I keep hearing
People say
That facts often
Get in the way.
Bombarded by
The constant chatter,
I'll merely say,
"Facts matter."

- by Bob B (2-15-17)

The mission graveyard was peaceful and calm.
Sporadic gravestones and crosses marked
The final resting places of some
Who for some reason had embarked
 
On a new journey--a new phase--
A final, unavoidable transition.
Their remains still sleep, I hope undisturbed
By visitors at the sleepy mission.
 
Swaying in the gentle breeze,
The olive trees wistfully cast
Their shadows on the neglected sod
And on the graves that we wandered past.
 
Reading the carved inscriptions on the gravestones
Brought so many questions to mind:
Who were the people buried here?
Whom did they sadly leave behind?
 
Were they rich or were they poor?
Was their life easy or hard?
Was it pestilence, age, or violence
That brought them here to sleep in this yard?
 
My glance fell upon a simple stone.
I couldn't help but think that maybe
Some people's lives had been torn apart;
Carved in the gravestone was one word: Baby.
 
Oh, Life and Death, you keep us wondering.
No matter how much we people yearn
To second-guess you, you surprise us
And deliver us to the grave or urn.

- by Bob B

California--earthquake country--
Faces a threat that's true:
A massive quake we call the Big One
Is LONG overdue.

We must face the facts, and here
Is something to think about:
California's experiencing
A so-called "earthquake drought."

The southernmost stretch of the San Andreas
Fault--it appears--
Hasn't had a major rupture
For 340 years!

When it happens--man o man!--
We'll be rocking and rolling.
Even though we're better prepared,
That's not too consoling.

The ground will shake, overpasses
And bridges may collapse,
And houses can slide off their foundations
As the seconds elapse.

Walls will crack, chimneys will topple,
Dishes will crash on the floor.
We will see a mess such as
We've never seen before.

Knick-knacks will fly off the shelves.
What else? It's hard to tell,
But bookcases and curio cabinets
Will topple over as well.

Objects will fly across the room.
So, be sure to stand clear.
If the magnitude is high,
Damage will be severe.

Gas lines, sewage lines,
And water mains may break.
Widespread, destructive fires
May happen after the quake.

We may be without power
And water for many days.
Helpless, we will have to stand by
And watch the fires blaze.

The Big One could happen now,
Tomorrow, or years down the line.
To scorn its inevitability
Would be asinine.

Without warning, the quake will occur.
It's hard not to be scared.
I'm NOT looking forward to that day.
Tell me: are you prepared?

-by Bob B (3-5-19)

Mr. Trump, for many years
We've watched you disregard the rules.
But tell us: what do you take us for--
A groveling, ignorant bunch of fools?

Making an early campaign announcement
For you, of course, is apropos,
And surely it is a way for you
To rake in tons and tons of dough.

You love the spotlight. Yes, you do.
But, frankly, that should give you pause,
For don't you realize that what
The spotlight does is point out your flaws?

Because of your lies, the nonsense you spout,
And your general lack of humility,
People see you less as a help
And more as a threat or liability.

We know that you have always carried
A hey!-it's-all-about-ME card,
But running for president doesn't give you
A get-out-of-jail-FREE card.

Investigations will still go on
Despite your bold but feeble attempt
To skirt the laws from which no one--
Not even YOU--should be exempt.

You and your cohorts, such as Bannon,
Will take your donors for a ride.
All we can say is, "Nice try, Trump.
Good luck finding a place to hide."

-by Bob B (11-16-22)

Senatorial candidate
Roy Moore has fallen deeper
Into a mess of his own making.
The climb out is growing steeper.

A fifth victim has spoken up,
Accusing him of ****** assault.
Moore said the accusations
Were lies and he was not at fault.

Following the TRUMP PLAYBOOK
FOR ****** ASSAULTS, Moore claimed
That all the charges were fake news,
And he remained unashamed.

Strategy two: discredit the accusers,
Or act as though you never knew them.
Strategy three: threaten them.
Announce that you intend to sue them.

Increasingly, politicians
Feel that Moore ought to bow out.
Defiant, the candidate
Hopes his fans remain devout.

How could anyone vote him in
And afterwards feel content?
Oh, wait: despite accusations,
They voted in our president.

A watershed moment is happening here
As people say no and start to get tough.
No more covering up of rampant
****** assault. Enough is enough!

-by Bob B (11-14-17)

Gods, guns, and gerrymandering.
That's the Republican Party today--
At least a large, vociferous group
That keeps progressive ideas at bay.

White evangelicals,
Tightly knit and fortified
By the perception that God hates the Dems,
Think that they have God on their side.

Claiming to know the mind of God,
They use their dogma to legislate
And ignore the fundamental idea
Of the separation of church and state.

Ah, their weapons. They love their firearms,
Of which they have collected tons.
Instead of beating their swords into plowshares,
They've beaten their plowshares into guns.

And gerrymandering has, of course,
Become their crafty survival tool.
They plan to manipulate future elections
By strengthening minority rule.

Through God, guns, and gerrymandering,
They hope to keep their momentum going
By building their power and also keeping
Their piles of ammunition growing.

-by Bob B (12-13-21)

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)

"Dear Vladimir Putin, my friend,
Thank you for your ongoing support.
You know I'm really going to need it
If I somehow land in 'court.'

"Keep bombarding social media;
Expand the use of all those bots.
But definitely cover your tracks,
For people will try to connect the dots.

"You know how I--one of your fans--
Highly respect your strongman appeal.
You've perfected your talents there,
As I the art of making a deal.

"I like the way you ******* dissent;
You've got the people under control.
I'm NOT there yet, but give me time.
It remains my overall goal.

"Poisoning my opponents? Well,
Maybe I wouldn't go that far.
But you and I together can think of
Other techniques, tzar to tzar.

"Right now the investigation
Here is really driving me mad.
I want to fire Mueller but need
Grounds completely ironclad.

"Maybe you can help me there.
I'm sure for you it's worth a try:
Help my kiss-*** Republicans
Vilify the FBI.

"I'm trying to follow your media playbook
On how you limit opposing views.
I'm able to spread a lot of untruths
On MY station called Fox News.

"My efforts to trick the religious right
Have been clever and not at all shoddy.
Even though we both know there's
Not a religious bone in my body.

"By the way, you don't have
Tapes of me when I was there
In Russia, do you? You know the kind:
Tapes of me in my underwear.

"Remember the word sanctions, my friend.
We can lift them--buh-lieve you me--
If all the tapes of me disappear.
Your friend, Donald T."

-by Bob B (1-31-18)

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)

Wow! Here we go again:
The FBI stopped a crime,
Preventing a screwy miscreant
From mass killings just in time.

A Coast Guard lieutenant he was
Who loves Russia's autocracy
And neo-**** literature,
Which threaten our democracy.

He had the names of Democrats
And media figures on his list,
Along with a stockpiled arsenal--
This crazed domestic terrorist.

Advocating violence,
He’s published words of hate and fear:
He would do his part in order
To make a "white homeland" here.

In our current environment,
Where vitriol is a daily occurrence
In presidential tweets and no
Criticisms provide deterrence,

The president's hateful attacks on reporters
Should truly sound an alarm bell.
He says, "I HATE some of these people.
But I would never **** them…WELL…"

So unfit for office he is,
He doesn't even realize
The impact of his messages--
The lives his words jeopardize.

He can’t seem to help himself
Or see his own contradictions.
The country is filled with crackpots who
Eat up all of his crazy fictions.

It took Trump a week to speak out
Or mention the seriousness of this case.
Why so long? Heaven forbid
He anger extremists among his base!

-by Bob B (2-25-19)

Our enemy's sly and insidious.
To recognize it is hard.
It's always lying in wait
To catch us off our guard.

It doesn't announce its presence.
With fanfare and bold display.
Its surreptitious maneuvers
Easily lead astray.

What or who it is
Usually eludes us.
Its ensnaring grasp
Usually includes us.

How to rout it out?
We haven't as of yet.
IGNORANCE is our enemy
And also our greatest threat.

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)

When we think of heroes or heroines,
Role models, mentors, or all of these combined,
The name WILMA RUDOLPH is one
That definitely should come to mind.

Wilma was born in 1940,
In Tennessee, the Volunteer State.
As a child she had polio and wore
A brace on her leg until she was eight.

They had to travel a distance to seek
Medical help because of a lack
Of services for folks in their town
If the color of their skin was black.

But Wilma was able to beat the odds
With inner strength and determination,
Along with physical therapy,
Hard work and dedication.

While still in high school in '56,
Winning became her newly found theme
As she won a bronze medal
On the US Olympic team.

Later, back in school holding
Her medal in the air for classmates to behold,
"Skeeter" (which was her nickname back then)
Said that her goal was to go for the gold.

In 1960, at the summer games
In Rome, Italy, the world would see
Wilma win not only ONE gold medal,
But the "fastest woman in the world" won THREE!

The first American woman to win
Three gold medals in track and field
At a single Olympiad, Wilma
Let her expertise be revealed.

One of the most popular
Athletes at the games in Rome,
Wilma became a superstar--
A status which followed her back home.

She then decided to teach and coach
And run a community center. Her name
Would shine along with the others in
The US Olympic Hall of Fame.

To Wilma, reaching your goal meant
You had to work hard--to persevere.
Her stamina guided her to become
A civil and women's rights pioneer.

Wilma succumbed to cancer in the year
1994, but she
And her inspiring life continue
To live on in our memory.

-by Bob B (2-27-18)

The president appointed a man
To help support his nefarious plan--
Something that's so common in these times.
The man became the president's pal
And pushed a bogus rationale
To try to cover up his boss's crimes.

The president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

An office that should really be
An independent agency
Is one that we call the D-O-J.
But since the president's henchman's there,
The agency's the worse for wear
And grows less independent every day.

Thanks to our leader's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

To bolster a right-wing conspiracy theory,
Barr has started a new inquiry
To investigate the Russia investigation.
Of course, he knows he'll get Fox News
To help support his spurious views
For it’s a peddler of misinformation.

To help the president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

To try to prove that the Mueller probe
Was a crime, he roams the globe
To find someone to help him prove his case.
He merely shows that he's got gall
And NO integrity at all.
How can he look us in the face?

The president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

What a stunt--a big distraction,
A sly and furtive counteraction--
As they try to manufacture dirt.
Distractions from impeachment chatter
Is for them an easy matter.
To them it doesn't matter whom they hurt.

Watch the president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

-by Bob B (10-25-19)

A monk and his disciple walked--
Bundled up to try to stay warm--
Down to the nearby beach shortly
After they'd had a monstrous storm.

Thousands of starfish had been washed up
And now were stranded along the shore.
The two were deeply moved by the sight--
Something they'd never seen before.

The monk stooped down and picked up a starfish
That had been lying on the soft sand
And walked out into the water,
Holding the helpless being in his hand.

"With so many thousands of stranded starfish
Lying here on the shore in the sun,"
Asked the disciple, "can you make
A difference by saving only one?"

The monk gently placed the starfish
Into the water while nodding his head.
"Well, I think it makes a really
BIG difference to THAT one," he said.

-by Bob B (10-7-19)

°Based on a Zen anecdote (source unknown) retold here in verse.

Chapter Seven of the D.T. Playbook:
Do not worry if you besmirch
Your country's honor by suddenly leaving
Trusted allies--the Kurds--in the lurch.

Although they worked together with you
To fight a common enemy, ISIS,
Their abandonment will force them
To face an even greater crisis.

Provide them with weapons while they assist you.
Then merely say, "Thank you. Good-bye!"
Leaving them to fend for themselves,
To flee their homeland, to suffer, to die.

Do not worry if thousands of Kurds
Had lost their lives to help fight your foe.
Turn your head, pretending you can't
Hear the people's cries of woe.

Placate a Turkish autocrat
With ethnic cleansing as one of his goals.
Do not fret if experts tell you
That your thoughtless plan has holes.

Do not let your people know
Your REAL motives, for you have the knack
Of taking full advantage of others
Before stabbing them in the back.

Do not fear if enemy captives
Escape from their prison cells and flee,
Putting more people there and here
In danger as ISIS soldiers run free.

Tell everyone how smart you are;
Pat yourself on the back, and then
Do not care that the rest of your allies
Will never be able to trust you again.

-by Bob B (10-21-19)

I think a lot of progress could be made
If certain people were not so afraid
To come up with what COULD be a solution
And say it is a New Year's resolution.

The January 6 investigation
Explored how mobs of misfits shook this nation.
Trump's indictment for his contribution
Should be someone's New Year's resolution.

Politicians when they're making laws
Have donors who give money for a cause.
That's equivalent to prostitution.
Make fixing that a New Year's resolution.

House Republicans are out to get
Anyone whom they see as a threat.
When THEY'RE in charge, they threaten prosecution.
Vote them out: a New Year's resolution!

Some states make it hard for us to vote.
To stop that we must find an antidote.
Such a task will not be Lilliputian.
But that could make a New Year's resolution.

Climate change is getting worse each day.
If we don't act, we're going to have to pay.
We should want to see its diminution.
Let's make that a New Year's resolution.

So think of all the things that we could do
To make conditions great for me and you.
It all boils down to finding good solutions
And making them our New Year's resolutions.

-by Bob B (12-31-22)

Dear Donald,

Congratulations. I really like
How you have muddied the waters, my friend.
You keep stressing my talking points
And give new meaning to the word “pretend.”

Not only have you duped your base,
You have your friends in Congress wrapped
Around your little finger, for you
Can lie whenever you feel trapped.

You have worshipers pushing your stories,
Conspiracy theories--the whole shebang.
Just try to polish your storytelling
So that your lies don’t boomerang.

Heaping all the blame on Ukraine
For having meddled in twenty sixteen
In your election helps us both
Advance our propaganda machine.

A weaker Ukraine is good for Russia;
What’s good for Russia is good for you.
Think of all the power we’ll have.
That would be my dream come true.

To me it is a great honor
How you place your trust in me
When your intel agencies
And I happen to disagree.

The way that you obstruct justice
And Congress pleases me as well.
It's right out of my own playbook:
Just tell them all to go to hell.

When you, like me, have total control
Over the media, you're on your way
To being a leader who makes the people
Do what you do and say what you say.

People suspect that I have dirt
On you, but you can rest assured
That all you have to do is follow
My suggestions, and mum’s the word.

Your friend, Vlad

-by Bob B (12-3-19)

A thirsty stag wandered into
A meadow to reach a pool.
He saw his reflection in the clear water
And thought to himself, "How cool!

"What a beautiful pair of antlers!
I can't believe they're mine.
The curves are superb; they spread out so far.
They're UTTERLY divine!

"But, oh, what ugly legs I have!
They need some readjusting.
How skinny and weak and contorted they look!
They couldn't be more disgusting."

All of a sudden, a lion appeared.
Then a chase ensued.
The stag knew that he had to run fast
Or he'd be lion food.

At first the ground over which he ran
Was free of many trees.
He was able to outrun the lion
With the greatest of ease.

However, soon he came to the woods
Where branches were hanging low.
His antlers got caught in the branches, and he
Staggered to and fro.

As the lion approached the stag,
The stag could clearly see
That he was about to die, and so
He cried, "Oh, woe is me!

"While I despised my legs, I praised
My antlers to the skies.
Ironically, my antlers will
Lead to my demise."

The moral? We should stop and think
Before we gloat or boast,
For far too often we value the least
What is worth the most.

-by Bob B (8-26-21)

°An Aesop fable retold here in verse

2023--Memorial Day.
Remembering those who lost their lives
Defending this country, we should continue
To hope that democracy survives.

Many died protecting our land
From countries under fascist rule--
Whose authoritarian
Rulers were abusive and cruel.

Rights were restricted and scapegoats received
Treatment brutal and inhumane.
And humankind suffered another
Bitter, sad, and indelible stain.

Vigilance is required here,
For there are people who prefer
To overlook the lessons from
The past. The horrors could reoccur.

In nations that seek out people to blame
For all the ills that beset the land
And blatantly flout the rule of law,
Democracy loses the upper hand.

Countries are in a great deal of trouble
When voting's restricted and people aren't fazed,
When institutions come under attack,
And when violent thugs are praised.

Those who died defending this country
In the air, on land, or on the waves,
When seeing how some are abusing our rights,
Have to be rolling in their graves.

-by Bob B (5-29-23)

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)

This is the tale of an EPA
Administrator who
Has no shame at all about taking
Advantage of me and you.

We've seen him roll back fifty years
Of environmental protections;
That's bad for us but good for all of his
Oil and gas connections.

A costly, inflated security team
To fly with him overseas
24/7? That ought to make
Taxpayers ill at ease.

For him first class is a must when he flies;
To hell with flying coach.
He feels his team deserves the same
And thinks he's beyond reproach.

Better yet, he would prefer
Military jets.
So what if it costs us even more money;
He has no regrets.

When staff members question his spending
And wonder if it's required,
They will find themselves demoted,
Reassigned, or fired.

Receiving monetary favors
From lobbyists isn't proper.
He wants a bullet-proof SUV;
But here's the real showstopper:

Security staff admit that when he--
In order to catch his flights
Or go to dinner--will ask them to use
Their sirens and flashing lights!

A recent trip took him and his team
To Morocco, but alas,
Believe it or not, the reason was
To promote natural gas!

His attitude toward tax-payer
Dollars is cavalier;
But when it comes to helping the poor,
He is more austere.

So this is how Trump drains the swamp!
A funny way to do it.
But maybe he fits right in with the rest:
That's our man Scott Pruitt!

-by Bob B (4-6-18)

As National Security Adviser
H.R. McMaster walks out the door,
A hungry hawk circles the White House.
Watch it dive; watch it soar.

The hawk has a name: John Bolton,
Conspiracy theorist of long standing;
Reckless, far-right ideologue.
In April the hawk will be landing.

Bolton, who's openly advocated
Preemptive nuclear war with two
Countries--Iran and North Korea--
Will glide in and land on cue.

Once a leading cheerleader
Of the war in Iraq, Bolton, whose theory
Is war first, diplomacy second,
Should cause the rest of us to be leery.

Pushing military involvement
And advocating change of regime
Would only encourage the president
To set in motion a dangerous scheme.

In 2013, Bolton uttered
Words that show where his loyalties lie
As he hailed the new era of freedom
In PUTIN's Russia! What a guy!

So Bolton nested near the president--
A man whose ego couldn't be bigger,
Who doesn't follow judicious advice
And has his finger on the trigger--

Makes the whole world feel uneasy.
How scary could things get?
Prepare yourself for turbulent times
Because you ain't seen nothin' yet.

-by Bob B (3-23-18)

A day after the midterms, Trump
Showed that he was true to form,
Once again reminding us that
Effrontery is becoming the norm.

In a brazen act of utter defiance,
Trump fired Jeff Sessions,
The attorney general, which adds one more
Deed to the list of Trump's transgressions.

Ignoring the normal line of succession,
Trump installed as acting chief
A loyalist, since loyalty is
The current admin's leitmotif.

Matt Whitiker is the man--
Known as the West Wing's "eyes and ears."
Another case of obstruction of justice?
At least that's how the move appears.

Whitiker has a paper trail
A mile long, criticizing
The Mueller probe, so Trump wants him
In charge of the case. How NOT surprising!

The DOJ is supposed to be
Fair and impartial. Not anymore.
If Whitiker doesn't recuse himself,
We all know what's in store.

It's frightening how the DOJ
Is tied to the president's apron strings.
Innocent people have nothing to fear;
Desperate people do desperate things.

-by Bob B (11-8-18)

Dear Donald Trump, my friend,
I bet your patience is wearing thin.
Because of your democracy,
Investigations are closing in.

Since I can use my magic
To make people disappear,
Such investigative threats
Are never going to happen here.

From watching your revolving-door
Administration, I can see
That you, like me, expect one thing
Above all others: loyalty.

What is all this talk about
Ties with Russian oligarchs?
Don't your people realize that
Our bites are much, much worse than our barks?

Although I appreciate
What you did during your campaign--
The helpful steps you took to soften
Your stance on giving aid to Ukraine--

We still have a ways to go.
But one thing that I have to say
Is you have been good about
Respecting our little NDA.°

Lifting sanctions would be a big help.
I thought that maybe a good incentive
Would be our many ICBMs,
For you know we're very inventive.

But, no, let's not talk about threats.
If your cards are rightly played,
You will be as strong as I.
In other words, you'll have it made.

Ah, silence is golden, no?
One thing is sure as shootin':
I'd hate to have to spill the beans
'Bout you know what. Your friend, Putin.

-by Bob B (4-2-18)

°non-disclosure agreement

This past Halloween week
In Washington was eerie.
For some in particular
The atmosphere was dreary.

Dressed up in their holiday best--
Though feeling somewhat slighted--
Manafort and protégé Gates
Both were indicted.

George Papadopoulos caused
Jitters and frustration
As proactive collaborator
In Mueller's investigation.

John Kelly's reputation
Has really started to slump
Since he's donned the costume of
A puppet of Donald Trump.

Kelly said--and this caused people
To gasp and roll their eyes--
The Civil War was caused by
A failure to compromise.

Compromise on slavery?
Tell me how that's done?
Instead of having forty-two slaves,
You get twenty-one?

Jeff Sessions’ costume made
The beholder have to guess
Whether it was perjury
Or handy forgetfulness.

Trump presented himself as a man
Whose memory is the best--
At least until reporters put
His memory to a test.

He laments that he can't do
What he wants, and that
Means not being president but
A powerful autocrat.

Republicans in Congress, dressed
As scary goblins and ghouls,
Put forth a tax plan, which
Changes many rules.

If you carefully look at their draft
And see through their pitch,
You will see their plan basically
Favors the very rich.

Halloween was far from being
Bland or ordinary.
One could argue that this year
It was downright scary.

-by Bob B (11-4-17)

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)

As Trump speaks from his bully pulpit,
Spreading more nonsense and lies,
White nationalist violence is
Definitely on the rise.

He may downplay atrocious behavior
And overlook figures and facts,
But other leaders feel that they're given
The right to commit egregious acts.

Listen to the president's words.
It isn't hard to see where he stands.
If fans don't get their way, he says,
They'll take matters into their own hands.

We know when Trump gives a command
In code or directly, some will jump.
He claims he has support from police,
The military, and Bikers for Trump.

Immigrants are "invading" our country;
Rough up hecklers. Those words are his.
He may claim he's not a racist,
But white nationalists THINK he is.

-by Bob B (3-18-19)

Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson--
An anti-vaxxer who's super odd--
Thinks that scientists pretend
To know what's correct--more than God--

About vaccines for fighting pandemics.
Could God be so anti-chem?
Has Johnson considered that scientists
Are right 'cause God is working through them?

The senator is quite presumptuous
To think he has a link to God's mind,
When in actuality,
There's something else with which he's aligned.

-by Bob B (1-10-22)

Tired of worn-out platitudes
("Guns don't **** people. No way.");
Tired, too, of empty excuses
("We can't talk about guns today.");

Tired of worthless thoughts and prayers--
("We feel for you in your pain.");
Tired of losing family and friends
As daily reports list the slain;

Tired of collusion: the stranglehold
Of the NRA on politicians
("You'll get the funds as soon as we
Coordinate our positions.");

Tired of the greedy gun industry
Whose sales of weapons leave a trail
Of blood and carnage and death and grief
As they promote a fairy tale;

Tired of ceaseless justifications
Proclaiming 2nd Amendment rights
And caustic attacks from the gun lobby
Whose acrimony has reached new heights;

Tired of spineless lawmakers
("You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.");
Tired of easy access to weapons
Normally used for fighting wars;

Tired of shootings to a degree
Unprecedented worldwide;
Tired of constant hopelessness
With news of every homicide;

Tired of always being afraid;
Tired even of being tired,
Hundreds of thousands of students marched,
Ready to act and feeling inspired.

They breathed fresh life into
Our revolutionary spirit,
Assertively sending a message
To all Americans willing to hear it.

"No more!" "Never again!
That was their message, loud and clear.
"Enough is enough!" "I call BS!"
"End this senseless violence here!"

May the movement gather momentum!
May this be a watershed
Moment in modern times to help
Protect the living and honor the dead!

The March for Our Lives! They have a dream.
But much more work remains to be done.
Efforts to bring about major changes
In commonsense gun laws have barely begun.

-by Bob B (3-25-18)

For years Trump has wanted us
All to believe that he is the great
Businessman par excellence,
When actually, he's second-rate.

By lying and cheating his way to the top,
He fooled many. But let's not forget
That Trump's successful empire was
A fiction created by Mark Burnett.°

Trump's REAL empire is
A castle built on shifting sand.
For many years he has relied
On fraud to help promote his brand.

"Fraud" is such an ugly word,
But maybe for Trump it's really not.
To him it seems that all is fair--
Just as long as you don't get caught.

As he gaslights Americans,
It's hard to know what he really believes.
The hypocrite cannot escape
The fantasies to which he cleaves.

How sad it is that he has led
Americans down the rabbit hole!
How can they trust someone who couldn't
Tell the truth to save his soul?

-by Bob B (9-27-23)

°Producer of the TV series "The Apprentice"

Can you imagine a thing more bizarre?
Strange things can happen but this is by far
One of the craziest stories I've heard.
Call it outrageous, for that's a good word.

The end times are coming and we're on the brink.
That's what some white evangelicals think.
The one who'll be leading us over this ****
Will be none other than Donald J. Trump.

Sing too-ra-lie-loo-ra-lie-loo-ra-lie-ay.

This crazy idea explains to us why
So many people believe Trump's Big Lie.
His challenge, they feel, is not just a whim:
That the election was stolen from him.

Other groups out there have joined in the cause
And bow and kowtow to their Wizard of Oz.
Even the Moonies have entered the fray.
How easy it is to lead people astray!

Sing too-ra-lie-loo-ra-lie-loo-ra-lie-ay.

Part of their big propaganda machine
Is rhetoric very much anti-vaccine.
Some of the leaders are sounding alarms
To talk devotees into taking up arms.

Conspiracy theories continue to weave
Through the ideas that these folks believe.
Yes, they remind us that we have free will;
But far-fetched ideas lead people to ****.

Sing too-ra-lie-loo-ra-lie-loo-ra-lie-ay.

Some politicians will hold up a gun
And say to us that church and state should be one.
I guess in their readings there's something they missed:
Our Constitution was not on their list.

Maybe the end of the world it won't be,
But what is going on gives no comfort to me.
Democracy's fragile; there is no doubt.
And we can't let radical groups wipe it out.

Sing too-ra-lie-loo-ra-lie-loo-ra-lie-ay.

-by Bob B (10-7-21)

°This poem can be sung to the melody of "Sweet Betsy from Pike."

(This poem could be sung to the melody of Rodgers and Hammerstein's song "Climb Every Mountain” from THE SOUND OF MUSIC.)

Vote Democratic!
Hear now my plea.  
More’s at stake than merely
Our economy.

Vote Democratic!
Let freedom thrive.
Democratic values
Must be kept alive.

A candidate who
Tries to push Trump’s Big Lie
Is not right for the job.
You will see by and by.

Vote Democratic!
May hearts be stirred.
Sing the song of freedom.
Let your voice be heard!

Our rights are at stake,
Like the freedom to choose.
People must realize
We have so much to lose.

Vote Democratic!
May hearts be stirred.
Sing the song of freedom.
Let your voice be heard!

-by Bob B (10-17-22)

SECURITY CLEARANCES

Rules at the White House...Who reads them?
Proper procedures...Who heeds them?
Security clearances
Make scant appearances.
The attitude is: Who needs them?

-by Bob B (2-20-18)

ON ****** MISCONDUCT

Trump says you just have to say,
“I didn’t do it,” and they
Will blame your accusers
And call them all losers.
That’s life in Trumpworld today!

-by Bob B (2-21-18)

GUNS

More GUNS in our schools, Trump swears,
Will STOP the school shootings. He dares
To repeat what the vice pres
Of the NRA says.
They're BOTH lacking something upstairs.

-by Bob B (2-23-18)

HIRING THE BEST?

We know that Trump knows how to fire ‘em,
But how does his conduct inspire ‘em?
Three of his men
Are felons now. When
Will HE ever learn how to hire ‘em?

-by Bob B (2-23-18)

REFORM

Gun-law reform will crash
If Trump believes that it's rash.
The gun lobby's puppet
Will never give up; it
Is hard when you count on their cash.

-by Bob B (2-24-18)

Think back to a year ago
When we had the chance
To slow a deadly virus down,
But some folks looked askance.
The issue grew political
And then we saw instead
That due to lack of leadership
The virus spread and spread.

I received my vaccination.
Now I feel relief.
We have watched the COVID virus
Cause a lot of grief.
As we all get vaccinated
We will start to see
The benefits around the world
Of herd immunity.

As the virus spreads we notice
Variants arise.
But that is how they work, and so
It should be no surprise.
If we don't act quickly now
The variants might start
Resisting vaccines that we have.
But for now take heart.

I received my vaccination.
Now I feel relief.
We have watched the COVID virus
Cause a lot of grief.
As we all get vaccinated
We will start to see
The benefits around the world
Of herd immunity.

So get your vaccination.
Don't give up the fight.
Make the virus go away
By doing what is right.
A little side effect or two
And maybe a sore arm
Might well lie in store for you,
But no cause for alarm.

I received my vaccination.
Now I feel relief.
We have watched the COVID virus
Cause a lot of grief.
As we all get vaccinated
We will start to see
The benefits around the world
Of herd immunity.

-by Bob B (2-28-19)

Take a look around
And tell me what you see.
Do you see a country
Where everyone is free?

Do you see the people
United in a land,
Where people of all color
Are walking hand in hand?

Do you see a church
Where years ago inside
Dynamite exploded
And four young girls died?

Do you see a counter
Where people were not served--
Where unjust laws determined
What certain folks deserved?

Do you see a street
Where protesters were sprayed
With high pressure hoses
While they marched and prayed?

Do you see a window--
If not, take closer note--
Where folks were turned away--
Were told, "You can't vote!"?

Do you see a house
Not everyone could buy
Unless they "qualified"?
Hmm. I wonder why?

Do you see a job
Where privilege preordained
Who'd be hired? Of course.
The practice was ingrained.

From out of the darkness emerged
A beacon, a shining light:
A man who offered us
A peaceful means to fight.

But while we've moved forward,
We keep stepping back,
For now voter rights
Again are under attack.

The long walk for freedom
Is not an easy walk.
Justice is also threatened
By insensitive talk.

For ugly, hateful rhetoric
Stirs the hard of heart
To act in unjust ways
Where reason plays no part.

Understanding, compassion,
And love should be our guide.
Let them push both hatred
And prejudice aside.

Stay on the path to justice
Even though it may seem
That roadblocks get in the way.
Don't give up the dream.

-by Bob B (1-15-18)

A BLUE WAVE swept across
America in 2018--
A definite reaction to
The Trump propaganda machine.

The wave, if not a tsunami, still
Brought about significant gains
For hopeful Democrats in the House
Who had to counter nasty campaigns.

Okay, yes, it works both ways,
But Democrats mainly stayed on topic,
Stressing the issue of health care, about
Which Republicans' views are myopic.

Trump and his favorites focused on
A "caravan," creating tension
And unwarranted fear in supporters.
Now it's a topic they barely mention.

The Democrats did exceedingly well
Despite all the voter suppression.
Of course, the Right yells, "Voter fraud!"--
Which has become another obsession.

Now the work really begins.
Will Trump model greater civility?
At least there will be checks and balances
And hopefully accountability.

In the meantime, we will wait
And see how politicians behave
And hope that more people will see
The benefits of riding the wave.

-by Bob B (11-10-18)

When I'm feeling agitated,
Discontented, or unmotivated,
Then I tell myself to hold fast,
For such adverse feelings won't last.

Sometimes the world has a radiant sheen,
And everything seems "peachy keen."
It's fantastic when things are sublime,
But such good feelings will pass with time.

Freezing temps can really get old,
But when I'm hot, I want to be cold.
Though I hate hot weather a lot,
When I'm cold, I want to be hot.

When I'm feeling down in the dumps,
I say, "Oh, well, life has its bumps."
If I tough it out, in a while
I know my frown will turn to a smile.

Aren't we full of contradictions?
We can clash with our own convictions.
With some practice, things will click,
And we can find out what makes us tick.

Look inside yourself and you'll see
In life there is no guarantee.
Is what you're seeing REAL, or do you
See only what you perceive to be true?

-by Bob B (1-2-19)

Once there was a mischievous dog
That thought it was so fun
To bark at and snap at people--in short,
To torment everyone.

He was such a nuisance that
His master had had enough.
"I am going to fix him," he said.
"If HE doesn't like it, tough!"

And so he fastened a bell around
His dog's neck that morning
So people who were near would hear it,
And it would serve as a warning.

The dog was oh so proud of his bell
And had an odd reaction.
To hear it jingle, he strutted around
With utmost satisfaction.

An old dog approached and said,
"Please don't put on airs.
I see this situation has
Caught you unawares.

"I think you need to know the truth,
And so I'll cut to the chase.
The bell is not a reward, my friend;
It's a badge of disgrace."

The moral: sometimes we wrongly feel
Pride instead of shame
When it's notoriety
That we mistake for fame.

-by Bob B (8-10-21)

°An Aesop fable retold here in verse

Hey, I've made it to 900!
That's a lot from what I've been told.
But first, let me be very clear:
I don't mean 900 years old!

Nine hundred means 900 poems--
Poems I've "published" online so far.
The topics vary from poem to poem
As I expand my repertoire.

People ask me why I do it.
It just became a way to express
My feelings about the world around me--
A personal challenge, more or less.

When people don't like my style and imply
It's THEIR way or the highway,
I say, "You write in YOUR manner;
I'LL write my poems MY way."

What will inspire me next? Who knows?
I call on my Muse for inspiration,
To help me articulate my thoughts
Without seeking approbation.

I like music--songs and ballads--
And often write poems that can be sung.
And though I know a few languages,
I always write in my mother tongue.

Politics I find intriguing;
Thus, I often feel compelled
To let my poems comment on life
And not to let my voice be quelled.

Of course, that gets me in trouble sometimes,
Especially when I arouse
People's ire by commenting on
Or criticizing their sacred cows.

I’d like to say that writing's a breeze,
But, no, that would not be true.
So here you have it: poem 900.
I dedicate this one to you.

-by Bob B (10-22-19)

Ah, Putin, you won again!
But nobody is really surprised.
How could you NOT win an election
When a system is compromised?

When major opponents are barred from running--
One jailed with false allegations,
The other dead, having been poisoned--
You can fulfill your expectations.

When you have control of the media,
It's rather easy to pull off a scam.
Anyone could be the victor
When an election is merely a sham.

A sham? Oh, dear! How could that be?
Could there have been ballot stuffing,
Intimidation, and voter coercion?
Did people know that you weren't bluffing?

A true test of popularity
Will not happen if you fear rejection
And set up a system that won't allow
The people to vote in a fair election.

-by Bob B (3-21-18)

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)

Dear Russia, since you're
Already meddling in our affairs,
And seem to have experience
Dealing with slippery billionaires,

Could you maybe take a peek
At Trump's personal IRS files
And share all of his tax returns
With the use of all of your wiles?

People have been asking, but
The man has been disinclined
To share the information with us.
If YOU do it, he shouldn't mind.

For some reason (why could that be?)
A president who loves to barter
Won't do something that was done
By all presidents since Jimmy Carter.

If he has a good excuse,
He should tell us; we're all ears.
The audit excuse doesn't hold water.
And what about all the other years?

If there's nothing to cover up,
There's no reason to fear a chiding.
He's so reluctant to be transparent
That we keep wondering what he's hiding.

And since you in our last election
Were one of Trump's top promoters,
We hope you will help us out.
Yours truly, American voters.

-by Bob B (10-30-17)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Maria" from WEST SIDE STORY.)(See YouTube link below.)

DJT:
My Sharpie…
The most wonderful thing I've ever held:
My Sharpie, my Sharpie, my Sharpie, my Sharpie.
All the benefits surrounding it are unparalleled.
My Sharpie, my Sharpie, my Sharpie, my Sharpie…
My Sharpie! My Sharpie!
My Sharpie!
I love what I do with my Sharpie.
We can pull together
Changes in the weather.
You'll see.
My Sharpie!
I've just made a mark with my Sharpie,
And it can be arranged:
History can be changed
By me.
My Sharpie!
Hold it tight and there's no denying
That its power is so mystifying.
My Sharpie…
I'll never stop crying: My Sharpie!
My Sharpie! My Sharpie! My Sharpie! My Sharpie!
My Sharpie! My Sharpie! My Sharpie! My Sharpie!
My Sharpie!
Hold it tight and there's no denying
That its power is so mystifying.
My Sharpie…
I'll never stop crying: My Sharpie!
The most wonderful thing I've ever held:
My Sharpie!

-by Bob B (9-6-19)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyofWTw0bqY&t=23s

Trump said there would be no
Conflicts of interest. No siree!
That conflicts of interest have continued
Nonstop is plain to see.

Millions of dollars keep flowing in.
The company's bank accounts keep growing.
His snow job is SO convincing that many
Don't even see how hard it's "snowing."

Since January 2017
The RNC has spent more
Than 700,000 dollars
At properties owned by Trump; therefore,

It doesn't matter how much he says
That he has cut major ties
With businesses. He really hasn't;
It's all just a pack of lies.

Since he took office, political groups
And agencies have in fact
Spent 15.1 million dollars
At TRUMP properties! Caught in the act!

No matter what you want to call it--
No matter how you want to construe it--
You can make money from politics;
There are numerous ways to do it.

It shows what can happen when
The spirit is weak but the flesh is willing.
The office of the presidency
Can help a businessman make a killing.

-by Bob B (5-5-18)

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)

United States intelligence chiefs
Announced the need for further protections
To keep intrusive Russian hackers
From interfering in future elections.

During our previous election, U.S.
Agents uncovered meddling tracks
Involving multi-faceted
Russian-inspired cyber-attacks.

There's been NO decrease in activity
All this time. What does that mean?
It means to expect more tampering
In mid-term elections in twenty eighteen.

Some people's ears are deaf to the threat.
Instead of acting, they choose to doubt it.
President Trump and his team so far
Have chosen to do nothing about it.

When it comes to Putin and Russia,
Trump refuses to make a fuss.
Fool us once, shame on Russia,
Fool us twice, shame on us!

-by Bob B (2-14-18)

Please don't ask me to pray for victims
Of shootings. IF you do I'll refuse.
You THINK you mean well, but praying is merely
A politician's sham, a ruse,

A strategy or way to skirt
The issue that's sadly become a disgrace:
The problem of gun violence here--
Something that’s staring us in the face.

Don't ignore the matter and then
When there's a shooting ask me to pray,
While you accept money from gun
Lobbyists and the NRA.

Do not mouth obsequious chants,
Pretending your interest is on the level,
And then act shocked and horrified
After you've made your pact with the devil.

Do not quote the Constitution,
Insisting you know the writers' intentions,
When it's clear that our failed system
Is badly in need of interventions.

Don't make it easy for people to get
Assault-style weapons and bump stock devices,
Supporting the gun industry at
The cost of human sacrifices.

Action--not prayers--is what we need.
Commonsense solutions. Again:
Action. But if praying's your thing,
Ask to become AWARE. Amen!

-by Bob B (2-18-18)

In Austria, where I was raised,
A girl like me was highly praised
For entertaining folks at court with song.
But ever since I've been in France,
I barely get a second glance.
Is what I’ve done so really all that wrong?

The rumors fly; they say of me
That I spend far too lavishly
And I should go back home where I belong.
If you were tied to Louis, you
Would know why I do what I do.
Is what I’ve done so really all that wrong?

And so if I say "Fiddlesticks!"
To those who scorn my politics,
I add, "Just wait and let me sound the gong."
But people keep on splitting hairs,
Accusing me of cheap affairs.
Is what I’ve done so really all that wrong?

What is there to hide
Besides my wounded pride?
How COULD they be so mean
To send me TO the guillotine?

I hear that people didn’t take
It well when told to eat some cake
Instead of bread; that didn’t please the throng.
A few faux pas and folks see red
And smear your name and want your head!
Is what I’ve done so really all that wrong?

-by Bob B (9-17-22)

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)