(This poem could be sung to the melody of "Michelle" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.)

D.T., you'll see:
Though you fool your minions with your lies,
You don't fool me.
D.T., je sais…
Je sais qui vous êtes vraiment…je sais…
Je sais vraiment.
Say, what the hell were you thinking
When you took all those docs?
You think that simple locks
Will protect top secret docs from getting out of your hands?

D.T., I'll say
You aren't fit to run this country; no,
I say no way.
There are folks out there who want you
To be their shining star.
They don't see who you are.
Or if they do, they might see through your guise, and they dare
Not to care.

You HAVE to know that you aren't guilt free.
But does that faze you? No.
You just put on your show.
To get your way you have to play the martyr each day.

D.T., you'll see.
Fess up to your wrongs and be a man.
Yes, be a man.
I say accountability's a word that you have to learn,
Dear D.T.

D.T., you'll see:
Though you fool your minions with your lies,
You don't fool me.

-by Bob B (8-14-22)

(This poem could be sung to the tune of the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine.")

In the land where we now live
Lives a man who wants to be
Free to do whate'er he wants
With complete impunity.
He was once a president
Who thought he was king, you see.
His M.O. was to scrape by
With complete impunity.

No one here can be above the law,
Be above the law, be above the law.
No one here can be above the law,
Be above the law, be above the law.

And the people of the land--
At least most of them--said, "Aha!
Let us all reiterate…

"No one here can be above the law,
Be above the law, be above the law.
No one here can be above the law,
Be above the law, be above the law."

People all should ask themselves,
Should a criminal like this go free?
He should not keep getting by
With complete impunity.

No one here can be above the law,
Be above the law, be above the law.
No one here can be above the law,
Be above the law, be above the law.

-by Bob B (8-11-22)

I heard a knock upon the door.
“A knock so late at night?”
I felt a strong presentiment
That something wasn’t right.

Toward the door I inched my way
And stood with bated breath.
I opened it, and there I stood--
Face to face with Death.

He said, “Don’t let me bother you.
It isn’t TOO late, is it?
I was in the neighborhood
And thought I’d pay a visit.”

“Death, be gone! I am not ready
For eternal sleep.”
And quoting Frost, I told him I had
“Promises to keep.”

“Once you’re gone, that won’t matter,”
He said. “And furthermore,
The only thing that matters is
What’s happened heretofore.”  

“That’s not true,” I told him. “There is
Always much to do.
Karmic causes and effects
Bring constant revenue.

“By revenue I do not mean
Individual worth;
I mean how our actions help
To benefit dear Earth.”

“Poor thing,” said Death. “Everything
Must pass. Don’t you see?
All that you have done dissolves
Once you come with me.”

“Oh, you are so wrong,” I countered.
“Every worthy action
Has a positive effect--
If only just a fraction--

“And those effects live on and on.
And, no, they do not die.
There’s more to accomplish here,
So, therefore, pass me by.”

And so Death turned to walk away
And gave me a reprieve.
I guess he wasn’t so dead set
On forcing me to leave.

Maybe he’ll find someone ready
To go, with spirits beaming.
Or else he’ll try to drag away
Someone kicking and screaming.

-by Bob B (8-8-22)

Many speakers of English avoid
Using the F-word. That's okay.
But I am concerned; therefore, it's
A word I'm not afraid to say.

FASCISM. There! I said it.
We've seen it rise; we've seen it fall.
Now it's as though fascism is
Getting a brand new overhaul.

Viktor Orbán of Hungary
Speaks of the impropriety
Of what to him is anathema:
A mixed-race society.

Keeping our countries "pure" is what
Orbán touts as a major goal.
Non-white immigrants only dilute
The race. Sound familiar? Jawohl!

Orbán's rhetoric jumps right out of
The **** playbook--right on track.
The press and academic freedom
Are also what he loves to attack.

And yet he's invited to Texas to speak
At CPAC,° where crowds on the Right
Give the man a standing ovation
And raise their voices in cheers of delight!

He talks about the replacement theory
And takes advantage of each opportunity
To viciously attack and malign
The LGBTQ community.

We also know that Donald Trump
Gladly put out the welcome mat
For Orbán to come and speak with him.
Of course, who is surprised about that?

In World War II we fought to stop
The rise of fascist dictatorships.
The movement again is a growing problem
With which we have to come to grips.

Stakeholders in democracy,
Be on guard or we will lose
The freedoms for which we fought for years
If we close our eyes and snooze.

-by Bob B (8-5-22)

°Conservative Political Action Conference

-R v. W and Kansas-

SCOTUS! Oh, my: what a sham!
And boy, are we in a jam!
The ruling it made
On Roe versus Wade
Sets us back fifty years. ****!

With their extremist mentality,
They THINK they're defending morality.
They merely show
What we all know:
That they're out of touch with reality.

The people of Kansas decided
That they will not be misguided.
Women won't lose
Their right to choose,
For reason and sense have presided.

-China-

China is rattling its saber
And hurling more threats at its neighbor.
Taiwan be free?
That just can't be:
A point China loves to belabor.

-Brittney Griner-

Brittney Griner has learned
How easy it is to get burned
In Putin's domain--
A scary terrain.
We all want Griner returned!

Let Russia be struck from your list
Of places to visit. The gist?
People's small actions
Are major infractions,
For justice there doesn't exist.

-by Bob B (8-4-22)

As loads of information emerge,
We see the tactics Trump was using
If he didn't win the election:
To STEAL it IF he thought he was losing.

Lawsuits Claiming Election Fraud:

First, he filed his frivolous lawsuits.
One by one, they were dismissed.
******* up charges don't hold water.
The evidence just didn't exist.

Fake Electors:

Then he resorted to fake electors--
Another carefully thought-out plot.
His fraudulent scammers would help him win.
At least, that is what he thought.

Using States to Overturn Votes:

Fake electors didn't work;
Therefore, Trump asked certain states
Not to certify the results.
That would have put us in dire straits.

He called many legislators
And asked them all to cancel votes.
Since they'd love to keep him in power,
He knew that would float their boats.

Using Congress to Overturn Votes:

So then Trump urged his sycophants
In Congress, "Please, do what you can
To help me win!" And some of them even
Tried to help the desperate man.

DOJ Interference:

Claiming widespread election fraud,
He asked Bill Barr to get to the heart of it,
But since there was no evidence,
The DOJ would have no part of it.

Using the Military:

Using his unscrupulous lawyers,
He tried to concoct another means
To keep his power. The military,
He thought, could seize the voting machines!

Sabotage on January 6:

That idea hit a brick wall.
Still lacking ethical sense,
He decided to pull off his scam
By putting pressure on Michael Pence.

On January 6 Trump's mobs
Stormed the Capitol, trying to
Sabotage the election process--
Basically, performing a coup.

As Trump watched the chaos on his TV,
For three hours no one could sway him
To call off the mobs. His major concern?
How could Michael Pence betray him?

And Now What?

A long, premeditated scheme
To steal an election is what occurred.
Criminal intent appears
To be so clear from all that we've heard.

If folks aren't held accountable,
Concerned people have the impression
That what transpired at the Capitol
Will end up being a training session--

A training session for coups in the future.
If that happens, it will devour
Our democratic system and end
America's peaceful transfer of power.

-by Bob B (7-31-22)

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Ari M.

Vote, everybody!
Vote to protect
Women's right to choose.
Vote to slow down
Climate change.
Otherwise, we all lose.

Vote to preserve
Equality:
Marriage rights for all.
Vote to save
Democracy
In our election this fall.

Vote to uphold
The rule of law.
Do NOT lower the bar.
Make all people
Accountable--
No matter WHO they are.

Vote to protect
The environment
From damage and abuse.
Vote to defend
The Constitution
From dangerous misuse.

Vote to fix
Our broken system
Of immigration laws.
Vote against those
Who aim to put
Human rights on pause.

Vote for folks
Who are loyal to
Our Constitution and try
To do what's right.
Don't be fooled
By candidates who lie.

Vote for effective
Gun laws that make
Our country a safer place.
Vote to give kids
A good education.
That's something we must embrace.

Vote so we
Can have more judges
Who do not impose
Extremist views
Upon the people.
We have too many of those.

Vote for a system
Of fair taxation--
A workable system in which
All people
Can benefit
And NOT just the rich.

Vote to support
Diversity.
So much is at stake.
Don't give in
To apathy!
Vote, for goodness' sake!

-by Bob B (7-28-22)

1
Watch the Christian nationalists
Trudge across the land--
Quoting from their Bibles,
With the book in hand.
Poisoning the minds of
People as they go.
They won't stop until they make their
Rules the status quo.

Chorus:
Watch the Christian nationalists
Trudge across the land--
Quoting from their Bibles,
With the book in hand.

2
As they watch diversity
Spread in many ways,
They will push their dogma
With the funds they raise.
Say good-bye to equal rights
As they march along.
They think God's on THEIR side, so they
Can do nothing wrong.

Chorus

3
Scorning Jews and Muslims
Is their common thread.
They hope they will vanquish
Foes with lies they spread.
Look into their hearts and you’ll
See through their façade.
Blending church and state, they want
A country ruled by God.

Chorus

4
Folks like Mastriano°
And like M.T. Greene°°
Are among the wackiest
People we have seen.
As they speak their gibberish--
Each deceptive word--
They with their pretentiousness
Can't help being absurd.

Chorus

5
If perchance your lifestyle is
One that they condemn,
You deserve no freedoms if
You don't think like them.
They don't seem to care to
Love and to forgive.
They do not believe in concepts
Like live and let live.

Chorus:
Watch the Christian nationalists
Trudge across the land--
Quoting from their Bibles,
With the book in hand.

-by Bob B (7-26-22)

°Doug Mastriano - far-right gubernatorial nominee in Pennsylvania
°°Marjorie Taylor Greene - far-right conspiracy theorist and U.S. representative from Georgia

A rep° from the state of PA
Who has a son who is gay
Voted to ****
A marriage bill
And gave gay unions a nay.

Three days after his vote--
Everyone please take note--
He didn't disparage
His son's same-*** marriage,
In fact, here is a quote:

He said he was "thrilled to attend"
The wedding and didn't descend
Into causing a schism
With harsh criticism
And seemed to be pleased in the end.

By catering to his factions
And causing major distractions,
He showed his true being,
For what we are seeing
Are HIS hypocritical actions.

-by Bob B (7-26-22)

°Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), who voted against a bill to codify protections for same-*** unions

Our terms often overlap
And merge in different ways.
Attempts to see connections have us
Wandering through a maze.

Often we walk the path together;
At times we walk apart.
Does the heart shape truth, or does
Truth direct the heart?

Names are arbitrary, and our
Interpretations vary.
It's when they clash that circumstances
Move from sound to scary.

Sometimes we will go off course
Or stumble as we go.
As long as we can learn from our
Mistakes then we can grow.

Our path through life should constantly
Encourage us to seek
Answers that will penetrate
The depth of life's mystique.

Once the answer's clear to us,
We've reached a higher level.
Enlightenment then equates to God
And ignorance to the Devil.

-by Bob B (7-25-22)

It certainly will not spell your doom
If you can't decide when to use "whom."
I always stay calm and never lose it
When folks aren't sure about how to use it.

I will attempt--for the duration--
To avoid a grammatical explanation.°
That will be hard--I must admit--
And if it gets too tricky, I'll quit.

"To whom it may concern" is easy
(Although to some the phrase sounds cheesy.)
Substitute "him"°° for "whom" and see
That "whom" is correct; we DON'T say "to he."

"He is a person who I believe
Will never, ever get a reprieve."
"Whom" here wouldn't fit the bill
Because the word "who" is the subject of "will."

"Whom did you see at the park today?"
If "I saw him" is the answer, okay,
Then "whom" is good, even though you
And others might STILL prefer to use "who."

“For whom did you bake the bread?” I ask.
“For him,” you answer. Easy task?
So, in that sentence, “whom” toes the line.
And if you make “for” the last word, fine.

“Who do you think deserves to win?”
"Whom" would be a problem therein,
For "who" must go with the verb "deserves."
A little knowledge can calm your nerves.

But how about "Whom did you see at the gym?"
If the answer is "I saw him,"
Then "whom" it is. But if you're confused,
Know that "who" is more often used.

"The guy whom I saw at the meeting last week
Spoke English, German, French, and Greek."
"I saw HIM at the meeting…" Voilà!
So "whom" works there. Got it? Hurrah!

Once you’ve got it, your next endeavor
Will be practicing who- and whomever.
It's up to you, but I'll say directly,
If we use "whom," let's use it correctly.

-by Bob B (7-24-22)

°I could talk about subjective and objective pronouns, but I'll leave that for later.
°°Of course, we could use "she/her" to test the pronouns, but "he/him" works well because of the final "m."

What has happened before our eyes
Hasn't been a big surprise,
But puzzle pieces--bit by bit--
Have come together, and how they fit!

Eight broadcast hearings and we
Can see Trump's culpability
When violent thugs decided to storm
The Capitol--so true to form.

Trump didn't care that some were armed,
For he wasn't worried that he'd be harmed.
He riled up the mob that winter day
And sent it on its merry way

To the Capitol. Yes, even a noose
Was hung there as all hell broke loose.
Trump was watching the violent scene
On his giant TV screen.

For OVER THREE HOURS, the big man child
Let the violent mob run wild
While he did nothing--zero, zip--
To call it off. That's leadership?

Lives were threatened; lives were lost.
Damage was done; lines were crossed.
People pleaded, and yet it's known
That Trump just tweeted and talked on his phone.

In fact, as flames of violence grew higher,
He kept throwing fuel on the fire,
For he continued to incense
The mob, further endangering Pence.

And yet Trump seeks absolution
For thumbing his nose at the Constitution?
He should have to pay--amen!--
And NEVER hold an office again.

-by Bob B (7-22-22)

Welcome, folks, to Gilead.
Sit down for a spell.
You are going to love it here.
Oh, yes, we can tell.

You have freedom to believe
What we dictate here.
If you are confused, don't worry;
We will make it clear.

You will know your place here. Yes,
There's no room for doubt.
Strict control to make things flow
Is what we care about.

Making your life miserable
Is easy for us to do
If you don’t behave the way
That we want you to.

Those who fail to follow rules--
Who are, let's say, too loose--
Will be introduced to our
Trusty hangman's noose.

But do not worry. You will love
NOT having to think.
Of course, all of that is done
For your own good. (Wink wink)

Majority opinions do not
Matter here at all.
Dissent and you will find yourselves
Hanging on our wall.

Religious choice in Gilead?
Yes, I'll clarify:
You can choose to believe our creed,
Or you can choose to die.

Women controlling their own bodies?
You know that's all rot.
For them to make their own decisions
Is just a liberal plot.

What? You want to leave now? Oops.
I see a problem there.
Now that you are here, you aren't
Going anywhere.

So, lesson one: I will speak
And you will follow suit.
It's very simple; repeat after me:
BLESSED BE THE FRUIT.

-by Bob B (7-20-22)

°The totalitarian society of THE HANDMAID'S TALE

This is the tale of a felon.
Guy Reffitt is his name.
Aligned with the Three Percenters,°
He plays a dangerous game.

He had been planning a trip
To Washington, D.C.
It wasn't to tour the city;
It wasn’t a shopping spree.

On January 6
In 2021,
At the Capitol, Reffitt
Was present and armed with a gun.

He was also equipped
With zip ties and body armor.
This man from the state of Texas
Looked like quite the charmer!

There to "take the House"
Was Reffitt's insidious plan--
To "rip them out by their hair!"
What an upstanding man!

On multiple felony counts
Reffitt was later convicted--
On five to be specific.
That should have been predicted.

One count was for obstruction
Of justice. Reffitt got caught
Threatening two of his kids
By telling them "traitors get shot."

When Reffitt receives his sentence,
Let's hope that he gets no reprieve.
What other brutal attacks
Does the **** have up his sleeve?

Good luck now, Mr. Reffitt.
We hope you enjoy your stay
At a federal prison,
Learning that crime doesn't pay.
You'll have time to reflect on
Your stupid behavior that day.

-by Bob B (7-19-22)

°A far-right militia group

We are on a slippery *****
When people push the envelope
When speaking English. Look below,
And you'll see what I mean to show.

"Who has ever seen an elf?"
"Luna, Richard, and myself."
Hearing that, I wonder why
"Myself" is used instead of "I."

When "myself" is used that way,
People, much to my dismay,
Forget that "I" will do the trick
And think the word "myself" sounds slick.

"I SEE myself" makes perfect sense.
And "I MYSELF can do it." Hence,
Here's a thought that should be stressed:
Use "myself" where it's used best.

"Please inform my office aide
OR myself." Well, I'm afraid
That when I see or hear that, it
Causes me to have a fit.

Please replace "myself" with "me."
"Myself" does not belong there. See?
ONLY I am able to
Inform MYSELF--not they, not you.

"Please inform…me" is what's meant.
Again, some folks circumvent
What's right with that which I suspect
They feel is perfectly correct.

"Tom and myself were asked to lead."
That sounds very odd indeed,
For doesn't "myself" sound awkward to you
When a simple "I" would do?

When speakers are a bit confused,
Words can sometimes be misused.
The following examples might
Provide a sense of what sounds right:

"Help yourselves to lunch," we hear.
And "Do not let yourself show fear."
"She bought herself a brand new fan."
"He himself designed the plan."

Reflexive pronouns they are called--
Intensive, too, and I'm enthralled
When English speakers are aware
Of using pronouns with great care.

-by Bob B (7-13-22)

We--YOU and I--both know
That rain will make the flowers grow.
It also makes your windows blur;
MARISOL and I concur.

SHE and I have never seen
A dog whose fur was emerald green.
But if you see one here or there,
Please make HER and ME aware.

When SHE and WILLIAM went to swim,
The lifeguard rescued HER and HIM.
“Please don’t tell a soul!” said he.
"Keep it between YOU and ME."

William and I play soccer each day.
That’s the only sport we play.
Give both HIM and ME a break,
For winning’s not a piece of cake.

HE and I will sometimes win.
When not, we take it on the chin.
The other team is good, and thus,
It’s perfect for both THEM and US.

When THEY and WE play soccer games,
We don’t lose sight of our clear aims:
To do our best and have great fun.
But fun’s priority number one.

William, Marisol, and I,
Instead of aiming low, aim high.
Folks like THEM and ME profess
To always seek out happiness.

"You must dream big," we always say,
"And keep your doubts and fears at bay."
HE, SHE, and I will strive
To keep our goals and dreams alive.

But always, always be on guard.
For YOU and ME that can’t be hard.
If YOU and I both concentrate,
We can keep our pronouns straight.

-by Bob B (7-10-22)

As more information comes to light,
There's still a growing appetite
For many to think that wrong is right,
And the Big Lie continues.

The followers remain aloof.
Despite no evidence or proof
Of voter fraud, they keep up the spoof,
And the Big Lie continues.

Candidates across the land
Are truly getting out of hand
As ignorance makes a huge demand,
And the Big Lie continues.

The cult leader makes a claim,
Knowing so well it's just a game
And acting without a sense of shame,
And the Big Lie continues.

Unless you pull a ****, it spreads
And soon takes over the flower beds.
So it is with knuckleheads
As the Big Lie continues.

Tend to your garden; don't delay.
Although you must struggle day after day,
With effort you'll make the weeds go away
As the Big Lie continues.

-by Bob B (7-7-22)

I'm not at all desirous of Heaven;
Nor do I have a fear of Hell.
That we end up in either place
Is--to me--a very hard sell.

Some believe in purgatory--
Another place that lies in between
The other two. End up there
And you are given the chance to come clean.

Many people long to know
That a certain sense of justice prevails--
That we must pay for any wrongdoing.
They try to spell out what that entails:

Doing good and having specific
Beliefs will help you secure a place
In some heavenly realm where you
Will suffer no longer and live in grace.

But if that isn't the path for you,
Then, oh, no, heaven forbid!
You will have to face punishment
For all the evil things that you did.

It's both a lure and a scare tactic.
That's what the concept seems to me.
It's almost as though we go through life
Behaving like a parolee.

Is human nature such that we need
To receive a punishment or reward
For being bad or good, which applies
To everybody across the board?

Wouldn't it be enough to say
That being bad is wrong for you,
While doing good is appropriate
Merely because it's the right thing to do?

Is human nature also such
That people feel that by and large
No one should reap the benefits
Of anything out there free of charge?

And good and bad--for goodness’ sake--
Are relative, to say the least.
And ludicrous it is to think
That anyone bears the "mark of the beast."

After we die, returning to what
We were before we were born makes sense.
Ultimately, since no one knows
For sure, we all remain in suspense.

-by Bob B (7-5-22)

When I kick the bucket and if you see my family,
Please don’t be tempted to say,
“It was quick; he didn’t suffer long”
Or “Be happy that he’s no longer in pain”
Or “He’s now in Heaven or in the Pure Land”
Or “He lived a good life.”
Just hug them and say,
“I’m sorry” (if you are)
Or “I acknowledge your grief” (if you do)
Or “We will all miss him” (if you will)
Or “I’m surprised the SOB lived as long as he did” (if that’s how you feel).
No, maybe you won’t want to say that--not if you are talking to my family at least.
Then smile
And reflect….
Reflect on the fleeting nature of life,
On what it takes to live life fully,
On the inexplicable mysteries of life,
On the persevering and miraculous aspects of Nature,
And on the amazing interconnectedness of all things.
Grieve if you must,
But not for too long a period.
Don’t let it cause you to miss a game
Or a party
Or a dinner
Or a show.
Just continue being the special person you are,
And live!
Live!
Live!
Live!

-by Bob B (6-26-22)

So God, the Supreme Being, Creator--
Whatever you want to call Him--sat
And looked down upon the planet
That was the Earthlings' habitat.

"My, oh, my!" He said to himself.
"What I've done is truly insane:
I gave people a way to think,
But some aren't able use their brain.

"Terminating pregnancies
Isn't an issue that's black or white.
But I gave people the means to do it;
Each must decide to do what's right.

"I gave people excellent doctors,
Safe methods, facilities,
And people who offer expert advice
In keeping with their abilities.

"What I can see occurring right now
Is SOME want to choose what's "right" for OTHERS.
Whether to carry a child to term
Should be entirely up to the mothers.

"My God--oops, I said it again--
It really frustrates me when I find
That people down there claim to know
What is happening in my mind.

"This is my goal for everybody:
It's incumbent on you to look
Inside your heart and do not base
All your decisions on any one book.

"Extremist ideologies!
They are disgusting to me, and yet
People love to involve me in them.
We need a sit-down--a tête-à-tête.

"But right now I have other problems.
I've been watching two nations collide.
Ridiculously, each of the countries
Thinks that I am on its side."

-by Bob B (6-25-22)

It really seems that COVID's here to stay.
A virus isn’t easy to contain.
Vaccinations help keep it at bay,
But battles with its variants remain.

Trying to avoid it is a chore,
But certainly it's worth it in the end.
Sometimes it's a daily tug-o-war:
Reminding folks that COVID's not their friend.

People act as though it's disappeared,
And many folks have thus let down their guard.
What they're doing is that which should be feared:
Believing what is plainly a canard.

Because of strict precautions, lives were saved.
But there were far too many that were lost.
Unfortunately, many people caved,
And when we do, we do so at great cost.

For countless reasons we are who we are.
I still wonder what makes people tick
When they cavalierly choose to spar
With those who try to keep them from being sick.

So COVID's here to stay for now at least.
How much longer? Well, that's hard to tell.
Don't give up the fight till it has ceased
To threaten you and other folks as well.

-by Bob B (6-18-22)

Uvalde, Texas. Miah Cerrillo,
A child only eleven years old,
Will never forget a day in May
As she watched a horrible scene unfold.

She was in class when a shooter entered
And massacred kids before her eyes.
The weapon that he used was the type
That spews bullets that pulverize.

To save herself, Miah thought fast.
To trick the killer, she tried to pretend
That she was dead, and that she did
By smearing herself with the blood of a friend.

Perhaps her decision saved her life.
She is lucky to still be alive.
But nineteen other children and two
Teachers sadly didn't survive.

What are lawmakers going to do?
Will they be among the ones
Who truly believe deep down in their hearts
That kids are more important than guns?

-by Bob B (6-10-22)

Technology is a blessing at times,
And yet it's also a curse.
Hackers and scammers glom onto it with
A glee that's sick and perverse.

You always have to take precautions
And be on your guard in case
A demon is out there lurking behind
A corner in cyberspace.

That's a hassle, or course, but frankly,
It's also a hassle when
Programs and apps keep being updated
Over and over again!

I just get used to how one works,
Which takes me a while to do,
When all of a sudden an update occurs,
And I have to start anew.

Sometimes the features I used to like
On both my computer and phone
No longer exist. Why can't they leave
Well enough alone?

I'm not a Luddite, by any means,
And change one can't dismiss;
But, app designers, please have pity;
I'm getting too old for this!

-by Bob B (6-7-22)

Stories abound that Putin is ill.
The Kremlin, of course, denies it.
You could go over and check for yourself,
But, frankly, I wouldn't advise it.

You could find yourself sitting in prison
Or even be poisoned like some
Who spoke the truth about Putin, who wants
To keep you under his thumb.

Consider all the people who've died
Because of his current war.
The pain and suffering that he has caused
Are truly hard to ignore.

Could it be cancer that's spread through his body?
Perhaps a malignant tumor?
I'm sure there are many folks in the world
Who hope it's not merely a rumor.

-by Bob B (6-1-22)

This poetry site is so quirky.
Its value has gotten quite murky.
Whatever its goal,
It's out of control.
I'd say it's becoming a turkey.

It needs a skillful technician.
And frankly I have a suspicion
That no one's in charge,
Which by and large,
Explains its current condition.

-by Bob B (6-3-22)

Powerful grief can overwhelm us.
It doesn't merely make us feel blue.
At times it's more insidious,
For it is able to **** us, too.

Joe and Irma García had been
Married for twenty-four years until
A killer with an assault weapon had
A deadly mission to fulfill.

Nineteen elementary students
And two teachers were gunned down
Senselessly, brutally,
In what was a quiet Texan town.

Irma was one of the teachers killed.
Two days after his wife had been slain,
Joe dropped dead from a heart attack
Brought about by unbearable pain.

Their four kids are orphans now.
May we hold in our hearts today
The memory of Joe and Irma,
Who never should have died this way.

-by Bob B (5-29-22)

Nineteen children were killed yesterday
In a small Texan town while at school.
Two adults were killed as well.
This is what happens in a land where guns rule.

When does enough become enough?
When do we stop being pushed around
By those who stifle our commonsense
Attempts to keep our kids above ground?

When do we say "Enough!" to those
Politicians who thrive on donations
By members of the huge gun lobby
Who fight to resist gun regulations?

Why don't they see that the Second Amendment
Is NOT a weapons free-for-all?
And yet when it comes to life-saving laws,
Callous, palm-greased lawmakers stall.

These deaths are the "price of freedom" some say.
Freedom? No, give me a break!
These deaths are the price of ignorance.
Our children's future is at stake.

Today, hundreds of loved ones are grieving.
Their lives will never again be the same.
But will these killings rouse people to action?
I doubt they will, and that's a shame.

-by Bob B (5-25-22)

Hundreds of people are grieving today
Because of a problem that won't go away.
Attempts at solutions are kept at bay.
A mass shooting in Buffalo.

America's love affair with its guns--
Weapons that could be measured in tons--
Is killing parents, daughters, and sons.
A shooting--this time in Buffalo.

Just imagine: you go to the store.
A killer abruptly appears at the door.
Within minutes you're dead on the floor.
This time it happened in Buffalo.

The killer set out to perforate
Bodies with bullets because of hate.
For the ten who died, help came too late
In a mass shooting in Buffalo.

Too many people are killed each year.
Not to act makes one thing clear:
We will continue to live in fear.
Look what happened in Buffalo.

The bells are tolling repeatedly.
When might they toll for you or me?
When the next killer goes on a spree--
Just like the one in Buffalo…
And Sacramento (2022)…
And Boulder (2021)…
And El Paso (2019)…
And Parkland (2018)…
And Las Vegas (2017)…
And Orlando (2016)…
And Charleston (2015)…
And at Sandy Hook (2012)…

-by Bob B (5-15-22)

A couple decided to stop
To look for some books in a shop.
Content with just four,
They walked out the door
With "*** After Sixty" on top.

The wife sat down and read through it.
"Honey," she said, "let's pursue it.
I like the suggestions,
But one of my questions
Is DO you think YOU can still do it?"

-by Bob B (5-12-22)

Where are mental institutions
To help those in dire need?
Within our current societal framework,
We can see where their absence can lead.

Closing the doors of facilities
Has posed a problem--one that defeats
The very attempt to keep psychotic,
Insane people from wandering the streets.

I'm not talking "insane asylums"
Or "snake pits" by any means,
Such as the ones we've seen in the movies
Filled with unforgettable scenes.

No, I'm talking facilities where
Patients receive necessary
Psychiatric help, which can
Hopefully be temporary.

At least those who are dangerous to
Themselves or others would have a place
To access humanitarian aid.
It's a problem we have to face.

Money? Is it all about money
That taxpayers refuse to spend
To build the institutions that
Would help and protect us in the end?

Shame on us as a country if
We thoughtlessly choose to overlook
What could be a proper solution
Merely because of our pocketbook.

-by Bob B (5-12-22)

How many more Ukrainian people
Are you going to ****, Putin?
How much more innocent blood
Do you plan to spill, Putin?

How many more vicious lies
Are you going to tell, Putin?
How many more atrocities
Will you condone as well, Putin?

How many more soldiers committing
War crimes will you praise, Putin?
How many more innocent people’s
Homes will you raze, Putin?

How many more agonizing
Cries will you ignore, Putin?
How many more times will you try
To justify your war, Putin?

How many times can you look into
The mirror and fail to see, Putin,
The egomaniacal, heartless, cruel
Monster you’ve come to be, Putin?

-by Bob B (5-11-22)

Remember: schools graduate students;
It's NOT the other way around.
Students do NOT graduate schools
But FROM schools. And yet I've found

That many speakers confuse the expression,
Turning it around, and hence,
When they say they graduated
A school, it ends up making no sense.

Therefore, say you graduated
FROM a high school or college, please.
To say it correctly doesn't take
A great deal of expertise.

Schools that graduate many students
Ought to clearly and directly
Teach their students to say which school
They graduated FROM correctly.

-by Bob B (5-9-22)

If I were a woman, my
Reproductive rights should be
MY business alone, not YOURS.
YOU are not my referee.

If I became pregnant through ****,
My voice would be loud and firm:
It’s up to me if what is growing
Inside me should be carried to term.

I would not listen to hypocritical
Views about protecting life
From those whose words of shame and blame
Ignore my feelings and cut like a knife.

I would not listen to people who
Ignore what should be a woman's right.
And yet to secure this right, women
Always seem to be having to fight.

I would seek out expert advice
And weigh the options to do what's best.
I know it wouldn't be an easy
Decision. To that I would attest.

No, I'm not a woman, you see.
My name certainly gives me away.
But still I try to listen to
What many women have to say:

"You have the right to express your displeasure.
Yes, that would be fair and fine.
But I'll stay out of YOUR insides,
And you, in turn, stay out of MINE."

-by Bob B (5-4-22)

Compared to the age of the universe,
Our time on Earth is rather brief.
Still, the longer we live, the more
We'll walk hand and hand with grief.

Death knocks on the doors of others
And calmly ushers them away.
No matter how much a person resists,
Death will have its final say.

When losing family and friends,
It's hard to describe the pain we feel.
But when we consider our own demise,
The whole idea is oddly surreal.

The thought of suddenly being no more--
At least in our current ****** form--
Is totally foreign to us, for knowing
The world through our senses has been the norm.

Someday my favorite chair
Will no longer feel my rear.
The sound of my voice--my cries, my laughter--
Will not reach a single ear.

When I go, I’ll join the ranks
Of billions of other people who
Have died before me, which reminds me
That having to die is nothing new.

To let go and face the unknown,
Not to worry, not to fret…
We know that life is constant change--
That death is part of life--and yet….

-by Bob B (4-26-22)

Republicans used to believe
That democratic values will win.
Lately, however, they sing a new tune:
To hell with democracy; save your skin!

Power is what excites them now.
"Voter fraud!" is what they spin.
Voter suppression's their goal as they cry:
To hell with democracy; save your skin!

McCarthy and McConnell knew
The mess that Donald Trump was in,
And yet they chose to honor the motto:
To hell with democracy; save your skin!

It used to be that any support
For an autocrat would be a sin.
Now in bed together they shout:
To hell with democracy; save your skin!

To gain more power, they gerrymander
Districts in states, which is akin
To trashing our system as they proclaim:
To hell with democracy; save your skin!

Deceitful methods to stay in power
They will use and feel no chagrin.
The battle cry uniting them is
To hell with democracy; save your skin!

-by Bob B (4-22-22)

Despite what people want to believe,
COVID hasn’t disappeared,
And yet there's less attention being given
To masks and precautions, which is weird.

The virus continues to mutate, and though
It's maybe less potent than earlier forms,
The clouds haven't dissipated,
So we can expect future storms.

Even though the virus seems weaker,
People still grow ill and die.
The vaccinated are more protected;
There's no need to wonder why.

It's sad to see restrictions being
Lifted too early in certain cases.
Variants of the virus are spreading
Rapidly in certain places.

Conspiracy theories abound regarding
The COVID vaccine, sad to say.
But I'll take my chances with the vaccine
Over COVID any day.

And if you think that COVID was bad,
Experts warn us not to be smug.
Chances are good that in the future
We will see a deadlier bug.

In the meantime, I'll keep getting
My booster shot, and I know I'm
Going to be wearing my mask in buildings
And also on planes for a long, long time.

-by Bob B (4-21-22)

How I look at the world each day
Is a curious interplay
Of fire and earth, cadent and fixed,
And often my impressions are mixed.
The world entices me from the cocoon
Of my Leo Sun and my Taurus Moon.

How I shine and how I feel…
To find a balance would be ideal.
The goal, of course, is to do what's right;
The nuances are ever so slight.
It's just a matter of being in tune
With my Leo Sun and my Taurus Moon.

Although I'm more complex than this,
Their strong influence is hard to miss.
Understanding who I am
Partly comes from the diagram
Of what occurs when they commune--
My Leo Sun and my Taurus Moon.

It isn't just as simple as that--
My Sun and Moon both having a chat.
It might make me ill at ease
To ignore the many intricacies
Of aspecting planets. Never jejune
Are my Leo Sun and my Taurus Moon.

Add my Rising Sign and see
How other people look at me.
Virgo adds more earth to tame
And somewhat soften my Leo flame.
There's no reason to ever impugn
My Leo Sun and my Taurus Moon.

Finding answers within and without
Helps to dispel the burden of doubt.
Tools to study the self abound;
What we discover can be profound.
Knowledge of self comes never too soon
With my Leo Sun and my Taurus Moon.

-by Bob B (4-19-22)

Ramadan, Passover,
And Easter coincide this year,
But THAT doesn't matter to Vladimir Putin,
For he has a war to engineer.

He has arranged for a senseless war
To be carried out on Ukrainian soil.
Why be concerned about human compassion
When there is a neighboring land to despoil?

Geneva Conventions to Putin mean nothing.
Depraved dictators make their own rules,
Bombing civilian hospitals,
Train stations, homes, and schools.

The world has witnessed other examples
Of paranoid, cruel, despots before
Who have no qualms about committing
Monstrous atrocities during a war.

To massacre innocent people so
Is nothing short of genocide.
When the war is over how many
Innocent people will have died?

Whatever you are celebrating--
If anything--don't refrain
From holding a special place in your heart
For the people suffering in Ukraine.

-by Bob B (4-17-22)

Florida wants to show
Its hateful, nasty side
By lashing out at gays
With zeal that it won't hide.
Governor DeSantis
Will not be outdone.
He wants to make a case
Where there's really none.
But who cares what
DeSantis has to say?
Turn his words around
And don't be afraid to say gay.

Other states will now
Attempt to follow suit
With explanations that
They will convolute.
It matters not to them
What is right or wrong.
It's just a culture war
That nudges them along.
When states try to put
Their bigotry on display,
Turn their words around
And don't be afraid to say gay.

Using toxic words
Like "groomers" to suggest
That anyone who's gay
Is on a lecherous quest,
Backers of the bills
Frequently beguile
Voters with the use
Of words like "*******."
When fanatics try
To bully you this way,
Turn their words around
And don't be afraid to say gay.

Autocratic rulers,
Backed by troglodytes,
Despise tolerance
And stomp on human rights.
Don’t let other people
Intimidate you. No!
Just be who you are,
And tell them where to go.
Love is love is love,
So don't be led astray.
Turn their words around
And don't be afraid to say gay.

-by Bob B (4-11-22)

Dangerous you might call her.
Off her rocker as well.
Her strange, obnoxious behavior
Is hard for her to quell.

How she was ever elected
Is anybody's guess,
And yet she's found supporters
To give her the guise of success.

Totally out of place
In Congress, she carries on
As though her sense of decorum
And decency are gone.

She heckles speakers in Congress
And always seems to be lusting
After ill-gotten attention.
Her antics are disgusting.

Her wacky QAnon stories
Are so far off base
That any sensible person
Would find them hard to embrace.

Now she's attacking opponents
In her typical style:
If you oppose her ideas,
You're called "pro-*******."

She lives for lies and drama
And loves to make a scene.
You must know who she is:
Marjorie Taylor Greene.

-by Bob B (4-7-22)

Russian parents, do you know
Where your children are today?
Might they be on Ukrainian soil,
Many many miles away?

Might your kids be soldiers on
A Russian military squad,
Set out to **** Ukrainians
And bolster Putin's outrageous façade?

Might they be attacking civilians
And leaving their bodies strewn about,
While causing other atrocities
That we keep seeing day in, day out?

Perhaps they have been caught between
Following orders they know aren't right
Made by a dictatorial leader
Whose human compassion has taken flight

And knowing the truth and wondering
If that's who they were meant to be--
Conscripts used to fight a war
With nightmarish brutality.

When you watch your Putin-controlled
TV news, are you aware
That you are being lied to, and if
You do know that, do you care?

Can you feel the repercussions
Brought about by Putin's war?
Give it some thought. Do you have
Any inkling of what's in store?

If committing atrocities
Is the appropriate thing to do,
And if you're proud of your kids for doing that,
Shame on them and shame on you.

-by Bob B (4-4-22)

It seems that many speakers of English
Appeared to succumb to slumber
When English lessons were taught regarding
The words "amount" and "number."

Large amounts of time. Correct.
Large amounts of rice.
"Amount" refers to something seen
As a mass, to be precise.

But when we refer to things we can count,
"Number" should be used.
For some reason, English speakers
Often get confused.

A large number of people, we say,
Vote in our elections.
Or a number of germs out there
Can cause major infections.

A large amount of people? No!
Do not go there, please.
But it's quite all right to request
A small amount of cheese.

"Beans" is one of those funny words
Often used as a mass:
I ate a large amount of beans,
And boy, do I have gas!

It really shouldn't be too hard
If you know how to count
To know how to distinguish between
"Number" and "amount."

-by Bob B (4-1-22)

If Henry Higgins were actually living,
Certainly, he would be unforgiving
When hearing how English is spoken today.
I can imagine what Henry might say:

"English speakers who massacre grammar
Ought to be thrown into the slammer,
And there in the slammer they should remain
Until they treat English with much less disdain.

"Their usage of pronouns is simply atrocious.
One thing that makes me feel ferocious
Is when they use 'him' when they ought to use 'he,'
Or when they misuse both 'I' and 'me.'

"The past tense of verbs is not hard to learn,
And yet it's a practice that some people spurn.
The past tense of 'string'--the verb--is 'strung.'
The past tense of 'sing' is 'sang,' not 'sung.'

"And then there's the overuse of 'like.'
Has formal English gone on strike?
'I was like…,' 'He was like…,' 'She was like..' ****!
That's even hard to diagram!

"And what about the subjunctive mood?
When speakers misuse it, I come unglued.
'If I was you…' grates on my ears.
'If I would have known…' brings me to tears.

"Some people call it language abuse
And throw up their arms and say, 'What's the use?'
Social media makes it worse.
To some it's a blessing; to me it's a curse.

"Unfortunately, rules are broken
Wherever the English language is spoken.
A language will change. Yes, that I know.
Oh, but it's painful to see it change so!"

-by Bob B (3-27-22)

Russian soldier, throw down your arms.
Turn around and leave Ukraine.
Are you proud of what you're doing--
Of all the innocent people you've slain?

Have you lost your dignity?
Your actions there will be your disgrace.
If you stand in front of a mirror,
How can you look at yourself in the face?

Doesn't it faze you when you hear
The cries of the people, day and night?
When homes and schools and hospitals
Are bombed, don't you feel contrite?

Have you lost some fellow soldiers
All because of Putin's lies--
Even though he calls his war
A military exercise?

Were your buddies' dying bodies
Left behind on the streets to rot?
Can you fathom the repercussions
Of what's going on, or can you not?

Are you proud of laying waste
To cities and towns in your neighboring land?
Human compassion: Could that be
Something you don't understand?

Stop doing Vladimir Putin's bidding!
Refuse his atrocious orders. Rebel.
Put an end to war crimes there,
And tell the tyrant to go to hell.

-by Bob B (3-24-22)

Elmer and Lima, two male penguins
At a zoo in Syracuse, New York,
Are both excited after having
Been paid a visit by the stork.

The two had built a nest together.
Obviously, they couldn't lay
An egg, but still, the two birds cherished
Their little home, come what may.

A breeding pair kept breaking their eggs,
Which kept them from hatching their own little chick.
And so zookeepers devised a plan
To solve the problem. They had to be quick.

They gave a phony egg to the pair.
The REAL egg was placed in the nest
That Elmer and Lima had made together.
The two penguin males were put to the test.

The dads have been "exemplary parents,"
Says the zoo director. The two
Do exactly what you'd expect
Successful penguin parents to do.

Yay! Hurray for Elmer and Lima!
Once again their story shows
That non-traditional parents can be
Super-parent dynamos.

-by Bob B (3-15-22)

As Putin continues his ****** quest
To ravage Ukraine, we watch in shock
As innocent Ukrainian
Civilians are dying around the clock.

We have to constantly ask ourselves,
"Is all of this dying worth it to him?"
If this is part of his ongoing push
To expand his rule, the future looks grim.

Announcing phony accusations
Before the UN is part of his plan
To craftily legitimize
His propaganda as much as he can.

Of course, conspiracy theorists here
Are siding with Putin--our adversary.
Fox News Channel's Tucker Carlson
Spouts pro-Putin commentary.

It's almost as though Carlson has
A means of direct communication
With Putin, whereby the two of them
Can further their mutual adulation.

And so they continue to throw spaghetti
Against the wall to see what sticks.
Watch the results as the two of them
Keep throwing lies into the mix.

As both Putin and Carlson peddle
Disinformation, people are dying.
How anyone can justify
Such senseless bloodshed is mystifying.

-by Bob b (3-13-22)

Ah, Ukraine! It pains the heart
To see what you are going through.
How are you ever going to survive
What Vladimir Putin is doing to you?

Homes, schools, and hospitals bombed…
Roughly two million people fleeing…
The country's infrastructure collapsing…
It's hard to believe what we are seeing.

All because of an insecure
Madman who rules the country next door--
A madman who lies to his people in order
To justify his cruel war.

Will Putin level all the cities?
"Level"--a horrible palindrome!
What will returning Ukrainians find
Standing if they ever come home?

Putin rules with an iron fist.
For anybody to stop him is tough.
We have to rely on the Russian people
To say, "We have had enough!"

How much more can the rest of the world
Do to help--to ease your pain?
You need much more than cautious concern
To end the anguish, dear Ukraine.

-by Bob B (3-11-22)

Rising prices might distress us.
It might be harder to make ends meet.
Leaders have to make decisions
For which they're bound to take some heat.
But there are things that come at a price,
And they involve some sacrifice.

We know that wars have consequences
That affect the world at large.
We also know that very little
In this world comes free of charge.
Freedom lovers don't think twice
When it comes to sacrifice.

Tyrants rise and tyrants fall.
While they're in power, they deface
Democracy with dictatorial
Measures that they rush to embrace.
To curb their power, here's some advice:
Get ready for some sacrifice.

If democracy can flourish,
People eager for freedom must strive
To stop the flow of resources
That keep dictatorships alive.
It's not going to be all sugar and spice.
Get used to the concept "sacrifice."

-by Bob B (3-9-22)

Russian attacks in Ukraine are taking
Such a humanitarian toll
As Putin tries to pull the Russian
People down his rabbit hole.

A "military operation"
Is what he calls it. The words are his.
It's actually an invasion, a war.
Call it what it REALLY is.

But if you live in Russia and say
The truth, your words will be contested.
Call the move an invasion and you
Will very likely be arrested.

In Ukraine, residential
Sections of cities are under attack.
By bombing civilians, Putin hopes
The country's spirit soon will crack.

Even though Ukrainian
Resistance under attack is stunning,
Civilians know that it's run or die,
And oftentimes they're killed while running.

They say that 1.7 million
Ukrainian refugees have fled.
That seems a better option than staying
And being counted among the dead.

The breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine
Provides many countries with wheat.
Now because of the Russian invasion,
There's going to be less for people to eat.

Unhinged Putin has his plan
And won't let anything get in the way.
But wars have many consequences,
And war criminals should pay.

-by Bob B (3-8-22)

Does the world bribe you to betray yourself--
To try to make you fit inside a mold?
Does it try to tempt you with complacency--
To dominate you with its stranglehold?

Do you feel the pressure when it says to you
That what you see is really not the truth?
Has it often emphasized conformity
And stifled your ambitions since your youth?

Does it wear you down with its seductiveness,
Even though you see through all its charms?
Do its threats to curb originality
Manifest themselves as false alarms?

Have you found the courage to resist the ploys
And everything society might do
To make you who you aren't when you'd much prefer
To be and show the world the real you?

-by Bob B (3-2-22)