, the suffering
Continues. Children--traumatized--
Are innocent victims. This is what happens
When human rights are compromised.

-by Bob B (6-19-18)

Recently, four seniors
Didn't don their caps and gowns
And walk down the aisle as did
Seniors in other cities and towns.

These four seniors' lives were cut short
In the city of Parkland in February.
While their classmates reveled, they
Slept somewhere in a cemetery.

These are just four who have died
In shootings across the country this year.
And though there's been talk of change,
Definite action remains unclear.

Sure, some lawmakers
Have said, "Look! We're getting tough,"
And passed some minor legislation.
But baby steps are NOT enough.

At least more candidates
Now are NOT afraid to say
In campaign ads in many states,
"I'll stand up to the NRA."

Meanwhile the NRA hopes
That memory loss supersedes
People's desire for action. We lose
When complacency succeeds.

Remember that we need more
Than just a prayer and a simple "Amen."
We need to unite, to act, to vote.
Never again means never again!

-by Bob B (6-18-18)

Where, pray tell, are we now?
How far have we progressed?
Have we covered our ears so we can't
Hear the cries of the dispossessed?

Have pages been ripped out of history books
So that the people cannot see
The struggles that many undertook
To help to set all people free?

A nation "indivisible,
With liberty and justice for all"
Can benefit at times from a self-
Evaluative overhaul,

Or maybe from a look in the mirror
To see whether the image displayed
Truly represents the picture
Of freedom meant to be conveyed.

Through irreconcilable differences,
Have we now become divorced
From hopeful ideals that early on
The shapers of our nation endorsed?

Are we sincerely looking within
Our hearts to make a "more perfect" nation,
Or are we more consumed with drawing
Attention to the standing ovation?

Are we shutting the door to the soul
Of America and walling out
The power and strength that forms the basis
Of what this country is all about?

Let us not be blindsided
By rogue forces that hope to succeed
In weakening what makes us strong,
Only to relish watching us bleed.

-by Bob B (6-16-18)

Senator Bob Corker° refers
To what has become the scary result
Of blind devotion to Donald Trump.
He calls the movement a GOP cult.

It's easy to join the cult if you
Don't mind sacrificing free will.
Getting out of the cult is another
Story; that will take some skill.

Members lose their sense of self
When they join the Cult of Trump.
When Trump says "Bow!" they all bow;
When he says "Jump!" boy they jump!

Cult members in Congress have
Handed legislative power
Over to Trump, their supreme
Leader before whom they cower.

Regarding constitutional
Authority: will it last?
Or will it suffer a slow death
And thus become a thing of the past?

All the Leader has to say
Is "They are wrong and I am right,"
And followers agree en masse.
Not to agree would be impolite.

Effusive praise and allegiance must go
To the Leader who is all-about-me.
He says he knows what's good for you.
Woe to you if you disagree.

It used to be that presidents
Worked for the people, but we have found
That currently with the Cult of Trump,
It's the other way around.

How many more will drink the Kool-Aid?
Who else will fall under Trump's spell?
Remember Jonestown? In the end,
Things did not go very well.

-by Bob B (6-14-18)

°Republican Senator from Tennessee

Crossing the Rio Grande in May,
A Honduran man with his wife and his son
Sought asylum, only to find
Their struggles here had barely begun.

Taken to a processing center,
The family learned the disheartening news:
They would have to be separated.
Having no say-so, they couldn't refuse.

Farewell, Marco Antonio Muñoz.
Some say, "We warned you time after time."
You came for help, and look what happened:
Seeking asylum became your crime.

A CBP° spokesman said that Muñoz
Became "combative" and started to yell.
What parent wouldn't in that situation?
Muñoz was moved and locked in a cell.

Authorities checked on Muñoz often
Not expecting what lay in store
For them in the morning, for one of them found
Muñoz lying dead on the floor.

"Self-strangulation and hanging" they say
Were what caused the father's demise.
Would he be holding his son right now
Had conditions been otherwise?

Farewell, Marco Antonio Muñoz.
Some say, "We warned you time after time."
You came for help, and look what happened:
Seeking asylum became your crime.

AG Sessions feels zero tolerance
Will separate the wheat from the chaff--
That Trump believes in the rule of law.
Mr. Sessions, don't make us laugh!

Others have suffered a similar fate
As a result of our cruel demands.
Our leaders will offer their justification,
But they still have blood on their hands.

Farewell, Marco Antonio Muñoz.
Some say, "We warned you time after time."
You came for help, and look what happened:
Seeking asylum became your crime.

-by Bob B (6-12-18)

°Customs and Border Patrol

Where were you when people marched
For rights, for justice, for science, for peace?
Our growing apathy or insouciance
Will only make the tensions increase.

What were you doing when in the distance
Dark clouds were taking form?
Couldn't you see the flashes and hear
The thunder from the approaching storm?

Had you somehow forgotten the great
Importance of reading between the lines?
Had you divested yourself from the need
To pay attention to warning signs?

When ideology becomes
More important than people, we're doomed.
To what degree depends on how much
Propaganda is consumed.

When cancer cells invade the body,
If we hope to stay alive,
We must make the body a place
Where the invader cannot thrive.

Shame on us if we don't act.
Shame on us if we allow
Democracy to crumble around us.
Mobilize! The time is now!

-by Bob B (6-11-18)

No! Tell me it isn't true!
Tell me that Trump didn't say
That Russia should have been attending
The G7 summit yesterday.

Alas! It's true. We have it on tape--
A message from our commander in chief,
Which caught off guard our loyal allies,
Whose jaws dropped in disbelief.

What a return of investment for Putin,
Who's made no effort to rectify
Conditions that got him ousted from
The summit in the first place! Why

Doesn't Trump understand
How clearly transparent his actions are?
(That's the kind of president
You get when people lower the bar.)

It appears that Putin is dictating
American policy once again.
He loves seeing a rift between
The US and its allies. But then,

Collusion during the presidential
Campaign is one thing. What takes the prize
Is watching Trump collude with Russia
Right before our very eyes!

-by Bob B (6-9-18)

The D.T. Playbook: Chapter 2:
Alienate your allies and friends.
Then sidle up to strongmen
Leaders, pretending to make amends.

Impose tariffs on your close allies.
Oh, yes, and don't forget
To stupidly suggest that they
Could possibly be a national threat.

Countries that were threats in the past
Might be scrambling head over heels
To make what in the future for you
Will be lucrative business deals.

Overlook the fact that your
Dictator friends have a score
Of D minus or F on human
Rights violations heretofore.

Although you and your allies have
Supported one another for years,
Let them know that you support
Countries that will give you cheers.

Keep ignoring foreign involvement
In past elections. Instead attack
People in your own system.
Tell them faith is what they lack.

Don't forget: distractions, distractions.
Always keep confusion brewing
So people have a tough time seeing
What kind of damage you are doing.

Finally, keep repeating words
And phrases over and over. Create
The illusion that your strategies
Are going to make the country great.

-by Bob B (6-8-18)

As scandal after scandal envelops
The head of the EPA--
Scott Pruitt--let's hear what
He might have to say:

"Having my aide do personal tasks…
That wasn't bad, was it?
Personally, I believe
That everybody does it.

"A condo deal from a lobbyist…
Sure, it might've been sweet.
So I like to travel first class--
Why am I taking heat?

"Circumventing the White House
To give my aides huge raises.
Whoever has a problem with that…
Well, they can go to blazes!

"A 43,000-dollar soundproof
Office telephone booth
Will give me secrecy to make
More deals; and that's the truth!

"Fifteen hundred dollars for a set
Of pens is not a waste--
Especially when you know your friends
Have expensive taste.

"It isn't easy to rollback so many
Environmental rules.
I can toss out many more
If I have the right tools.

"Special deals with a lobbyist…
Come on: give me some slack.
Can't you see that we are only
Scratching each other's back.

"Millions spent on a massive security
Detail? Don't you agree
That it makes sense to go all out
To protect someone like me?

"So what if I'm the target of
Thirteen investigations.
I'm still helping the industries
And ending regulations.

"The president says I'm doing a great job.
I am not on my own.
**** the environment; full speed ahead!
Let my motto be known."

-by Bob B (6-7-18)

Going after football again,
President Trump, feeling miffed,
Challenged the Philadelphia Eagles:
Mess with Trump and vengeance is swift.

Some of the team didn't want to
Attend a White House event, and so
Trump UNinvited the team
And had his own flashy show.

Criticizing the football players,
Trump--who seldom gets it right--
Said that they were insulting our troops.
How he LOVES to pick a fight!

Attempting to show how patriotic
He was, Trump--man of sharp tongue--
Wanted the National Anthem AND
"God Bless America" to be sung.

Standing in front of the military
Choir, Trump sang along.
What's funny is he showed he didn't
Know the lyrics to either song!

-by Bob B (6-6-18)

The students examined their holograms
Suspended before them in mid-air.
The colorful images always gave
Their history lessons added flair.

"You can see countries where," said the teacher,
"Democracy at one time flourished--
Before the form of government
Became weak and undernourished.

"Voting was once considered a right--
Not a privilege for only a few.
Multiple demands destroyed
The system once thought tried and true:

"Manipulation by greed and power,
Proliferation of lies and scams,
Thought control and disinformation,
And leaders who were merely shams

"Undermined the people's freedom.
Clueless people were led astray
By cunning voices persuading them
To stupidly vote their rights away.

"Often people's myopia
Can undermine their common sense.
Doesn't it make you wonder how
So many people can be so dense?"

"Maybe I've gone too far," he thought.
"I want them to think, to question." But when
Word reached the authorities' ears,
No one saw that teacher again.

-by Bob B (6-5-18)

"Son, Son, where are you now?
Is someone rocking you to sleep
And singing you a lullaby?
Who wipes away the tears when you weep?

"I came here not for free hand-outs.
Nor did I come to this country to steal
Jobs that most people don't even want.
It's to your mercy that I appeal

"For safety for my children and me--
Safety from living in constant fear.
Surrounded by death, we took a chance
And fled a gang that started here.

"We haven't sneaked across your border;
We're patiently standing at your gate.
Why do you see us as criminals
And look at us with distrust and hate?

"When you ripped my son from my arms,
You criticized me for crying.
Who is watching him and his sister?
Uncertainty is terrifying.

"Daughter, Daughter, where are you now?
Do not worry about your mother.
Do not fear the shadows at night.
And please watch over your little brother."

-by Bob B (6-3-18)

Perverting the presidential power
Of pardon isn't hard to do
When you're Trump and the FBI
Happens to be your bugaboo.

Corner a rat, and it will attack.
Corner Trump, and he'll lash out.
Take your pick of how many
Institutions he will flout.

It's easy to see that when you have
So many crooks and thugs in your nook,
Observers will start to conclude that you--
Surprise!--also look like a crook.

Trump: the great manipulator.
Watch how he begs, steals, and barters.
Watch how proud he is at how
He can create victims and martyrs.

Arpaio, Libby, D'Souza and others--
Some convicted of the same
Crimes that people surrounding Trump
Might be charged with. What's his aim?

If Trump's people maintain their silence
And keep investigators guessing,
After they've served their master well,
The dangling pardon will be their blessing.

Another attack on our judicial
System is Trump's current M.O.
A pardon a day keeps trouble away
In Trump's daily reality show.

-by Bob B (6-1-18)

So "Roseanne" is off the air;
ABC has cancelled the show.
Hats off to the company
For its decision. Way to go!

After recent NFL
Corporate cowardice, people wonder
Whether the TV station would
Fail to act and therefore blunder.

Sadly, many people now
Are out of a job because of Roseanne.
(Although the show was popular,
I must admit, I wasn't a fan.)

People tweet many things,
Often ****** or asinine,
But this time the comedienne
Has unashamedly crossed the line.

Writing that an African-American
Woman was a cross between
Muslims and apes, Barr has shown
That her attacks are far beyond mean.

Once aware of the repercussions,
Roseanne Barr came out with the claim
That Ambien had made her do it--
Yes, Ambien was to blame.

The manufacturer of Ambien
Has responded with a shrug:
Racism is not a known
Side effect of the drug.

-by Bob B (5-30-18)

While you're being investigated,
If "witch hunt" is often repeated,
Your eager-to-please fan base will say,
"Oh, poor guy. He's being mistreated!"

Maintain the false allegation
That during your election campaign
The FBI "spied" on you.
America's loss will be your gain.

Spread distrust of our institutions.
Just repeat lie after lie,
And fans will scarf it down as though
It's honey falling from the sky.

Although a foreign country assisted
Your campaign, cause confusion
By fervently repeating the words
"No collusion. No collusion."

Conspire with any members of Congress
Willing to sell their souls to the devil.
Your shared obstruction of justice will give you
Success in which you later can revel.

Discredit the media and call them fake
When you dislike what they're relaying
So people in your echo chamber
Won't believe what reporters are saying.

Say that the truth is relative;
Raise doubt in what's true and real.
Do whatever it takes to cover up
Everything that you want to conceal.

It's so easy to muddy the waters.
Getting ratings: that is the key.
Generate conspiracy theories.
Create your own reality.

-by Bob B (5-29-18)

If we are a compassionate land
That genuinely cares about others,
We shouldn't separate families
And rip kids out of the arms of their mothers

And then place them in foster care,
Or in what John Kelly would call
"Whatever," thus allowing the Trump
Administration to play hardball.

Refugees seeking asylum:
Look at how we cruelly mistreat them.
They follow the rules and knock on our door,
And then look at how we greet them?

Ah, so being cruel is supposed
To be a deterrent. That will explain
Why certain leaders feel that they
Can justify being inhumane.

The children--one was just a year old--
Are often taken to different states!
In both the mother and in the children,
Imagine the trauma that this creates.

And then Trump further muddies the waters--
Playing the usual Trumpian game--
And writes an obnoxious tweet saying
That Democrats are the ones to blame!

My country 'tis of thee, it's not our liberty
Or our humanity of which we sing.
Don't spout that righteous stuff, for we have had enough.
If it's all just a bluff, to what can we cling?

-by Bob B (5-26-18)

Democratic policies and
Procedures: what the heck are those?
Merely obstacles at which
The president thumbs his nose.

His loyal lackeys and sycophants
Kowtow to his every whim.
It's not about what's best for the people;
Unfortunately, it's all about him.

One must wonder: when the man
Vociferously attacks the feds,
Is he the Queen of Hearts in his dreams,
Madly yelling, "Off with their heads!"

For a country built on democratic
Values it's a scary thing
When an elected official forgets
That he's the president--NOT the king.

-by Bob B (5-21-18)

While American and Israeli officials
Clink their champagne glasses and schmooze
At an embassy in Jerusalem,
One thing is barely making the news:

Over one hundred twelve° Palestinians
Have been killed at the Gaza Strip
Since March 30 by Israeli soldiers
Demonstrating their marksmanship.

Over 13,000° have been
Injured, having wounds that consist
Of large, gaping holes in the victims--
Bullet holes the size of a fist.

The bullets shot from high-velocity
Weapons on hitting their target explode
Expanding and mushrooming inside the body.
Israeli cruelty à la mode?

People from all walks of life gathered
To demonstrate and express their frustration
For living conditions in their Gaza prison--
An abominable situation.

Conditions, in fact, are among
The worst that the world has seen.
May 14 was the bloodiest day
Since the strife in twenty fourteen.

Israelis call it "self-defense";
It's really shoot-to-injure or ****.
Are snipers keeping track of how many
Palestinian coffins they'll fill?

One uncle never imagined
That he would need a body bag.
He carried home his 8-month old niece
Wrapped in a Palestinian flag.

The people want a place that's home.
But while negotiations stall--
And marginalized by circumstances--
They live inside or outside a wall.

-by Bob B (5-19-18)

°Based on a report by journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous

Nominee Gina Haspel
To head the CIA? No way!
How can senators ignore
The ugly truths on her resumé.

Having run a black site in Thailand
Where prisoners were tortured, she
Then erased the evidence
In hopes to clear the agency.

And now our leaders want to promote her?
****! Please excuse the profanity,
But one would think it more apropos
To try her for crimes against humanity?

"Enhanced interrogation techniques"--
What a sickening euphemism
Used to justify the use
Of torture to fight terrorism.

According to Trump, waterboarding
Is an acceptable practice; what's more,
He would push it further and do
What conscientious people deplore.

Apparently, justifications
For cruelty are easy to spin
When democratic values are being
Attacked from both without and within.

-by Bob B (5-14-18)

Torture. Yes, once again
The topic of torture is in the news,
And whether honor, humanity,
And decency will win or lose.

Trump's nominee to head
The CIA was put on the spot
And couldn't answer the question whether
Torture is immoral or not.

That was enough for Senator
McCain to say his vote would be "Nay."
A White House aide said, No big deal;
"He is dying anyway."

No comment came from the White House.
Was nobody shocked or annoyed?
Or does this show how the Oval Office
Operates in a moral void?

George Washington said that the treatment
Of POWs should be humane.
Of course, that was before Donald Trump--
When presidents tended to be more sane.

-by Bob B (5-11-18)