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)

Opposition leader in Russia
Alexei Navalny sadly has died.
Putin is surely rejoicing because
Navalny had been a thorn in his side.

In a remote prison that lies
Above the Arctic Circle was where
Navalny spent his final days
To get him out of Putin's hair.

Having survived attempts on his life,
He kept blasting the Putin regime,
Saying leaders were crooks and thieves.
Corruption was his central theme.

Eventually, ******* up charges
Sent him to prison, thus preventing
His attempt to run against Putin,
Whose cruel tactics are unrelenting.

Who'll now lead the opposition,
Knowing that efforts will be curtailed?
High-profile critics of Putin
End up dead, exiled, or jailed.

Navalny wasn't afraid to speak up;
He wasn't afraid to bell the cat.
He hoped to liberate Russia from
The rule of a crooked autocrat.

-by Bob B (2-16-24)

DT:
It makes no sense to me at all.
It's really stupefying.
Why don't more Americans
Believe me when I'm lying?

I have had SO much practice.
It's SUCH a cinch to do.
After telling fibs, I start
Believing they are true.

My fans, of course, have no trouble.
They will not deceive me.
I could say the earth is flat,
And they all would believe me.

Republican opponents are scared
Because I'm in control.
I'm ahead of all of them
In poll after poll.

I have no fear of all of these
Indictments. They're baloney!
If prosecutors say that they
Have evidence, it's phony.

Me a co-conspirator?
Well, now that depends.
I prefer to say that it
Is friends helping friends.

That ****** misconduct crap--
That's another gripe.
I wouldn't touch those women, for
They're clearly not my type!

I lie and say that Democrats
Like an open border
And socialism. Thus, I cause
Chaos and disorder.

Oath Keepers, Qanon,
And Proud Boys are my fans.
I can count on them to help me
Carry out my plans.

Even if I am convicted,
That would be okay
Because I know my fans would still
Send their votes my way.

If I continue to muddy the waters,
I'll be sitting pretty,
For I'll turn people against the system.
Aw, what a pity!

I laugh when people talk about
Accountability,
For don't they know that all those rules
Do not apply to me?

I'll have to play the religion card
To bring in millions again.
Here's my plea: "O Praise the Lord
And send those checks! Amen!"

-by Bob B (8-4-23)

Have you come across a bullet ant?
I haven’t yet and hope I never do.
I know that just a single, brief encounter
Would be one that I certainly would rue.

Of all the stinging insects in the world,
This ant--it's said--inflicts the sharpest pain,
Which is so intense, the victims say,
That most attempts to soothe it are in vain.

They say the agony is similar
To that of being shot with someone's gun.
Now, I have NO idea how that feels,
But I will wager that it isn't fun.

Another thing: it takes a bit of time
For the piercing pain to go away.
It doesn’t disappear for many hours,
And even lasts for up to one whole day.

In Central and in South America,
These inch-long scary ants have lived and thrived.
And frankly, if I never ever meet one,
I have to say that I won't feel deprived.

Of course, we have our critters in the city:
The roach, the spider, fly, and bumblebee.
That's okay, but I am adamant
When I say jungle living's not for me.

-by Bob B (8-8-21)

Don't hoard all the toilet paper!
Leave some for the rest of us.
There's enough to go around,
So we have a right to make a fuss.

Don't go crazy buying masks.
Leave some for the medical staff
Who badly need protective gear.
Spread the word on their behalf.

Why keep hoarding bottled water?
Water from the tap is fine.
Get a water purifier
If yours is not a good as mine.

Disinfectant wipes? Come on!
Do you need them ALL for yourself?
Couldn't you just take your share
And leave a few for me on the shelf?

Paper towels? Purell? Also
Disappearing round the clock.
Do we have to ration items
To keep a few more things in stock?

Do not fill the ER, please,
Unless you have an emergency,
Because if I get seriously ill,
I want there to be a spot for me.

There are a few things you should hoard:
Try hoarding common sense,
Responsibility, and caution.
Knowledge is our best defense.

Corncobs? They are out of the question.
It would put my mind at ease
If everybody followed directions.
Do not hoard the TP, please!

-by Bob B (3-23-20)

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.

(This poem can be sung to the melody of the old folk song "Tom Dooley.")

(chorus)
What did you want, Ned Kelly?°
What gave you grounds for hope?
Well, Ned, it can't be fun when
You're hanging from a rope.

Bushranger°° Harry Power…
Was he a loyal mate?
They say he was your mentor
Who led you to your fate.

Victims of persecution--
That's what you said you were.
Victims of your gang's horse theft
Would not at all concur.

Bush larrikins°°° were suspect.
Rather than get a job
You chose a different path when
You joined the Greta Mob.

Some say you were a hero
Who thought he was doing good.
You said the poor need justice;
You were their Robin Hood.

Others call you an outlaw,
Killer, and evil guy.
You killed with no compunction,
So you deserved to die.

(chorus)
What did you want, Ned Kelly?°
What gave you grounds for hope?
Well, Ned, it can't be fun when
You're hanging from a rope.

Your gang shot three policemen
Camped at Stringybark Creek.
Who then would put a stop to
Your game of hide and seek?

You murdered Aaron Sherritt;°°°°
You thought he was a snitch.
Maybe you learned your lesson:
Karma could be a *****.

There at your final shootout
You lost your loyal friends.
Well, Ned, you learned that it was
Too late to make amends.

Right after you were sentenced,
Your judge made it his goal
To say he hoped that God would
Have mercy on your soul.

What he said didn't faze you.
You countered blow for blow.
You turned to him and said, "I'll
See you there where I go."

They led you to the gallows.
Different reporters said
What words you might have spoken
Before the rope fell, Ned.

(chorus)
What did you want, Ned Kelly?°
What gave you grounds for hope?
Well, Ned, it can't be fun when
You're hanging from a rope.

-by Bob B (5-16-24)

°Famous Australian outlaw (1854-1880)
°°Australians who took up "robbery under arms" and used the bush as their base
°°°Rowdies who defied social and political conventions
°°°°An associate of Ned Kelly's gang of outlaws

When I was a kid, I couldn't wait
For the arrival of Christmas Eve.
What was hiding in those boxes?
What were we kids going to receive?

A BB gun, a pogo stick,
And roller skates were fun to get.
Games were exciting, as were a nifty
Microscope and erector set.

Through the years, although receiving
Such presents surely gave me a lift,
A gift certificate to Pickwick
Bookshop was my favorite gift.

I don't mind admitting that I
Was probably a nerd--a geek.
Other kids and I were on
Different wavelengths, so to speak.

Dad would drive me to Hollywood,
Gladly, but still always remarking
How it was a nuisance to have to
Drive so far and pay for parking.

On entering the giant shop,
Dad told me to go explore
That fascinating, multi-level
World of words--books galore!

Explore I did. It didn't take me
Long to have my books in hand.
The feeling you get is one that only
A bibliophile would understand.

Pickwick Bookshop's no longer there.
But I am grateful that I had
Those end-of-the-year book adventures
And spending special moments with Dad.

-by Bob B (12-16-19)

Racism in politics:
Shouldn't it be a deal breaker?
But in some places it
Appears to be a deal maker.

A candidate who jokes about
Public hangings and embraces
Voter suppression candidly
Can win elections in certain places.

She can wear a confederate cap
And pose with a rifle. Would she brag
About her segregation academy
Photo with a confederate flag?

Racism is a monster with
Tentacles reaching far and wide.
Many grasped by its hateful clutches
Often deny it, but how they've lied!

I used to think that humans had
Progressed, and my naïveté
Made it hard to accept that it
Existed in the world today.

But, oh, it is alive and well--
Sometimes blatant, sometimes systemic.
It must be countered by understanding,
Empathy, and fierce polemic.

-by Bob B (11-28-18)

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)

"Algorithms": a funny word--
Unless, of course, you're a mathematician.
(Frankly, I have a hard enough time
With simple subtraction and addition.)

But Facebook uses algorithms
To help determine what we'll see
When we click on the app and enter
Our social media reality.

The algorithms decide whether,
How often, and when we'll see a post,
Based on our interactions online.
Facebook's quite a controlling host.

How does it know what you prefer?
It doesn't know unless you care
To make a comment or click on a button
Such as "Like" or "Love" or "Share."

If you're a silent spectator, you
Will not generate connections.
Who knows what you'll end up seeing.
Do not bother to raise objections.

Have you noticed that when you search
For something on the internet,
That all of a sudden that item appears
In a Facebook ad? Intrusive? You bet!

It would be nice if Facebook could
Stop the spread of misinformation.
It doesn't want to lose customers,
So that might require legislation.

It seems rather offensive to me
That we are being manipulated.
But nobody forced me to get an account;
In no way was I obligated.

I ask people who aren't on Facebook
If they feel they're missing out.
I shouldn't be surprised by their answer:
"NO…EFFING…WAY!" they shout.

-by Bob B (9-26-21)

Hey, come join us. Be a part
Of what our Party has come to be:
The re-imagined, highly unorthodox,
Radicalized GOP.

Proud Boys and other radical groups,
Step on up; display your charms.
You have found a home with us;
We welcome you with open arms.

White supremacists, don't worry:
The GOP won't shy away
From giving you a place where you
Can spew your hate and have your say.

QAnon folks, some of your
Conspiracy theories are right up our alley.
Of course, you'll be expected to
Show up at each Republican rally.

One of our leading goals is to make
It harder and harder for people to vote.
Overturning election results
Is something else that we promote.

If we say Dems are anti-American
And scream "Socialism!" enough,
We can pretend to be patriots
And dare the Left to call our bluff.

Facts are not important to us
As long as we can be in control.
Equality and justice both
Play for us a minor role.

We don’t care how wacky you are;
We just rely on your total support.
The key words that guide us now
Are "loyalty," "gaslight," "distract," and "distort."

Of course, we yell out "Unity!"
With fingers crossed behind our backs.
Power is where it's at, and we
Thrive on power to the max.

When it comes to rules, flout them--
Unless they serve your needs at the time.
The end will justify the means.
Not to believe that would be a crime.

The obstacles to achieving power
Are certainly NOT insurmountable.
We like accountability,
As long as you don't hold us accountable.

If probity is not an issue,
You are going to like what you see:
The re-imagined, highly unorthodox,
Radicalized GOP.

-by Bob B (2-6-21)

Watch the two traverse the country
Totally engrossed
In taking their ludicrous, idiotic
Show from coast to coast:

An alleged ***-offender AND
The wacko QAnon queen,
Representatives Matthew Gaetz
And Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Greene's inflammatory comments--
Obnoxious and inane--
Got her kicked off House committees.
She acts downright insane!

Gaetz remains on his committee
Which investigates
Situations such as the one
Involving himself--Gaetz!

They're stirring up the far-right base
While trying to make a splash,
Appealing to people's basest instincts
And raking in the cash;

Ranting about cancel culture
And communistic threats;
Raising fears about our border
With negative epithets;

Reinforcing Trump's Big Lie--
A plot that they endorse;
And criticizing Black Lives Matter,
Which they hate, of course.

If you wonder how long until
The two clowns will implode,
As long as they have an audience,
They'll take their show on the road:

An alleged ***-offender AND
The wacko QAnon queen,
Representatives Matthew Gaetz
And Marjorie Taylor Greene.

-by Bob B (7-21-21)

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)

The race continues--a race that's been
On the track for a number of years
To see who can be the most obnoxious
And earn the loudest misapplied cheers.

For the longest time we've seen
Donald Trump taking the lead,
But Ron DeSantis° and George Santos°°
Without a doubt are picking up speed.

Who can tell more lies than the others,
Pour more salt in the nation's sores,
Support the most exclusive laws,
Or perpetrate more culture wars?

Being on the right side
Of history should be a goal.
Each of the three men mentioned above
Sadly, though, has sold his soul.

Other runners aren't far behind.
They are almost as loathsome, as loud.
None of the racers realize
That winning this race should not make them proud.

For the moment, DeSantis and Santos
Are trailing Trump, but by and by,
Will one of the them pull ahead and win,
Or will it be a three-way tie?

-by Bob B (1-20-23)

°Governor of Florida
°°U.S. representative for New York's 3rd congressional district

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)

Interestingly, it seems that Kentucky
Enjoys incredible satisfaction
In boasting the Ark Encounter, which is
A strange and bizarre tourist attraction.

Noah’s Ark--an allegory--
Is presented as history.
That folks believe the pseudoscience
Involved is a total mystery.

Misleading information awaits
People who choose to visit the park.
For example, replicas
Of dinosaurs are on the ark!

The park's creator believes that Earth
Really isn't so very old--
Only around 6,000 years.
He tries to prove it, so I am told.

What he's doing is misleading folks--
Brainwashing kids, or so it appears.
Dinosaurs predated human
Beings by millions and millions of years!

The structure itself might be amazing--
A massive work of art. Who knows?
But being something described in a popular
Tale is about as far as it goes.

The story of Noah is interesting;
However, depicting it as fact
Is an inaccurate practice, which
By logic and reason cannot be backed.

-by Bob B (10-30-23)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (5-11-18)

(This poem can be sung to the tune of the 1922 song "Toot…Toot…Tootsie, Good-bye.")

Good-bye, Santos,° good-bye!
Wipe that tear from your eye.
The fraud you have committed
And other crimes from which you clearly benefited
Have caught up with you now.
That's why Congress said, "Ciao!"
Which means "so long."
I could be wrong,
But you won't find much favor if you sing your sad song.
Just you try to deny
What you did. So good-bye!

Good-bye, Santos, good-bye!
You think you're quite a guy!
How could your fans give you a nod
With all your lies and money laundering and fraud.
Are you really for real?
You have lost your appeal.
What will you do
Now that you're through?
Prosecutors probably are looking for you.
Will you eat humble pie?
Hope so, Santos. Good-bye!

-by Bob B (12-1-23)

°George Santos: former U.S. representative from New York's 3rd congressional district

America has no monopoly
On white nationalism and hate,
Which the recent shootings in
The mosques in New Zealand demonstrate.

Men, women, and children were slaughtered
While praying on a holy day
When a deranged hater decided
Their lives were his to take away.

It doesn't help when Trump comes off
Sounding like an Islamophobe.
To see evidence of that
Doesn't require a Mueller probe.

Calling for a Muslim ban
During his campaign, he sought
To gain support by stoking fears
And HE knows how to stir the ***.

His vitriol continues as he
Calls asylum seekers invaders
And stone-cold criminals, thereby
Inciting his abhorrent crusaders.

Use fear and what happens?
The consequences prove to be dire.
We see what kinds of maniacs
That vile and odious words inspire--

Maniacs filled with anger,
Malice, bitterness, and spite,
Who think it is a privilege
And special honor to be white.

We all have a duty: we must
Use our vote to shut off the spigots
Of extremism and hatefulness--
To stop electing hateful bigots.

The world grieves as innocent people
Lose their lives while at prayer.
Terrorists want us to think
That we aren't safe anywhere.

Offering sympathy is fine,
But frankly, inaction has its flaws.
Instead of requesting thoughts and prayers,
New Zealanders will change gun laws.

-by Bob B (3-16-19)

Mighty Jupiter, massive, majestic…
Three hundred times the size of planet Earth.
Shaper, molder of many of our planets.
First planet formed at our solar system’s birth.

Your gravitational pull is completely unmatched
By any other planet that revolves around the sun.
Despite over four billion years since your making,
Your strong influence and your work are yet undone.

How do you manage your many, many moons--
Seventy-nine plus on paths around your sphere?
Callisto, Io, Ganymede, Europa…
Do you have a name for our moon down here?

Where would we be if it hadn't been for you?
Would there have been the birth of humankind?
As you rampaged through our solar system,
Is this configuration what you had in mind?

Protecting us from objects farther out in space,
You could also send us a dangerous surprise:
By hurling an asteroid in the earth’s direction,
You have the potential to cause our demise.

You are certainly a mystery of science--
Baffling, inscrutable. Your power, raw.
We here on Earth respect your magnanimity.
We fear you somewhat, yet we look at you with awe.

-by Bob B (1-25-20)

D.T.:
Joseph Maguire.° Who the hell
Does he think he is?
As DNI, to share the truth,
He thinks the task is his.
To work for me--Donald Trump--
Anyone should see
That I expect--above all else--
Loyalty to me.

By now everybody should know
That things must go my way.
If they don't, you know there
Is going to be hell to pay.
When your biggest fans and supporters
Believe that you are royal,
Then anyone who disagrees
With you is being disloyal.

So what if various agencies
Find that there's a connection
Between the Russian government and
Our 2020 election.
When they give their intel briefings,
To them it should be clear
That such information is not
What I want to hear!

(Chorus)
A national security threat?
Sorry, Uncle Sam.
You can say we're under attack,
But I don't give a ****.
Our intelligence agencies
Think they're being precise.
But frankly I would much prefer
To follow Putin's advice.

The less that Congress knows the better
It is for all of us.
Election meddling is a topic
I choose not to discuss.
I will give the position to
My lackey, Richard Grenell.
He will do my bidding, and so
Sorry, Maguire: farewell.

I have friends in Congress who
Defend me to the hilt.
Nunes°° will do whatever I ask
And not feel any guilt.
We can weaponize the intel
Community and manage
That we make sure it's used for my
Political advantage.

(Chorus)
A national security threat?
Sorry, Uncle Sam.
You can say we're under attack,
But I don't give a ****.
Our intelligence agencies
Think they're being precise.
But frankly I would much prefer
To follow Putin's advice.

-by Bob B (2-21-20)

°Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
°°U.S. Representative for California's 22nd District

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)

Do people tell you that you have
An RBF by any chance,
And when you're in their company,
You find that many look askance?

Having such a face might not
In the long run be so bad.
People just aren't sure if you
Are happy, bored, upset, or mad.

In fact, with an RBF,
Your ****** skin needs much less care
Because with fewer smiles or frowns,
Your face shows fewer signs of wear.

Our happy, smiling, laughing, frowning,
Or scowling faces can, I guess,
Have an expressive look right now
But soon become a wrinkled mess.

You've surely heard of Bette Davis,
The actress of the stage and screen.
When it comes to RBFs,
People say she was the queen.

Some don't like the expression at all.
When they hear it, ooh, they lose it.
That's why I, of course, must say
That I would never, ever use it.

-by Bob B (9-8-22)

°Resting ***** face

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

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)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of George M. Cohen's song "Harrigan.")

Who is the one who will lead us to victory?
Kamala--that's she!
Who is consistent and not contradictory?
Kamala--that's she!
For she has the courage and fight in her
To insure that she'll be the one we prefer.
Who is the star who'll make Trump give his au revoir?
Kamala--that's she!
K - A - M - A - L - A: That's how you spell Kamala.
She's PROUD of what her record has to show us.
WE know that SHE will truly try to know us.
K - A - M - A - L - A: She is bound to be
One with grit who should sit at the desk in the Oval Office.
Kamala--that's she!

-by Bob B (8-22-24)

In case you don't know or remember the old song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmPBl-XbM-8&list=RDwmPBl-XbM-8&start_radio=1

Tired of hearing news about COVID?
You THOUGHT it was going away? Not true.
You might be tired of hearing about it,
But it's not tired of hearing about you.

The Delta variant is spreading here
At what we see is a frightening speed.
In other words, what we are seeing
Is a Delta-strain stampede.

Fifty-eight percent of current
Cases here are Delta related.
The seriousness of the spreading virus
Can in no way be overstated.

Meet Blake B. from the state of Georgia,
Only 24-years old.
He thought he would wait for his
Vaccination, when lo and behold

He came down with COVID and has
Spent three months in a hospital bed.
He needed a double-lung transplant,
And who knows what else lies ahead?

COVID's an opportunistic virus;
It doesn't respond to demands and orders.
It seeks out fertile territories
And pays no attention to labels and borders.

Recently, Missouri has been
In big trouble, for COVID is spreading.
The situation there is precisely
What most of the experts have been dreading.

Florida's also being hit hard.
And yet some wear T-shirts that read
"Don't Fauci my Florida!"--
A rather stupid saying indeed.

You could survive the virus; however,
Long-haul COVID is still a concern.
You may think you're ahead of the game,
But don't forget: the tables may turn.

Misinformation spreads as fast
As COVID does, which is depressing.
Social media seems to have
Become more of a curse than a blessing.

But masks and social distancing
Are both still effective means
To stay protected from the virus
Without or even WITH vaccines.

Knowing that COVID's preventable
Now that we have a vaccination
Should make everybody want
To put an end to the devastation.

-by Bob B (7-15-21)

Some Republicans recently
Have managed to drop to a brand-new low.
People are seriously wondering
How much lower they can go.

Following the Donald Trump playbook
On how to degrade our institutions,
And listening to conspiracy theories,
They have come up with some shameful solutions.

A Fox News maniac,
Sean Hannity, stirs the ***.
If he can find a way to discredit
The FBI, he'll give it a shot.

Claiming that politics infects
Mueller's investigative team,
Hannity and friends are trying
To stop Mueller. What a scheme!

If Republicans create
Doubts in people, then by and by,
People won't trust any findings
Shared by the FBI.

Trump and some of his supporters,
By disrespecting the rule of law,
Put our freedoms in jeopardy
With their alt-right blah, blah, blah.

Rules, conscience, fairness, honesty,
And decency all go astray,
For these things don't matter to them
When obstacles are in their way.

Lamenting as institutions erode,
We watch an ever-growing kleptocracy
Spread its vile control, which threatens
The integrity of our democracy.

-by Bob B (12-8-17)

(This poem could be sung to the melody of "A Lot of Livin' to Do" by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams.)

There are books that fill all my cases.
Some are old, some flashy and new.
All those books leave no empty spaces.
I've got a lot of reading to do.

There are lots of topics to choose from.
There is fiction; there's non-fiction, too.
Lots of books that I get my views from.
I've got a lot of reading to do.

All those books are reading adventures,
And they lift me up when I'm blue.
I like to call them reading thirst quenchers.
I've got a lot of reading to do.

There's so much to read,
So much to learn, so much to know.
Read a book and you will grow!

I love to read books over and over--
A practice that I'd never eschew.
My stack's as high as the White Cliffs of Dover.
I've got a lot of reading to do.

Yes, reading MUST be called my main passion.
Can't live without it. What about you?
May it never go out of fashion.
I've got a lot of reading,
Lots and lots of reading,
I've got a lot of reading to do.

-by Bob B (8-16-22)

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)

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)

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)

O you hypocrites!
You know who you are.
When it comes to honor,
How you've lowered the bar!

What? Have you no shame?
What’s happened to your pride?
You pretend your actions
Can be justified.

How you love to blame
Others for things you do!
You shun the use of facts
And cherish what’s untrue.

Often what you praise
Is reprehensible;
What you try to defend
Is indefensible.

Has your commitment to truth
Always been a lie?
Has your level of fraud
Always been this high?

Your songs of double-dealing
Echo through the halls.
You hide your smug expression
Behind congressional walls.

Is hypocrisy
What many people might call
One of your job requirements?
If so, you give your all.

After hearing your nonsense
Day after day,
How can people believe
A single word you say?

-by Bob B (11-7-19)

"There are more important things than living,"
Said Dan Patrick° back in 2020.
His words, of course, were feelingless and shocking,
But people who agree with him are plenty.

Although Patrick's words were focused on
COVID at the time, it is clear
That folks out there will use his argument
To justify the guns that they hold dear.

We can see that certain politicians
And their supporters clearly are the ones
Who've made the choice that life is less important
Than having their huge arsenal of guns.

An epidemic--one of violence--
Pervades this country. Watch the killings surge.
The Second Amendment, misinterpreted,
Contributes in a big way to the scourge.

Doubtless there are certain regulations
That would likely help protect us all,
But people who oppose our taking action
Fight such regulations with a squall.

Our thoughts or prayers will NOT revive the dead.
If people are afraid of making waves,
And if the situation stays the same,
We'll be putting flowers on more graves.

We MUST attempt to end the senseless shootings.
People must stand up and make demands.
Those who scoff at intervention have
The blood of many victims on their hands.

-by Bob B (7-6-23)

°Texas Lt. Governor

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)

Republicans have a boogeyman.
Actually, more than one.
They are extremely creative and won’t
Let themselves be outdone.

Take critical race theory—
One of their current bugaboos.
They say it’s going to bring about
Our downfall. Hear them on Fox News.

Expressing White racial grievance
And complaining about C.R.T.
Shift the focus away from systemic
Racism here in this “land of the free.”

Marxism and socialism—
Also right-wing boogeymen
That pose insidious threats to our freedom?
Yawn! No, not this again!

Of course, you have the deep state conspiracy—
Another one of their baseless fears—
Which, they like to point out, has been
Happening during the past five years.

Then there’s always Antifa! Right-wing
Pundits will not let you forget,
Although far-right domestic terrorists
Are the ones posing a REAL threat.

What about the Devil incarnate:
George Soros, whom they bash
Excessively on right-wing shows
Where they spread their balderdash?

Ah, and don't forget the Dems.
Trumplicans love to fulminate
Against the Democrats and call them
Dangerous enemies of the state.

They say these boogeymen are going to
Destroy us and NOT just tarnish our name.
Do they REALLY believe this nonsense?
Are they for real? Or is it a game?

-by Bob B (7-18-21)

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)

Cleo is quite the regal cat.
Whenever strangers meet her
They must pay close attention to
The manner in which they greet her.

A "Hi, kitty, kitty!" just won't do;
That she won't allow.
She prefers, "Your majesty!"
Followed by a bow.

"Such a princess!" people say
On seeing her noble mien.
"I beg your pardon," Cleo thinks.
"Princess? No, it's QUEEN!"

"Where's my scepter? Where's my crown?"
She asks as she marches away
To sit on her throne--a padded chair--
And keep her subjects at bay.

If forced to move from her comfy spot
She makes her displeasure known
With angry looks and a meow expressed
In a very undignified tone.

"There's no justice in this base world
If subjects can treat you so,"
Cleo thinks as she leaves the room
With her pride taking a blow.

She finds a safe, secluded room
That isn't filled with noise
And waits for her evening banquet when she
Can surely regain her poise.

Her subjects know that her taste is refined;
Her needs must be addressed.
Food that's fit for a queen must do--
In other words, the best.

If the quality suffers, Cleo
Will turn up her nose, refusing
To eat another bite and thinks,
"I DON’T find this amusing!"

When people address her as Cleo, she wonders,
"Why don't people see
That Cleopatra is really what
MY name ought to be?

"But, alas, I must remember
That humans are all substandard.
They think they control the world,
And WE'RE the ones who are slandered."

At nighttime Cleo will seek a place
Where she will be undisturbed.
Everyone knows to leave her alone,
Or she will be quite perturbed.

She dreams of sitting alone on a chaise
Pulled by a team of mice
And then of eating her favorite meal:
Anchovies on ice.

-by Bob B (3-6-24)

The valiant tailor claimed to be valiant,
But he was mainly a phony, a fake.
Killing seven flies with one blow
Does NOT a super hero make.

But, oh, he thought a lot of himself.
Let's just say he was full of hot air.
His ego grew to such an extent,
He wanted his fame to spread everywhere.

Street smart he was--clever and wily.
He quickly learned how to con the crowd.
Winning by playing deceptive games
Made him feel accomplished and proud.

Subduing giants was not a problem
Since he had numerous tricks up his sleeve,
Like pitting them against one another.
His motto should have been, "Deceive!"

Inciting discord was part of his plan.
To make his point he also would tap
Into confusion around him, hoping
That his opponents would land in his trap.

The people never witnessed first hand
The valiant tailor's heroic acts.
All they had to go on was his
Side of the story--his made-up facts.

Through guile he won the princess's hand
And half of a kingdom. Becoming a king,
He rose to the highest level of
Incompetence. That was his thing.

Although the Brothers Grimm recorded
The story many years ago,
Doesn't the tailor seem familiar?
He sounds like somebody else we know.

-by Bob B (5-4-20)

As I age I wonder
What else lies in store
For me before I have to
Reach that other shore.
Although life has moments
Blissful and sublime,
It seems as though we all
Live on borrowed time.

We live on borrowed time….
I find each day's a pleasure--
One that I should treasure--
And so I do.
We live on borrowed time….
We deal with life's surprises;
Life means compromises.
That's so true.

We live on borrowed time….
Let's NOT just count the hours;
Let's stop and smell the flowers
Along the path.
We live on borrowed time….
If we cannot feel,
Then we have to deal
With the aftermath.

The future lies ahead,
Full of uncertainty.
Say good-bye to dread.
Loving is the key.

We live on borrowed time….
When my health is good,
I'll do what I should
To make it last.
We live on borrowed time….
I must face my trials
With hopefulness and smiles
Until they've passed.

We live on borrowed time….
Despite my best endeavor,
Nothing lasts forever,
And that's okay.
We live on borrowed time….
In the meantime, I
Will definitely try
To make the best of every day.

-by Bob B ((10-19-19)

(The poem can be sung to the tune of the hymn "He Walks with Me," as sung by Merle Haggard.)

We hear when Trump speaks on the news;
We're amazed at what he is saying.
But no fans believe how he can deceive
Those on whom he is preying.

And he lies to us and he cries to us,
"I am the greatest on earth!"
He is such a disgrace! How can his base
Ignore his full lack of worth?

He talks about helping us all.
That's not true; he's only pretending.
He would rather prop up those at the top.
His tales are never-ending.

And he lies to us and he cries to us,
"I am the greatest on earth!"
He is such a disgrace! How can his base
Ignore his full lack of worth?

Feel sorry for people who don't
See beyond the man's shifty notions.
Wait until they've learned how they have been burned.
He just goes through the motions.

And he lies to us and he cries to us,
"I am the greatest on earth!"
He is such a disgrace! How can his base
Ignore his full lack of worth?

-by Bob B (5-8-19)

(Can be sung to the tune of "Stand by Your Man," by Tammy Wynette and Billy Sherrill)

Senator Lindsey Graham soliloquizes about the president:

It can be tough being a Trump fan
When the man's completely lost his mind.
All your visions
And his decisions
Clash, but he's the one with whom you bind.
But you'll support him
And defend him,
Even though his worth is hard to find.
And if you neglect
Your self-respect,
He'll be the one to get behind.

Stick with your prez.
Though he disgusts you clearly,
Pretend you love him dearly,
Or ratings drop. My goodness,
Stick with your prez.
Even though you might despise him,
You'll do whatever the man says.
Stick with your prez.

Stick with your prez.
Even though you might despise him,
You'll do whatever the man says.
Stick with your prez.

-by Bob B (9-29-19)

Oh, those hypocrites! How they love
To blast others for the things they've done!
They will fool a lot of their supporters,
But do they think that they'll fool everyone?

In June, Trump was bragging at a rally
Of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
And how that once he set the deal in motion,
That there was nothing that would halt his plan.

He also told his fans that once the U.S.
Plan to pull out all our troops had started,
That the Afghan government would fall
As soon as U.S. troops had all departed.

Special immigrant visas were to be
Issued to our allies over there
So they could flee the country to be safe
For having helped us. Such a deal seems fair.

But actions often counter people's words.
Later, reliable sources would reveal
That Stephen Miller with his racist blather
Did his best to undermine the deal.

He and Trump are now feigning outrage.
But what would people otherwise expect
When someone such as Miller--who's a White
Nationalist--and Trump intersect?

A congressman from Florida, Bill Posey,
NOW says that we should have done much more
To help people leave the Afghan nation,
Which is turning out to be a chore.

But wait! When Congress voted on a bill
To assist in making the visa process flow
And also to increase the number of visas,
Posey voted adamantly no!

And so they want to throw all the blame
At Joe Biden, who was left a mess
When back in January he took office
And had this giant problem to address.

The March of the Hypocrites continues.
Certainly, more will join their ranks.
They'll keep throwing rocks from their glass houses,
Deceiving others while expecting thanks.

-by Bob B (8-21-21)

For over a year it's been said
That our Commander in Chief
Wants to pull the U.S.
Out of NATO! Good grief!

His grasp of history is so
Absent that it's no wonder
Why he keeps committing
Blunder after blunder.

The greatest alliance for peace
The world has ever known--
One that's prevented Europe
From being a combat zone--

Has been a solid presence
Since after World War II.
Our pulling out
Would be a big to-do.

One thing we know:
Putin would be delighted.
Such a foolish action
Would be extremely shortsighted.

In fact, it would cause
A huge power shift
And for Vladimir Putin
Would be the greatest gift.

For reasons yet to be
Discovered, Donald Trump
Does Putin's bidding
And kisses Putin's ****.

We wonder what the president
Owes his Russian friend.
Will his actions come back
To bite him in the end?

Being a target for blackmail
Can't be very fun.
It puts us all in danger
When all is said and done.

If Trump keeps insisting
On pulling out of NATO,
Someone needs to throw
The proverbial tomato.

-by Bob B (1-16-19)

It’s fine to be religious,
But let’s be realistic.
When folks misuse religion,
It makes me go ballistic--

Especially when they assert
That God uses forms
Of punishment, such as
Earthquakes, floods, and storms

To make transgressors pay
For "evil" things they've done.
They must get under His sin.
(How's that for a pun?)

But in all seriousness,
Nature acts alone--
Without divine interference--
And has a "mind" of its own.

Nature doesn't distinguish
Between the sinful and pious.
Humans are the ones
Who have a definite bias,

Such as cherry pickers
Who like to concentrate
On finding quotes in scriptures
To justify their hate.

Moral judgments are NOT
One of Nature's features.
Frankly, that is more
The realm of certain preachers.

Many people believe
In God and sin, and yet
They don't tend to use
Religion as a threat.

Whatever your beliefs,
Put them to proper use.
Don't cave in to nonsense,
For that's religious abuse.

-by Bob B (1-16-23)

Now peddling replacement theory,
And even calling it by name,
Some on the Right are using the term
Overtly, without a hint of shame.

A multicultural America
Is clearly what the proponents fear.
But who or what is being replaced
To many people remains unclear.

I used to think the concept was
A bigoted, racist thing of the past.
But what we are seeing happening now
Shows how long such ideas can last.

After the rallies in Charlottesville,
When mobs of white-supremacists chanted
"Jews will not replace us!" we knew
That we shouldn't take our freedoms for granted.

So now the Right is telling us
That immigrants are "invading" our land,
Bringing disease and who knows what else;
Therefore, we must take a stand.

Furthermore, the Right insists
That bringing immigrants in is not
Beneficial to all, for it
Is nothing but a "liberal plot."

To bolster their non-inclusive ideas,
Some on the Right have traveled abroad
To gain support from strongmen leaders
To whom they give an approving nod.

Ideas that used to be on the fringe,
Now occur on a larger scale
And out in the open--in clear sight--
As the GOP drops its veil.

Hold up a mirror, America.
Do you like what you currently see?
Heaven help us if this is the kind
Of country we were meant to be.

-by Bob B (9-30-21)

Tell it to me plainly, simply,
Without incongruities.
I have NO more patience for
Vagueness and ambiguities.

Whatever you have to say, say it
Clearly, matter-of-factly.
"An unaffected, straightforward style?"
You ask. Yes, exactly.

Of course, flowery language has
A special time and place.
But please leave all pretensions behind
And just cut to the chase.

I want the message in such a way
That makes it easy to grasp.
But convoluted rigmarole
Makes me want to gasp!

If you wear your heart on your sleeve,
That is quite all right.
However, for puzzling plays on words
I have no appetite.

When I was much much younger, I found
A challenge to be amusing.
Nowadays, I have no time
For what’s unclear or confusing.

Complexity might be your thing.
If so, that is fine.
It might be your ultimate goal.
It’s definitely not mine.

Simplicity: that is key.
I don’t mess around
With splashy words or thoughts that make
My writing sound profound.

I want my ride to be comfy and smooth,
Without potholes and dips.
Bombastic words and overblown language
Make for bumpy trips.

Direct, precise, and to the point--
Without a lot of fluff.
That appeals to me right now.
With that, I’ve said enough.

-by Bob B (6-1-21)