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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (7-23-18)

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

A lion had his eye on three bulls
That grazed in a farmer's grassy field.
Being close together always
Provided them with a safety shield.

The lion longed to capture them
And eat them up with utmost joy,
But due to their strength in unity,
He desperately needed a ploy.

His plan: to whisper damaging gossip
Among the bulls to make them suspicious
Of one another. And we all know
That gossipers can be malicious.

The lion's strategy worked like a charm--
Just as he had anticipated.
Each of the bulls grew to dislike
The others, and thus they separated.

The field was large enough that each
Could graze alone in a different section.
Of course, since they were on their own,
They no longer had the same protection.

Then the lion moved in on the three,
Eating them one by one, which shows
That quarrels among friends provide
Opportunities for foes.

By the way, if the lion
Devoured all three, he HAD to be full.
Can a lion be that famished?
Or do you think it's a lot of bull?

-by Bob B (8-24-21)

°An Aesop fable, "The Lion and the Bulls," retold here in verse

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)

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

The Mueller Report is out--at least
We've seen the version that's been redacted.
Was anyone really surprised
At how the president reacted?

Trump's first reaction was
That he had been exonerated.
Not so fast, Mr. T!
There's no reason to feel elated.

First of all, obstruction of justice
Runs through the detailed report.
Trump and friends ignore those findings--
One more thing they choose to contort.

In our current culture of lying
Coming all the way down from the top,
One can find little hope
That all the lying's going to stop.

Trump's lackey, AG Barr,
Lied to the American people as well.
Of course, we've known all along
That he has a bill of goods to sell.

Now to add insult to injury,
Trump has come up with a solution:
Fighting congressional oversight
And tromping all over our Constitution.

Trump is defying subpoenas from Congress.
He's telling his people to do it, too--
Telling them to break the law.
So now what will Congress do?

Obstruction of justice appears to be
For Donald Trump a major M.O.
As he defies our basic values,
It's scary to see how far he'll go.

The cancer continues to spread in the White House.
It must be removed. Otherwise,
American democratic values
Will wither before our very eyes.

-by Bob B (4-25-19)

Nonsense from the folks on the Right
Continues to plague us every day.
It's as though we're all on a stage,
Caught in the midst of a nihilist play.

A Texas school administrator
Told her staff to interfuse
Books about the Holocaust
With books containing opposing views!

Here's what that means: if they have books
About the Holocaust on their racks,
Opposing books must be included,
Or Holocaust books must be given the ax.

When going in that direction, people
Are treading on dangerous territory,
For when we talk of the Holocaust,
There are NOT two sides to the story.

Other appalling news: Trump
Is coopting the GOP
By taking it hostage so he can secure
His role as a future nominee.

All Republicans who fail
To push his giant election lie
When they run in future races
Are going to have to say bye-bye.

If they don't obey his command,
He'll tell people not to vote.
That will hurt the Republicans,
And he will just sit back and gloat.

There's something we must understand:
The soul of our nation is in peril.
All it takes is a little poison
To ruin the water that fills a barrel.

-by Bob B (10-16-21)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (7-10-22)

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (4-17-22)

"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

Months have passed, and now we're in
The very merry month of May,
And much to Trump's consternation,
Stormy° hasn't gone away.

Trump's attorney Michael Cohen
Has also gotten himself in a bind.
Now he's under investigation.
Just imagine what they'll find!

Stormy's lawyer, Avenatti,
After digging was able to unearth
Some pertinent and interesting
Information, for what it's worth:

Millions of dollars have flowed in and out
Of Michael Cohen's LLC.
It seems that access to Donald Trump
Doesn't happen without a fee.

Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg
Deposited a substantial sum,
Along with a few corporations.
A lot of people ask, How come?

Suspicious explanations abound,
Though we are tiring of the charades.
Is Cohen really an all-around expert
At everything--a jack of all trades?

Members of Congress say follow the money.
One says that without a doubt
Shake any tree in the forest of Trump,
And what do you know? a Russian falls out.

More dots are being connected,
Which to Trump must be a ******.
We've had a Stormy winter and spring;
Will we have a Stormy summer?

-by Bob B (5-10-18)

°Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford)

One thing that's hard to escape from
Is social media trends.
People encounter them daily
And then share the posts with their friends.

The false information spreads quickly.
The internet boosts it along.
Many susceptible victims
Don't care if the info is wrong.

Quacks and unscrupulous people
Everywhere are to be found
Constantly looking for someone
With whom they can find common ground.

If you're in the market for snake oil
To grow some hair on your head,
You would be much better off
If you saved your money instead.

After the outbreak of COVID
From out of the woodwork we saw
Wackos appear with their cure-alls.
We could see flaw after flaw.

You can find charlatans selling
Cures for cancer and shirk
Any responsible notion,
For all those quick fixes don't work.

A new trend is spreading on TikTok:
Try drinking borax, they say.
Sprinkle a tad in your water;
Your joint pain will then go away!

Borax, a household cleaner,
Has other uses, you see.
Ingest it and you could have rashes
And seizures. No, that's not for me!

Dangerous health fads are out there.
Listen to experts who know
How to avoid falling victim
To someone who causes great woe.

Whatever you do, don't fall victim
To those who can cause you great woe.

-by Bob B (7-22-23)

It's not uncommon for some people
To misuse the words INFER and IMPLY.
I don't know if I can clearly
Explain the difference, but I will try.

When we want to IMPLY something,
We have a point that we want to convey;
However, we merely hint at it.
We're NOT direct in what we say.

You say, "Your pants are getting tighter."
There's SOMETHING there that you have IMPLIED:
The implication that I am gaining
Weight cannot be denied.

Of course, that's a case that is
Extremely sensitive despite
Whether you merely HINT that I
Am getting fat or say it OUTRIGHT.

I say, "I can INFER from what
You're saying that I am putting on pounds."
You say, "No, I meant that maybe
Your pants have shrunk, strange as it sounds."

(That's what we call an attempt at a save--
At times it will work, at times it won't.
Here's my advice in case you want
To IMPLY a sensitive matter: DON'T!

But there is a chance that you might intend
To be mean or rude in what you're implying.
Among politicians such
Tactics are intensifying.)

INFER means to draw a conclusion
Based on someone's hint or suggestion,
Whether it's put in the form of a statement
Or even more subtly posed as a question.

Therefore, you can INFER a meaning
From something that I have IMPLIED to you.
You might INFER that I like sharing
Grammar and usage. Yes, that's true.

-by Bob B (10-10-21)

Some folks are descendants
Of Hamilton or Grant.
They can proudly boast,
While there are some who can't.
Well, I have the honor--
You will plainly see
That "honor" here is used
Quite sarcastically--

Of being a descendant
Of one with dubious fame.
In case you wonder, John
Billington was his name.
Ten years after his
Arrival in the year
1620, he
Was executed here.

Hey, Johnny!
Whaddya say?
Why’d you have to
Die that way?
You had to push
The envelope
To end up hanging
From a rope.

The Mayflower was
His means of transportation.
Fleeing debt, he hoped
To rise above his station.
His wife and two young sons
Joined him on the trip.
One mischievous son
Almost blew up the ship.

His son was thinking, "Hey,
This is loads of fun!"
While he played around
With his father's gun.
Stupidly, he put
The whole ship in peril
When he fired a shot
Near a gunpowder barrel.

John Billington was
Always in a jam.
About propriety
He didn't give a ****.
I guess he thought he was
A wise and clever chap.
But he should have known
When to shut his trap.

Hey, Johnny!
Whaddya say?
Why’d you have to
Die that way?
You had to push
The envelope
To end up hanging
From a rope.

A quarrel with a neighbor,
John Newcomen, led
John Billington to
Completely lose his head.
Billington shot Newcomen,
Who shortly thereafter died.
Two juries called it
An act of homicide.

There was no escaping
Punishment this time.
Billington was forced
To pay for his crime.
Fortunately, even
Though this story's grim,
I can proudly say
I don't take after him!

Hey, Johnny!
Whaddya say?
Why’d you have to
Die that way?
You had to push
The envelope
To end up hanging
From a rope.
Hanging from a rope!

-by Bob B (6-29-29)

On Valentine’s Day three years ago
A high school shooting shook the nation.
Seventeen lives were taken in Parkland,
Florida, an indication

That something is wrong--terribly wrong--
In what has been called "the land of the free,"
Where easy access to weapons of war
Led to this brutal killing spree.

Each year after the deadly occurrence,
People meet to remember and pray,
While those directly affected by
The shooting suffer day after day.

Parents, siblings, relatives, and friends--
Before that nightmare--never expected
For loved ones to have to experience
The horror to which they'd been subjected.

And yet there are some people who call
The shootings in Parkland a "false flag."
Tell that to parents of kid after kid
Who left the school in a body bag!

That too many lives are lost in deadly
Shootings here is a bone-chilling fact.
We MUST do more than merely remember
The lives that were lost. We must act!

-by Bob B (2-17-21)

Thomas could be rude.
The guy was always stewed
And had a reputation in the town.

Not much of a thinker,
The wild, rambunctious drinker
Was met by local townsfolk with a frown.

He had a couple buddies--
Similar case studies--
Who would often sit with him and drink.

It seems they gave their all
To drinking alcohol.
Not a healthy life, do you think?

The three of them were single,
So often they would mingle
With ladies who would show up at the bar.

But surely you can guess
That their limited success
Resulted from their drunken repertoire.

Thomas then confided
In his buddies and decided
That self-improvement meant a different tack.

He cut down on his drinking
And applied some wishful thinking,
Hoping he could find he had the knack.

As you'd have it, fate
Stepped up to the plate
And brought into the bar a gal named Sue.

Thomas took a chance
And asked Sue for a dance--
Something that was hard for him to do.

With soda as his savior
And on his best behavior,
Surprisingly, he made a good impression.

Dancing through the night,
The couple was a sight,
With Tom avoiding any indiscretion.

It wasn't long before
The two walked out the door.
Into the night they slyly disappeared.

Four or five months later
The nightclub's nosy waiter
Said he'd noticed something very weird:

He said that while eavesdropping
At a store where they were shopping,
He heard them talk of love and other things.

While standing there and staring,
He noticed they were wearing
Shiny, flashy, silver wedding rings.

The two had gotten married.
No, they hadn't tarried.
Now they could enjoy connubial bliss.

But when they both returned
To the nightclub we all learned
From watching them that something was amiss.

What had occurred to Thomas?
He hadn't kept his promise:
That he would change his wild, rambunctious ways.

It was very clear:
Sue had had it up to here.
She could tell this wasn't just a phase.

It went from bad to worse
As though there'd been a curse
Upon their marriage. Wasn't it a shame?

One day Sue departed.
Tom was broken hearted,
But he would not accept an ounce of blame.

Sometimes people don't--
Or maybe they just won't--
See the errors of their ways and change.

Eventually, of course,
Sue filed for divorce,
Which wasn't unexpected or so strange.

Thomas cried real tears
And guzzled down his beers,
And after he had reached beer number ten,

He'd mention Sue, but we
Knew WHAT was meant to be,
And none of us ran into Sue again.

So what then is the lesson?
I won't keep you guessin'.
You can live a good life if you choose.

However, if the sauce
Takes over as your boss,
Then use your head and say good-bye to *****!

-by Bob B (7-23-23)

I ran into Tom Turkey this morning
As he was leaving a bar.
"Starting early?" I asked as I
Stopped and got out of my car.

"Yes," he said, "I'm drowning my sorrows--
More than just a tad.
Many have lost their loved ones lately.
That's why I'm so sad.

"After the recent mass shootings,
How are people able
To sit down and be thankful this year
At their Thanksgiving table?

"Some are going to mourn as they
Sit next to empty chairs
And ask one another plaintively
If anybody cares."

"I know what you mean," I said, "for I
Wonder the very same thing.
Deaths by shootings in this country
Seem to be in full swing."

"I guess," Tom mused, "that people will be
Thankful for what they've got.
Moreover, they will probably be
Thankful that they weren't shot."

"Maybe, " I said, "people could be
Thankful that we have the means
To stop all these atrocities
And end these horrible scenes.

"But that won't happen unless we act.
Certainly that is key.
People who care about this country
Probably will agree.

"And then you've got Putin's war
Devastating Ukraine!"
"Don't get me started on THAT!" he cried,
"You're piling pain upon pain!"

"Gotta go now," he said, as he walked
Away with a wobbly gait,
And added, "I'm thankful that I did NOT
End up on a Thanksgiving plate."

-by Bob B (11-24-22)

ANOTHER INDICTMENT…

Eleven Oath Keepers were
Indicted for the part they played
On January 6 during
The insurrection escapade.

Seen as seditious conspirators,
The coup plotters appeared to be
Eager to use brute force to change
Election results that day in D.C.

During the violent chaos, Trump
Was said to be glued to his TV screen
While call after call came in from people
Asking him to intervene.

Trump's inaction makes him look
Like a co-conspirator who
Condoned the Capitol attack
As a way to carry out his coup.

NICE TRY…

Another conspiracy theory is now
Being spread by our friends on the Right,
Which shows how they love to alter
History through the use of sleight.

They say a man with the last name Epps
Incited the mobs on the sixth. The man
Was a federal agent, they say,
And the brutal attack was an FBI plan.

Nice try, people. Your lies fall flat.
Ray Epps is a Trump supporter--
Not a federal provocateur--
And that makes him an election thwarter.

MASS FORGERY…

Republicans in a number of states
Tried to pull off an election scam.
They forged some docs in efforts to show
That they were the REAL electors. Wham!

They got caught. Let's hope that they
Pay for their crime. But isn't it odd
That they scream, "Fraudulent elections!"
While they're committing election fraud?

-by Bob B (1-14-22)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (7-13-22)

Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis
Are leading the lemmings into the fire.
The two governors are throwing more
Wood onto the funeral pyre.

Each is hoping that voters will give him
Praise for his cringeworthy COVID response,
Which was never very aggressive
And always displayed more nonchalance.

Partners in carnage, they hope to score
Political points while people get sick.
And people are dying. Can't these two
Numbskulls do their arithmetic?

COVID numbers are rising again.
The delta variant is spreading fast.
And yet the two behave as though
COVID is a thing of the past.

Banning mandates for masks in schools
When numbers of cases are rising? What?
Their irresponsible, heartless, and thoughtless
Behavior is a punch in the gut.

It's all about choice, DeSantis says,
Which shows his reasoning's not so keen.
Kids don't have a choice in the matter,
For kids under twelve can't get the vaccine!

The two Republican ideologues
Do not want government "intrusion."
They are entrenched in hypocrisy
And have abandoned truth for illusion.

Patients are filling the hospitals
In both of their states--an indication
That they have a serious health crisis.
What a frightening situation!

Younger people are losing their lives
In greater numbers than before.
It makes no sense to abandon reason
And common sense as numbers soar.

DeSantis and Abbott have blood on their hands.
But, obviously, they don't care.
I'm glad they’re not my governor.
Floridians and Texans beware.

-by Bob B (8-11-21)

All was still on the temple grounds.
The sun softened the morning haze
While birds playfully pranced about,
Enjoying the warmth from the sun's gentle rays.

Morning meditation ended.
The master excused the monks to do
Their duties. A novice stayed behind
To ask for a private interview.

"I understand," he said, "that it's
Time for us to do our chores,
But I have an urgent problem.
Can we speak behind closed doors?"

They entered the dokusan chamber where
Regular interviews took place.
The novice closed the door to the chamber.
There they sat, face to face.

The novice said, "I don't know
What to do. I'm bored to death
With daily meditation sessions.
I'm SO tired of watching my breath!"

The master nodded his head and replied,
"Bored, you say. Hmmm. I see."
He stood up, walked to the door,
Turned and said, "Come with me."

He led the monk to the river's edge.
There he grabbed him by the head
And held it under the rushing water
Until the young monk’s face turned red.

The novice squirmed and flailed his arms,
"I am going to drown!" he thought.
When the master freed him, the monk
Gasped for air, feeling distraught.

Admitting that his strategies
Were such that some would disallow,
The master said to the monk, “Tell me:
Are you bored with your breath right now?"

-by Bob B (4-1-19)

°An old Zen anecdote retold here in verse

As of now, six of Trump's
Associates are paying for crimes
That they committed during these
Unprecedented times.

The crimes concern tax evasion,
Telling lies to the FBI,
Bank fraud, witness tampering
(Anything to protect their guy!),

Campaign finance violations,
Conspiracy against the U.S.,
Obstruction of Congress, lying to Congress…
All a part of the president's mess.

Let's see: Papadopoulos,
Manafort, Cohen, Gates, and Flynn,
And now Roger Stone--all
Tried to save the president's skin.

Do they ever ask themselves
How much they have benefited
From having worked for Donald Trump?
What misdeeds has HE committed?

Will Giuliani be the next?
How many more have hopped on board?
Will more break the law to protect
Their mob boss, their crime lord?

There's an important message here
When we see such crimes as these:
Lie down with flea-ridden dogs,
And surely you'll wake up with fleas.

-by Bob B (11-16-19)

Frankie, the devil-cat, was always
The infamous focus of blame.
Folks said Lucifer would have been
A more appropriate name.

Always in trouble he was! You couldn't
Find a more wicked cat.
If you can name one more evil than Frankie,
I will eat my hat.

Sometimes he would want your attention.
Bah! Attention indeed.
If you pet him, he'd bite your arm
And scratch it and make it bleed.

You couldn't walk across the floor
Barefoot, for if you tried,
Frankie would attack your foot
And bite it until you cried.

He had a strange design on his forehead
Which frightened the local priest.
"Beware!" the priest told Frankie's owners.
"The cat has the mark of the beast."

You might wake up from a peaceful sleep
In the darkness of the night.
Two yellow eyes would be staring at you,
And make you jump up in fright.

"****, **** cat!" you'd yell at Frankie,
And he would yowl and hiss.
When you got up in the morning, you'd sense
That something was amiss.

Your favorite knick-knack would be lying
In pieces on the floor,
And Frankie would stay hidden until
You were no longer sore.

When he was hungry, you wouldn't have
A single moment of peace
Until you filled his bowl with food.
THEN the racket would cease.

When Frankie's owners would leave the house,
It was as though he would boast
That now he could use their luxury couch
As his favorite scratching post.

They never caught him in the act.
A scary thing happened when
A guest who said Frankie should be declawed
Was never heard from again.

Frankie would sit by the window and wait
For other cats to come near,
Then he would scream so loudly that he
Would fill them all with fear.

One day out of meanness Frankie
Started to chew on a wire.
Zap! He was electrocuted.
What a way to expire!

The owners say he's in kitty heaven,
But people who knew him well
Roll their eyes and under their breath
Say, "More like kitty hell."

"Frankie, aka Lucifer:
The meanest cat around!"
Should be Frankie's epitaph
Now that he's underground.

-by Bob B (3-2-24)

In twenty nineteen, what we saw
Was a truly historic event:
The House of Representatives
Impeached the country's president.

That was only the third time
In two hundred forty-three years.
But he will likely remain in office--
At least that's how it now appears.

Moscow Mitch has already said
That he won't be an impartial judge.
Impeachments, he says, are political.
From his opinion I doubt he'll budge.

A trial in McConnell's Senate would be
A "wham, bam, thank you, ma'am."
In other words, a Senate impeachment
Trial would be a total sham.

Concerned voters across the country
Have to make an important decision:
Will 2020 unite the country,
Or will there be even greater division?

After months of campaign madness,
We'll have a chance to see what ensues.
Maybe a change in the presidency?
Wouldn't that be wonderful news?

-by Bob B (1-1-20)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (7-7-22)

Oftentimes I wonder how life
Would be if a single event from the past
Had been different or hadn't occurred.
My whole life would have been recast.

All that's happened--right or wrong,
Wanted or not, good or bad,
Planned and expected or coincidental,
High or low, happy or sad--

Would be different. But would life be
Better or worse? If either, how so?
I can speculate all I want,
But that is something I'll never know.

Whether I take the road less traveled
Or whether I follow the beaten path,
Decisions I make are sometimes fruitful;
When not, I deal with the aftermath.

If certain causes and conditions,
Whether they were big or small,
Had been even slightly different,
I might not be here at all.

All it takes is a butterfly
In the Amazons to flap its wings,
And that--some people say--will have
An effect on countless other things.

Go to the beach and walk away
With just one grain of sand. No more.
Although it's imperceptible,
The shore now is a different shore.

Everything is interconnected
In ways too subtle to understand--
From giant, spinning galaxies
To the tiniest grain of sand.

-by Bob B (12-12-21)

The call came in on a frigid morning—
An SOS from Santa’s elves.
“Help!” they cried. “We can’t find Santa,”
And they were all beside themselves.

“We’ve searched in every nook and cranny--
In every toy shop all around--
But we can’t find a trace of him.
He is nowhere to be found.”

Joining the search, I scoured the cities,
And hunted for him in snow and rain.
Then I heard there were reindeer tracks
In a bombed-out village in eastern Ukraine.

I entered a hospital hit by bombs,
Where innocent people were injured and dying.
Santa sat on the floor in a corner,
Holding a child in his arms and crying.

“I have had it with human beings,"
He said, wiping away his tears.
"I have tried to bring happiness
To people on Earth for hundreds of years.

"But look what's happening all around us.
I try to spread good will and peace,
But vile and vicious humans will not
Let war-caused pain and suffering cease.

"And please don't feed me the line about
Pain and suffering making us stronger.
To see children suffer like this…
Well, I can't take it any longer."

"I understand how you feel," I said.
"I am just as discouraged as you.
The thirst for power is so destructive!
I'm at a loss as to what to do.

"Finding more ways to nurture compassion
In human beings is what we need.
That is one of the only ways
To conquer ignorance, anger, and greed.

"All you can do is to keep on attempting
To open folks' eyes, to give them hope
That kindness will win eventually.
That is the only way we can cope."

Taking the child from Santa's arms,
A doctor said, "She'll live. Don’t worry.
But I can see that your reindeer are getting
Antsy, so you had better hurry."

Santa kissed the child on the forehead
And walked to his sleigh on that wintry night.
He turned to me and held up his hand,
And crossing his fingers, he drove out of sight.

-by Bob B (12-20-22)

A wealthy merchant lived in a house,
No, in a mansion on many acres.
He had scores of servants to help him,
Along with drivers, butlers, and bakers.

The mansion itself wasn't the safest
Place in which to live, for it
Had dangers lurking about, and many
Would say that to live in, it was unfit.

The building had only ONE entrance,
Which meant that people could be in a scrape
In case an emergency arose
And all the occupants had to escape.

One day indeed a fire broke out.
The wealthy merchant was petrified.
Although his staff all left the building,
His children continued to play inside.

"Children, run out quickly!" he yelled.
"You'll die if you don't listen to me."
Ignoring him, his children kept playing,
What would it take for them to flee?

Then the father had an idea,
Even though it wasn't true.
"Children, leave the house right now.
I have some carts that are waiting for you.

"Some are pulled by goats, while some
Are pulled by deer or oxen," he said.
"Stop playing inside. Come out
And play with these gorgeous carts instead."

The children, excited, pushed their way
Out of the house, escaping the fire.
Outside, the promised carts were not
To be seen. So, was the father a liar?

In the meantime, the father was having
The most incredible carts created
Ever seen by anyone.
The eager kids stood by and waited.

Beautiful beyond belief,
The carts were covered with gems and flowers.
Pure white oxen pulled them around.
The kids delighted in them for hours.

If the father hadn't thought fast,
The fate of his children could have been grim.
The gift he gave them exceeded his promise.
Their safety was what was important to him.

Our great house is burning, too.
If benefits of leaving seem small,
By heeding the words of the experts, we'll find
A greater gift awaiting us all.

-by Bob B (8-16-23)

°From THE LOTUS SUTRA

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)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (8-2-18)

Being nasty can rile your critics,
Stir up your fans, and incite your base.
That nastiness can leave an ugly
Mark that's difficult to erase.

Being narcissistic might make
Your fans think you have inner strength,
Though others can see how catty and petty
You are when rambling on at length.

Saying you're a nationalist
Might make you think you sound patriotic,
Although you embolden neo-Nazis
And others who find your words hypnotic.

Dehumanizing people
Is cruel and has a disastrous effect.
It shows your carelessness, your lack
Of sympathy, and lack of respect.

Calling asylum seekers "invaders,"
Enemies who are infesting our land,
Spreads a political fiction--a hoax--
That dangerously gets out of hand.

Perverse culprits devour your words.
Unstable extremists can hear
A message no matter how you meant it,
Thinking you've put a bug in their ear.

Then the killers--equipped to the max
With all the deadly weapons they need--
Go on a violent shooting spree:
Death and injury guaranteed.

Rhetoric has consequences.
Words really matter a lot.
Violence breeds violence
When hatred is so carefully taught.

-by Bob B (10-30-18)

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)

(Do you know the 1958 Sheb Wooley song "The Purple People Eater"? Here is a poem/song version for 2024.)

Well, this strange phenomenon came walking our way
With a deep orange glow. Boy what a day!
'Twas the weirdest creature you ever could see.
It looked like an orangish freedom hater to me.

It was a big ol', foul-mouthed, lyin' orangish freedom hater.
(Big ol', foul-mouthed, lyin' orangish freedom hater.)
A big ol', foul-mouthed, lyin' orangish freedom hater.
NOT so fun to see! (Loud mouth?)

So he came to this land to spread all of his hate
And he told people here that he would make them great.
He also said he's the chosen one!
His first time here was a mere dry run!

It was a big ol', foul-mouthed, lyin' orangish freedom hater.
(Big ol', foul-mouthed, lyin' orangish freedom hater.)
A big ol', foul-mouthed, lyin' orangish freedom hater.
'Twas so weird to see! (Big old?)

We asked the orangish freedom hater, "What's your plan?"
Then HE said, "Doing what it takes to be a moneyman.
But what's more important is to meet my goal:
To kick out non-loyalists and be in control."

Well, boogeyman, Putin fan, lyin' orangish freedom hater,
Addled-brained, unrestrained, lyin' orangish freedom hater.
(He wears golf pants) lyin' orangish freedom hater.
Looks so strange to me!

He said he HAD many friends who could help him succeed,
And he asked us why we had a problem with greed.
He said that greed's a virtue and it must be clear--
That the government shouldn't stop a profiteer!

Well, boogeyman, Putin fan, lyin' orangish freedom hater,
Addled-brained, unrestrained, lyin' orangish freedom hater.
(He loves golf pants) lyin' orangish freedom hater.
Strange? You must agree! (Freedom hater?)

There's a problem with him, and, yes, it's sad to say:
It looked as though he would be here to stay.
"Move to Russia," we said--"a perfect country for you.
Let the Russian dictator make all your dreams come true."

-by Bob B (9-7-24)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67tKNEsJjTI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (3-24-22)

Trump keeps talking and talking and talking,
Hoping his statements will serve as a tool--
A self-fulfilling prophecy--
To tamper with the jury pool.

He's also trying to stir up his base.
He thinks he'll get away with whatever
He says to discredit our courts, our system.
Let's hope he's being more foolish than clever.

His campaign trail is going to be crazy
With detours to visit court after court.
One would think he would be more careful,
But keeping quiet is not his forte.

Trump can bully, berate, and disparage
Others, yet when he is criticized,
He plays the poor, innocent victim
Who doesn't deserve to be so despised.

The judge has got to put a stop
To all his nonsense. What will it take?
A sock? A muzzle? Some time in jail?
How to subdue a venomous snake….

He will NOT stop talking, he says.
You'd think he'd be on a slippery *****.
Will it all come back to bite him?
Let's cross our fingers and hang on to hope.

-by Bob B (8-9-23)

A curious monk asked the Buddha some questions:
"Is the world finite or not?
What happens to people after we die?
Your answers to these will help me a lot."

The wise and compassionate Buddha, who
Always kept on the straight and narrow,
Smiled at the monk and replied, "Suppose
A man is hit by a poisoned arrow.

"He tells the surgeon, 'Before you remove
The arrow, I REALLY have to know
Who the person is who shot it
And if he is a beginner or pro.

'How old is he? Is he a noble
Warrior or merely a simple man?
From what family does he come?
Is he dark, light, or tan?

'Did he use a longbow, or did
He use a crossbow? One more thing:
I want to know what kind of material
The person used to make the string.

'Ah, the feathers! I don't think
By asking this I am being absurd,
But since arrows have feathers, tell me
Where they came from. From WHAT kind of bird?'

"Before anyone could answer these questions,
The man who had been hit would be dead.
He should have said to the surgeon, 'Please,
Remove the poisoned arrow!' instead.

"You see, resorting to useless questions
And metaphysical speculation
Will not end human suffering
Or help you experience realization.

"Life is short; don't waste time.
What is essential should be your focus.
You'll be more at peace if you
Eschew irrelevant hocus pocus."

-by Bob B (7-9-23)

Did God create human beings,
Or was it the other way around?
The question resembles a Zen koan--
Such as the one-handed clapping sound.

To some, merely asking the question
Is a virtual powder keg.
It's like the question: What came first--
Was it the chicken, or was it the egg?

Some things are beyond knowing:
We can only speculate
As to how and why we got here.
It's still fun to contemplate.

The writers of all religious scriptures
Have a bias they choose to share.
They hope that their ideas will make
Curious, hungry believers aware.

The story behind human existence
To some is a matter of great pith.
Others have a difficult time
Accepting a simple creation myth.

Some folks are not satisfied
And want to gaze beyond the façade--
Beyond the human formulations
That try to define the concept of God.

People adhere to what makes sense
To them, and some of them will chide me,
For I prefer to allow science,
Reason, and common sense to guide me.

Being able to think and question
Are benefits of humankind.
So who created whom? The query
Will always challenge the questioning mind.

-by Bob B (3-20-23)

This is a violent universe.
Galaxies are colliding.
A ******* hole could gobble us up.
From some things there's no hiding.

A meteor could crash into Earth.
It wouldn't just make a din;
The impact and the after-effects
Could surely do us in.

A huge volcano could erupt.
What would be in store?
Much of life could become extinct.
It's happened on Earth before.

Ultimately, a red giant
Will be the fate of our sun,
And we will all be vaporized.
That doesn't sound like fun.

If the universe collapses
Upon itself, well, then
Maybe another big bang would
Happen all over again.

Or if it keeps expanding, we
Would take a different route.
Eventually, everything
Would just fizzle out.

Are there multiple universes?
Are we not alone?
Are they as violent as ours?
So much is unknown.

In the meantime, I'll enjoy
The sun's gorgeous display,
And watch it rise and set and hope
To see another day.

-by Bob B (7-3-23)

A snake was terrorizing a village.
When villagers walked to and fro,
The snake would lie in wait in hopes
Of biting someone and causing great woe.

One day the village sage approached
The snake to give it a talking-to.
"No more biting people!" he said.
"Don't you have better things to do?

"Biting people is wrong, and the practice
Must be halted immediately."
The snake agreed to stop and slithered
Off to the shade of a banyan tree.

Now when people strolled by, it lay
In the shade without even lifting its head.
Villagers who had feared the snake
Now were feeling bold instead.

In fact, the kids in the village would even
Approach the snake and hit it with sticks.
They also gathered heavy objects
To throw, such as rocks and bricks.

One day the sage walked by
And saw that the snake was barely alive.
"I did what you said," it said to the sage.
"But now how will I ever survive?"

The old man dressed the poor snake's wounds,
Sad to see the creature like this.
"I told you not to bite," he said,
"But I DIDN'T tell you NOT to hiss."

-by Bob B (2-17-22)

°An old tale retold here in verse

THE GOP'S BEEN TAKEN HOSTAGE
As Donald Trump continues to spin
Stories about the presidential
Election that he didn't win.

Republicans have shamelessly caved.
A large percent of them embrace
Trump's Big Lie about the election,
Mainly because they fear his base.

THE CLOWN SHOW IN ARIZONA ENDS.
It was in the guise of an audit
That proved to be essentially
Nothing but a wasteful fraudit.

Costing millions of dollars and taking
Five months for ballot inspections,
It only helped to undermine
People's trust in future elections.

REPLACEMENT THEORY PROLIFERATES,
While the right keeps spreading tales
Of thousands of immigrants coming here
To vote in order to tip the scales.

The fearmongers are not subtle.
In fact, their rants are quite overt.
Spreading lies and paranoia,
They proudly sling their racist dirt.

DEMOCRACY IS UNDER ATTACK
As more info comes to light
Of how Trump tried to overturn
Election results with all his might.

When people in power blur the truth,
Deceive the public, and then retell
History, they're on the path
To shoot democracy to hell.

-by Bob B (9-25-21)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (5-4-22)

When we delve into our past,
Stories of odd eccentrics abound.
Of course, you'll find them even today
If you dare to look around.

Have you heard of the Collyer brothers--
Two brothers of strange repute?
Homer and Langley were their names.
Their oddness one cannot refute.

Born in the late 1800s,
The two were only three years apart.
Although they were peculiar,
Both of them were rather smart.

Langley studied engineering
And chemistry; Homer, law.
When the family moved to Harlem,
They lived in a brownstone with ma and pa.

After their parents separated,
The two brothers chose to reside
With their mom and even continued
To stay there after their mother died.

The brothers had a strange compulsion
To collect stuff and even more stuff.
And when that happens, for many people,
There is never, ever enough.

They lived in "nests" that they had made
In debris that was piled as high as the ceiling.
Most of us couldn't comprehend
How the two could find that appealing.

Langley built ***** traps in case
Inquisitive neighbors tried to break in.
People on the outside knew
That something strange was occurring within.

The brothers refused to pay their bills,
So naturally, it came to pass,
That they would have to make do without
Electric power, water, and gas.

The two had 25,000 books,
Mountains of papers and magazines,
Fourteen pianos, two organs--
Surely the most bizarre of scenes--

Baby carriages, bicycles,
Human organs pickled in jars,
Thousands of bottles, cats, banjos,
Chandeliers, and parts of cars.

Homer was found dead in an alcove.
He died of starvation and heart disease.
His matted gray hair hung down to his shoulders
And his head was resting on his knees.

Later, the body of Langley was found,
After a two-and-a-half-week lapse.
Apparently, he had been killed
By one of his own ***** traps.

Over 120 tons
Of junk was removed from the brothers' dwelling.°
Incomprehensible!
And you can bet that it wasn't sweet smelling.

So hoarders beware. Listen to
The wake-up call before it's too late,
Lest you follow the path of the Collyer
Brothers and suffer a similar fate.

-by Bob B (10-24-21)

°Some sources say 140 tons.

Bryan Thompson, from Mississippi,
Didn't want to be vaccinated
Until he knew much more about
The COVID vaccine. Thus, he waited.

Caution is understandable,
And many people do not envision
Coming down with COVID. But Bryan
Soon regretted his decision.

He ended up in the hospital
With COVID, and soon he realized
That even though he had been careful,
He probably shouldn't have been surprised.

After some time, he was released.
Back at home he began to complain
About discomfort in one of his legs--
In fact, excruciating pain.

Back to the hospital he went.
There the doctors determined that he
Would have to lose his leg. It was
Amputated below the knee.

Bryan is lucky he's still alive.
He now feels that it was wrong
To hold off getting his vaccination.
He should have known better all along.

Please do not feel Schadenfreude
Or say, "Bryan, it serves you right."
No, be happy he's still alive
To help other people see the light.

-by Bob B (7-30-21)

Easterners had to stay up late
To watch the Democratic debate
In Vegas, but we out here in the West
Tuned in early to watch the slugfest.

'Twas bound to happen, but oh, my God:
What a circular firing squad!
Right from the start, the hell raising
Debaters entered with all guns blazing.

Warren attacked Bloomberg with force
For purchasing the election, of course.
Then she attacked the others as well,
Going for the throat and giving them hell.

Amy and Pete, the Midwestern neighbors
Went toe to toe and brandished their sabers.
Biden was stronger this time, but again
He sounded like one of the twelve angry men.

Bernie, well, Bernie is always the same.
He tosses his daggers and shrugs off the blame.
He holds on tight to the aspiration
Of later securing the nomination.

Though Bloomberg indeed has bundles of money,
His boring demeanor is far from sunny.
As a debater, he didn't seem ready
And came off sounding weak and unsteady.

The moderators' questions were not
So wonderful and needed more thought.
The six debaters were fine on the whole,
Although at times they were out of control.

To separate the wheat from the chaff
Is crucial, and sometimes it's good to laugh.
Though some have expressed the apprehension
That we'll end up with a brokered convention,

Whatever happens, we will survive,
And may our final candidate thrive!
What's most important is that we can dump
The current president--Donald J. Trump.

-by Bob B (2-20-20)

The House impeachment hearings show
How the president's cult divides
America, with legislators
Approaching a problem from different sides.

One side calls on oversight
Of presidential abuse of power
And also obstruction, both of which
Are STILL occurring at this hour.

The other side chooses to
Ignore the gravity of the abuse
And tries instead to distract the public
With arguments, lame and obtuse.

They have decided that they'll defend
Their guileful leader at any cost,
No matter how much damage he's done--
No matter how many lines he's crossed.

What a shame, America!
History shows us what can result
When people either choose or are forced
To be a part of a leader's cult.

-by Bob B (12-13-19)

Unfortunately, Republican
Extremists in Congress have won.
The recent clown show isn't over;
In fact, it's barely begun.

Mike Johnson was voted in
As Speaker! Please, no cheers.
He's the least experienced Speaker
In over one hundred years.

Johnson, we know, was instrumental
In building a strong connection
With those who tried to change the results
Of the 2020 election.

To help explain societal ills,
Here's his contribution:
Mass shootings are the result
Of teaching evolution!

***! If you think things
Are bad right now, just wait.
To him there should be no separation
Between church and state.

Embracing right-wing culture wars,
Johnson's ready to fight
To push his crazy, extremist agenda
Instead of doing what's right.

MAGA extremists have taken the country
Hostage. It's sad but true.
Come on, House Republicans!
Is that the best you can do?

-by Bob B (10-26-23)