COVID grifters are quite outspoken
In blasting vaccinations;
They pump voters full of rage
And then rake in donations.

The RNC° has also stooped
To lying about the shot
By telling prospective donors that it's
Part of a "liberal plot."

Why would members of the RNC
Want to be promoters
Of what could sicken, or even worse,
Possibly **** their voters?

The people at Fox News are thrilled:
Segments that they've produced
Regarding anti-COVID mandates
Give their ratings a boost!

People driven by money and ratings
In places where untruths lurk
Disseminate lies while at the same time
They know that vaccines work.

Social media platforms are also
Sites where we can find
The truth about vaccines being
Viciously maligned.

In short, unscrupulous folks all over
Choose to demonize
Efforts to stop the pandemic while they
Make money from their lies.

Before you share that Facebook post
That spreads misinformation,
Be sure the post you're sharing isn't
Complete fabrication.

-by Bob B (9-29-21)

°Republican National Committee

Having a limit of only so many
Characters when you're tweeting
Means that you must be concise,
Which can be self-defeating.

Why so short? Is it that
People don’t delight
In spending too much time reading
Words that others write?

Can you remember the days when TV
Programs could be seen
Without obnoxious tweets being
Flashed upon the screen?

Or when the news was real news
And not simply a lot
Of tweets from viewers watching the program
And saying what they thought?

Who cares what the viewers think?
Just give us the news--
Credible reports filled with
Facts and interviews.

Trump loves his tweets, we know.
Through tweets he vents his wrath,
Although he sometimes comes off sounding
Like a sociopath.

Regarding his attention span,
Would it be so wrong
To say that it is only one hundred
Forty characters long?

Welcome to Tweetworld--a place where
Specifics are obsolete.
And heaven forbid that anything written
Be longer than a tweet!

-by Bob B (10-25-17)

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)

"Easily digestible."
Think about what those words impart.
That is precisely how a certain
American painter describes his art.

I like that description, though critics will call
His style "unsophisticated."
However, keep in mind that often
Sophistication is overrated.

It's just a way to refer to what
Artists might call a creative style.
Simplicity and directness do not
Make his paintings juvenile.

The painter's description can also apply
To poetry and music and dance.
Sometimes we can overlook
Subtle nuances at first glance.

At times, poems can be perplexing
Vague, ambiguous, and obscure.
That's quite all right, and for many readers
Such poems have a special allure.

Chefs have their styles, too,
The range of which you'll notice is wide.
Sometimes they're in complete agreement,
And sometimes the food artists' tastes will collide.

And even though poetry’s not
Literally comestible,
I prefer poems that are
Easily digestible.

-by Bob B (2-11-22)

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 remember when I was a youth
How consoling it was to know
That I had little to worry about.
Ah, but that was long ago.

If, perchance, the roof had a leak,
Dad would be up there in a flash
To find the problem, and once he did,
Off to the hardware store he would dash.

Electrical trouble? He had it down.
Plumbing issues? No problem at all.
He examined the situations,
Addressing the problems large and small.

If my mom wanted a door
Moved from one wall to another,
My dad got out the sledgehammer.
Anything to please my mother.

Carpentry was not his thing.
That is where he came up short.
Intellectual creativity
Was his passion, his love, his forte.

My mom was super organized
And ready for any circumstance.
She handled the bills, managed the home,
And planned our meals weeks in advance.

Multi-talented she was!
She cooked and baked, knocked down fences,
Gardened, and kept us kids in line.
Discipline meant consequences.

She even managed to work for a store
As a bookkeeper. We always knew
That everything was under control,
Though we were far from well-to-do.

We kids all had our weekly chores,
Which we begrudgingly did, of course.
However, the way my folks made us feel
Safe and secure was a tour de force.

Life is very different now.
There's no way that I can repair
Leaky roofs, wiring, or plumbing.
I couldn't even on a dare.

I know how to call an electrician,
Plumber, roofer--anyone
To handle concerns at which I'm inept.
I want repairs correctly done.

But every so often I catch myself
Being at peace in my childhood room,
Thinking that all was well with the world
And having no thoughts of doom or gloom.

Young and naïve, all I knew
Was my little world, safe and secure.
Threats to that tranquility
Were imperceptible, obscure.

Little did I know at the time
That life for others wasn't so sweet,
That some lacked food and shelter and had
Difficulty making ends meet,

That some were caught in the middle of clashing
Armies, that innocent people were dying,
That people struggled for rights and freedom,
That life for some was horrifying.

Naïveté and complacency--
As comfortable as they might seem--
Can insulate us from world problems
As though we're living in a dream,

One from which we must awaken.
And when we do, we have to decide
Whether we'll work to better the world
Or stay in our comfy cocoon and hide.

-by Bob B (5-19-24)

Oh, how wonderful it is
To have an adult in the White House again!
What a relief to have a leader
Who hires competent women and men--

Who doesn't give the lunatic fringe
Attention it so badly desires--
Whose comments on events are not
White supremacist pacifiers--

Who's honest with the public and
Isn't Putin's groveling flunky--
Who's an adherent of science and facts
And NOT a conspiracy theory ******!

How great it is to have a leader
Who doesn't thrive on corrupt connections--
Who doesn't stir up mobs to commit
Anti-government insurrections--

Who doesn’t debase the Constitution--
Who tries with all his heart to bring
Compassion into the White House and doesn't
Rule the country as though he were king!

How cool to have a president
Who is going to be on the level
And who will have supporters who won't
Have to sell their souls to the Devil!

The task that lies before us now
Is NOT going to be an easy one.
The past four years have left us with
So much damage to be undone.

-by Bob B (1-27-21)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Little Brown Jug," the old folk song written by Joseph Eastburn Winner.)

We've dealt with COVID for two years
And the news we hear confirms our fears:
Viruses will stick around
If people give them any ground.

(Chorus)
No, no, no, Omicron,
We CANNOT wait till you are gone.
Please don't say that we'll see
Variants range from A to Z.

If vaccinations were embraced
By all, the bug could be erased.
But when our strategy's half-assed,
The virus spreads, and it spreads fast.

The experts say we should beware,
But some folks say that they don't care.
Do more than keep your fingers crossed;
Avoid the germ at any cost.

(Chorus)
No, no, no, Omicron,
We CANNOT wait till you are gone.
Please don't say that we'll see
Variants range from A to Z.

We know that face masks help us, too.
The doctors say that's tried and true.
If you wear yours and I wear mine,
Then both of us will toe the line.

They say that Omicron's less bleak
Than Delta, but when will it peak?
Until it's safe, we would be wise
To watch how much we socialize.

(Chorus)
No, no, no, Omicron,
We CANNOT wait till you are gone.
There's no need for you to stay.
Omicron, please go away!

-by Bob B (1-15-22)

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)

D.J.T. to world autocrats:

"If you can rule with an iron fist
And get your critics to cease and desist
By forceful means--get the gist?--
Then you're my man.

"If you have got the strength and power
To make the wondering masses cower,
And if you'll let me build my tower,
Then you're my man.

"If you know how to control elections
And put down those who raise objections
Because you've got the right connections,
Then you're my man.

"If you get people to misconstrue
Deceitful things you say or do
'Cause you've got people who'll lie for you,
Then you're my man.

"If you know how to ride roughshod
Over the rules to get the nod
For finance and insurance fraud,
Then you're my man.

"If you know how to blast and blame
To make divide and conquer your game,
And deception is your claim to fame,
Then you're my man.

"If you can win through populism,
Get away with nepotism,
And stoke the fires of nativism,
Then you're my man.

"If you know how to cleverly make
Your trusting fans give you a break,
Despite the fact that you're a fake,
Then you're my man.

"If you know how to work it right
And let yourself be full of fight
So you can gain more power and might,
Then you're my man."

-by Bob B (3-3-19)

For almost three years the State Department
Has been trying to pin a crime
On Hilary Clinton regarding her emails.
Imagine all the effort and time!

What have they found? Zilch. Nada.
A nothing burger on a big scale.
Zero. Naught. Nothing. Zip.
The email scandal: a fairy tale.

A new report has come out showing
That the whole bizarre fixation
On emails was baseless. There was NO
Mishandling of classified information.

But how the scandal dominated
The news! The media took the bait.
During the Trump election campaign,
The attacks carried a lot of weight.

Hilary and the email scandal…
Back then it was front-page news.
Trump would mention the topic at rallies,
And oh, the angry shouts and boos!

But news outlets now don't seem
So eager to share the recent conclusions.
By keeping people in the dark
They only perpetuate illusions.

Trump is now attempting again
To dupe us all with major distractions,
Projecting corruption on his opponents.
But many see through his words and actions.

Let's go after the REAL corruption,
The REAL scandals, the REAL misdeeds
Within the Trump administration.
Expose the deceit! Follow the leads!

-by Bob B (10-22-19)

Russian elections. Oh, boy!
It's THAT time again.
If you said it's time for Putin
To go, I'd say, "Amen!"

But with the help of Apple and Google,
Putin has made it clear
That anyone who wants him to win
Has nothing at all to fear.

He still stifles dissent by either
Putting you in jail
Or finding another way to stop you
That he hopes won't fail.

He doesn't have a very high
Approval rating, but still,
If there's a way to rig an election,
Of course, find it he will.

It would be so nice to be able
To wish the Russians well.
But is there a chance that Putin could lose?
Ha! No chance in hell.

-by Bob B (9-18-21)

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)

A virus is now infecting the nation.
It means that only the strong will survive.
This insidious virus is called
Project 2025.

Its carriers go by the names of Trump,
Musk, Vought, Bondi and all
Oblivious Americans
Who can’t see the writing that’s on the wall.

Trump lied through his rotten teeth
During his election campaign.
He said he knew NOTHING about the plan.
Lying, of course, is his domain.

Once in office, he began
To show an eagerness to embrace
The Project through his appointed team
Who now are putting the plan into place.

The virus is quickly spreading through Congress
As Trump's sycophants watch and swoon,
Afraid NOT to become infected
And showing that they were not immune.

The virus has horrible repercussions;
The consequences will be immense.
Most of what the infected are doing
Is damaging, hurtful, and makes no sense.

Christian nationalists are involved
Pushing their sick agenda as well.
Beware of their putrid policies.
Surely, you have noticed the smell.

Wisdom, knowledge, truth, and compassion
Are the primary antidotes.
Ah, one more: that everybody
In future elections gets out and votes!

-by Bob B (2-27-25)

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)

There's a pandemic that still is not
Under control, and what's more,
A suffering economy
And weather extremes cause problems to soar.

And all across the country we have
Republicans supporting a guy
Who incited an insurrection
By pushing what we call the Big Lie.

Millions of people here are in
Desperate financial straits,
Trying to keep their dwellings and cars
And struggling to get some food on their plates.

And yet we have Republicans
In Congress who would rather waste time
Impudently obstructing bills
To help the people. What a crime!

With so much domestic terrorism
Flourishing and voter suppression
On top of everything else, these
"Leaders" have a strange obsession:

They have decided that it is much
More important to worry instead
About some books by Dr. Seuss
And the fate of Mr. Potato Head!

Listen to them scream about
"Cancel culture" as though it's true--
As though an evil plot exists
To ultimately cancel you.

With such legislators making
Decisions, we're in a real mess.
How strange that foolishness turns out being
The true measure of their success!

-by Bob B (3-5-21)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (7-20-22)

°The totalitarian society of THE HANDMAID'S TALE

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)

The time had arrived; the sleigh was packed
With toys, toys, toys galore.
The first of many trips for Santa.
(He knew he'd have to go back for more.)

"Time to go," said Santa to all
The reindeer that were hitched to the sleigh.
"We have a lot of work to do,
So we had best be on our way."

Santa met with resistance, however;
Red-nosed Rudolph refused to budge.
Santa thought to himself, "Humph!
I guess they'll need a little nudge."

Suddenly, Mrs. Claus appeared
With Santa's COVID mask in hand.
Santa mumbled quietly,
"Here comes my reprimand."

"You forgot your mask, my dear,"
Said Mrs. Claus. "Wear it now.
I know you think it is inconvenient,
But carelessness I won't allow."

"Dear," said Santa, "it's just one night.
The mask muffles my '**, **, **.'"
"I don't care if it's ONE minute;
Put it on before you go,"

Said Mrs. Claus, growing impatient.
"You wear your mask not just for you;
You also protect others. It's
A wise and considerate thing to do.

"And, Rudolph, make sure he leaves it on.
For if he removes it, there will be
Some trouble here when he comes home,
For he will have to reckon with me."

So Santa kissed his wife good-bye,
Put on his mask, and off he went,
Knowing that in life there were
Precautions one shouldn't circumvent.

-by Bob B (12-16-20)

A group of people heard there was
A city with treasure beyond compare.
They met a wise, compassionate leader
Who said, "I will guide you there."

The road was a long path that led
Through wild and treacherous terrain.
After many exhausting hours,
The weary group began to complain:

"We are tired and still very far
From our destination, and so
We’d like to turn around and go home.
Our previous plans we'll gladly forgo."

The leader thought, "How sad it is
That they'll so quickly abandon the treasure!
Surely, they will regret their wish,
And that will cause them great displeasure."

And so he magically created
A stunning city. All were impressed.
The city was full of cozy places
Where all the travelers could rest.

Parks with beautiful, soothing fountains
Were in abundance, and rows of trees
Crisscrossed the lovely flower-filled gardens,
And blossoms sailed by in the gentle breeze.

The leader observed that the group was growing
Complacent, and after they'd rested a spell,
He made the city disappear--
The safe and lovely gardens as well.

"This city was only a place where you
Could rest before you reached your goal,"
He said. "I hope that now you can
Continue your journey with heart and soul.

"By sticking together, we will reach
The city of treasures. You won't regret it.
Weariness will stop you from
Succeeding only if you let it."

Provisional experiences
Can guide us and give us inspiration,
But seeking and finding deeper truths
Can ultimately be our salvation.

Never give up on the lifelong journey
To knowledge and wisdom, for sooner or later
The light of simple pleasures will be
Outshone by a treasure that's even greater.

-by Bob B (9-11-23)

°Based on the parable in Chapter 7 of the LOTUS SUTRA

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Back in the Saddle Again" by Gene Autry and Ray Whitley.)

So Trump's been indicted again.
Let's give a shout out: Amen!
Well, he thought he was immune,
And it happened none too soon.
Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

He'll now look for someone to blame.
To him it is all just a game.
A classified doc to him
Should be dealt with on a whim.
Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

Oh, the rule of law
Sticks in Donald's craw.
Yes, Trump's been indicted again.
If he's guilty, he
Should not go free.
Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

Oh, when will the guy ever learn?
Do bad, and bad will return.
He'll try to fire up his base,
But it WON'T help out his case.
Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

And who's going to stand by his side?
His lying will not save his hide.
His arguments are hollow.
More trials will surely follow.
Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

Oh, the rule of law
Sticks in Donald's craw.
Yes, Trump's been indicted again.
If he's guilty, he
Should not go free.
Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

-by Bob B (6-10-23)

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)

It happened here in America:
If over our history books one pores,
He or she will find that ****
Sympathizers were on our shores.

Back in the 1930s and 40s,
While Naziism was on the rise
In Europe, there were Americans
Who eagerly bought into ******'s lies.

Henry Ford was one who had
Ideas we would call extreme.
He often spoke of the "Jewish threat"
And sympathized with the **** regime.

Charles Lindbergh also expressed
Racist beliefs. He was a critic
Of entering into a war against ******
And held views that were anti-Semitic.

Charles Coughlin,° a Catholic priest,
Spoke out loudly against the Jews.
Using radio waves, he reached
Millions with his pro-fascist views.

Philip Johnson°° was linked to Coughlin.
Fascist ideas were right up his alley.
He wrote anti-Semitic pieces
And went to many a **** rally.

Even Walt Disney attended some
Pro-**** meetings before the war
And gave a tour of his studio to
A **** director. Hmmm. What for?

The **** propaganda machine
Spread its misinformation here,
And law enforcement agencies
Were reluctant to interfere.

One goal was to keep the U.S.
Out of the war, for ****** knew
That if America entered the war,
He'd likely lose World War II.

The other goal: to cause the people
To bathe in their anger, so to speak,
To turn the people against one another
In order to make the country look weak.

Now that we have the Internet,
Propaganda can spread even faster.
And when it comes to creating chaos,
We know that Vladimir Putin's a master.

What should we do? Become informed,
Keep our eyes open, and stay alert.
Letting propaganda destroy us
Is a disaster we MUST avert.

-by Bob B (6-8-24)

°He was known as "the radio priest" and was a mass media demagogue.
°°An architect and active supporter of ******'s Third ***** and even as of 1964 said ****** was "better than Roosevelt."

Autocrats clearly despise
Congressional oversight,
For autocrats love control.
They always must pretend they're right.

Autocrats despise the truth.
If asked about it, they hem and haw.
They want to avoid our scrutiny,
Thinking they're above the law.

Autocrats have no problem
Obstructing justice. How they glower
At anyone who tries to prevent
Them from gaining total power!

Autocrats couldn't care less
Whether the people raise objections
As to how they rose to the top.
Forget the legitimacy of elections!

Autocrats stifle voices.
Freedom of speech? What is that?
Controlling what the people hear
Is the goal of the autocrat.

Autocrats have their fans
Who are quick to scoff and demean
Those who aren't brainwashed by
The huge propaganda machine.

Autocrats trample on rights.
Freedoms are on the chopping block
While the autocrats distract
The people with sanctimonious talk.

Autocrats can garner votes,
Despite their having no sense of shame.
If people elect autocrats,
They have only themselves to blame.

-by Bob B (6-5-19)

Trump's cases are piling up.
In Florida, it's classified docs.
Jumping from ONE excuse to another,
He acts as though he's Goldilocks!

Falsifying business records:
Another accusation he faces.
But no matter what he does,
He always stays in supporters' good graces.

There's also the case in Georgia, where
It's interference in an election.
Then there's a possible D.C. case:
Involvement in an insurrection.

(Chorus)
Poor Trumpy!
Hear him moan.
All he has to count on is his telephone.
Always in a pickle but the fault's his own.
Poor Trumpy!

A case of ****** abuse
Is one that he has already lost.
It's incredible when you consider
All the lines that man has crossed.

Trump denies all charges, of course,
And yells, "Witch hunt!" and "Weaponization!"
But making him accountable,
Though bad for him, is good for the nation.

(Chorus)
Poor Trumpy!
Hear him moan.
All he has to count on is his telephone.
Always in a pickle but the fault's his own.
Poor Trumpy!

-by Bob B (7-19-23)

My memories give me a great deal of comfort,
And every single one of them mends
My heart, which suffers from the loss
Of family, relatives, and friends.

Ah, those glorious days we spent
Together as we journeyed through life,
Sharing love, laughter, and cheer,
And sometimes struggles through storm and strife.

Lifetimes have varied--some were cut short
Long before we'd ever expected.
They are considered short stories
Among life's stories that we've collected.

Others have been more fortunate.
Their lives are Russian novels, I'd say.
They lived through multiple generations--
Their skin grew wrinkled; their hair turned gray.

Some folks plan to reunite
With loved ones for all eternity.
Others are more inclined to believe
The idea: whatever will be, will be.

Of course, we'd rather have the departed
With us, and in a way they are.
The light of their being shines on us
As does the light of a distant star.

Therefore, take comfort in memories--
A gentle balm that after a while
Will ease your anguish, lessen your pain,
Dry your tears, and make you smile.

-by Bob B (1-4-23)

How sad when the president is an ***--
An ignorant, shameless buffoon;
A hypocritical, disrespectful,
Egomaniacal loon;

A nasty, dangerous, vengeful bully--
Corrupt, deceptive, and rude;
An anti-democratic tyrant--
Spoiled, obnoxious, and crude;

A faithless, abhorrent misogynist--
Malignantly narcissistic;
A mean, malevolent, cruel coward--
Racist and chauvinistic;

A hateful, dishonest, selfish fraudster--
An empty, soulless shell;
A xeno-, ****-, trans-…and ah!...
Islamophobe as well;

A nepotistic, hardhearted,
Ignominious brute;
A hostile, divisive, destructive loser
Of questionable repute;

A reckless, alarming imperialist;
A churlish, cult-leading fool;
An arrogant, irresponsible felon
Who is unfit to rule;

A smug, incompetent, bad-tempered ****;
The world's strongmen's pawn;
A lawless, deplorable, outrageous clown.
The list goes on and on!

-by Bob B (2-6-25)

When reading this poem, I hope you can see
When we should use "Not I" or "Not me."
The context determines what should be said.
I hope I don't have you scratching your head.

If somebody asks, "Who's a good dancer?"
Please do not let "Not me" be your answer.
If you are NOT, then you should reply,
"I'm not," or simply respond with "Not I."

However, if somebody asks, "Last week,
Who(m) did Marisol kiss on the cheek?"
IF "She didn't kiss me" is how
You'd answer, "Not me" is sufficient right now.

"Who wants this book?" "Not I" you'd say
If you do not want the book today.
"Who(m) did Mario call a ****?"
He DIDN'T dis YOU? "Not me" then would work.

Didn't you learn "Not I" as I did
When being read to as a young kid?
"Who'll help?" asks the little red hen with a cluck.
"Not I," say the dog, the cat, and the duck.

As you can see, it all depends
On what one means--on what one intends.
Whichever expression you use will suffice,
But one's always clearer and much more precise.

-by Bob B (6-20-23)

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 hush money trial continues in court
While Trump's in the midst of electioneering.
Based on what witnesses there are saying,
This is a tidbit of what we've been hearing:

Allen Weisselberg° went to McConney°°
And said to send money to Michael Cohen,
Who had borrowed money to pay
Stormy Daniels. The money's now flowin'.

Stormy Daniels, of course, is the **** star
With whom Trump had an intimate fling.
The fling itself is not illegal;
However, the hush money is, ka-ching!

Trump signed the checks that went to his "Fixer,"
For Cohen expected to be reimbursed.
Deep in the pool of complicity,
Trump and Cohen both were immersed.

Nine of the checks that Trump had signed
Came from his personal bank account.
The money that Cohen received in return
From Trump was even a larger amount.

Criminal conspiracy!
Hush money paid before an election
To wrongly influence election results!
In THIS case it has a salacious connection.

To mix a couple figures of speech,
There is a saying in Latin that goes
"***** erectus non habet conscientiam."°°°
Yep, that hits it right on the nose!

For his involvement, Cohen was found
Guilty and served his sentence. Let's see
If Trump will find a way to finagle
A not-guilty verdict and get off scot-free.

-by Bob B (5-8-24)

°Trump's former financial chief
°°Jeffrey McConney, former Trump Organization employee
°°°"An ***** ***** has no conscience."

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)

A woodman went to the forest one day
To beg a favor of some of the trees.
He needed wood for an ax handle
And asked, "Would you help me, please?"

The noblest trees agreed to help him,
Thinking it was a modest request.
The very fact that the woodman had asked them
Was reassuring. They were impressed.

And so the trees offered the woodman
A young sapling of the finest wood,
Out of which he started to fashion
The most exquisite handle he could.

As soon as he finished making his ax,
He threw himself into his work,
Chopping down trees. The poor trees wondered,
"Why did we even help this ****?"

He even cut down some of the noblest.
The trees watched him with disbelief.
They had offered a gift to him,
And he turned out to be worse than a thief!

"It's our fault," the noble trees said.
"Unfortunately, we are to blame.
If we hadn't given the sapling to him,
We wouldn't have to die in shame."

When we reflect on the morals of fables,
We find an extra way to enjoy them.
The moral? Fools are they who give
Their enemies the means to destroy them.

-by Bob B (8-16-21)

°An Aesop fable, "The Trees and the Ax," retold here in verse

(This D.T. monologue could be sung to the melody of Billy Joel's "Honesty.")

I'm not seeking truth or love;
They won't help me climb.
I just want what lets me get ahead.
Wealth and recognition are
What matter at this time,
For I will not need either when I'm dead.

Loyalty is what I really need;
It will always make my day.
Loyalty will help me to succeed
To make sure folks do what I say.

I want folks to say to me
The things I want to hear.
Everything's transactional to me.
It's known that power and control
Are two things I revere.
I will not do anything for free.

Loyalty is what I really need;
It will always make my day.
Loyalty will help me to succeed
To make sure folks do what I say.

(bridge)
People have betrayed me;
Some have turned their backs.
They stupidly believe that I'll be numb to their attacks.
But, **** it, I'll go after them
And stop them in their tracks!
You'll see, you'll see, you'll see….

People who will work for me
Know what I expect.
I expect allegiance through and through.
But if they prove untrustworthy,
We'll have a huge disconnect.
They MUST be members of my MAGA coup!

Loyalty is what I really need;
It will always make my day.
Loyalty will help me to succeed
To make sure folks do what I say.

-by Bob B (5-8-24)

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (3-11-22)

A boy was taking a bath in a river--
An occurrence that was nothing new,
For he was a simple lad who lived
In the country and wasn't well-to-do.

He slipped on a rock and lost his balance
And splashed about with his arms outspread.
Not a swimmer, he didn’t like being
In water that was over his head.

Fearing that he was going to drown,
He called out for help from a passerby,
Who happened to be walking near
The river when he heard the boy's cry.

Instead of helping the drowning boy,
The passerby gave him a scolding.
The boy, struggling to stay alive,
Could not believe what was unfolding.

The passerby said, “It’s careless of you
To go out where the water’s so deep.
When common sense was distributed,
You were probably fast asleep.”

The desperate boy responded by saying,
"Sir, I've listened to what you've told me.
But I would be so grateful if you
Would save me first, then afterwards scold me."

We're not sure what happened next.
Let's hope that the passerby was able
To save the boy so there would be
A happy ending to Aesop's fable.

If we can learn the following lesson
From Aesop's tale, it would be nice:
In crises, giving assistance is more
Important than merely giving advice.

-by Bob B (8-28-21)

°An Aesop fable retold here in verse

Sometimes you see her admiring herself
In the mirror that's hanging next to the shelf.
And when she does it, oh, how she shines!
Is that, dear cat, how you practice your lines?
She seems not to care if we pay attention,
But maybe right here I ought to make mention
That being an actress, she's disinclined
To always reveal what's going on in her mind.
And she'll never, never tell you her age--
Aphrodite, the cat of the stage.

She says, "You know…I'm not one to cuss,
But when I am hungry, I WILL make a fuss."
Yes, she can certainly put on a scene
And act as though she's an importunate queen.
She says, "My dears, if I'm weak or mild,
I'll never drive the audience wild."
That critical scene is repeated each night--
A regular tour de force all right.
Yes, it's best to try to assuage
Aphrodite, the cat of the stage.

Her eyes were surely her greatest feature;
She THUS scoured the town for a drama teacher,
"Who," she says dolefully, "told me one night he
Could make me a star. ME: Aphrodite!"
But as it turned out, ol' Mr. Mittens
Made her instead a mom of eight kittens.
"But," she says, "THAT'S between you and me.
You know how I like my privacy."
It's good to always be on the same page
With Aphrodite, the cat of the stage.

One thing you learn is for her it's the norm
To act a bit slighted when asked to perform.
She must be totally in the mood
Or else she behaves in a manner subdued.
And heaven help you if you are neglectful
Of if her audience is disrespectful.
She'll exit the room like a "cat" out of hell,
And you may not see her for quite a long spell.
You never want to see her rage--
Aphrodite, the cat of the stage.

She sighs and says, "It's such a shame that
Few playwrights write good roles for a cat.
My friends say--when they see me upset--
'Commercials might be a better bet.'
My talents, however, as you might have guessed,
Best fit the stage. But now I must rest."
With that she lifted her nose in the air
And strutted out of the room with great flair.
It's always nice: advice from a sage
Like Aphrodite, the cat of the stage.

-by Bob B (1-24-20)

(For some reason, I found this poem in my DRAFTS. I guess I hadn't "published" it for public eyes, and it sat, along with 25 or so of my other poems, in my DRAFTS folder until today. Sorry about the delay.)

(This poem can be sung to the tune of "If I Only Had a Brain" from THE WIZARD OF OZ.)

We can wash our hands completely
And socialize discreetly.
We have the wherewithal.
We should spare no expenses
To keep up our defenses
If the virus pays a call.

We can scrub down every finger--
So nothing bad can linger--
With rubbing alcohol.
Though our hands start to chafe now,
We feel that we are safe now
If the virus pays a call.

We can keep a social distance
To strengthen our resistance.
The task is far from small.
I hope you do not slug me
Just 'cause I won't let you hug me
'N case the virus pays a call.

It's not a sci-fi plot;
The problem's very real.
The virus can survive on many surfaces.
So tell me how that makes you feel.

Yikes!

We ought to be investing
In lots and lots of testing,
But someone dropped the ball.
We need negotiators
To find more ventilators
If the virus pays a call.

I can't wait till this is past us.
We CAN'T let it outlast us;
Let's make the numbers fall.
Be cautious and be wary
And do all that's necessary
If the virus pays a call.

-by Bob B (3-29-20)

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (5-9-22)

For far too long Trump has gotten
Away with far too much.
For years, he has thought he is
Someone the law can't touch.

As president, he thought he'd get
Away with anything.
Ask the far-right extremists whom
He's taken under his wing.

He thinks that running for president
Means his chances are slim
That all the crimes he might have committed
Are going to catch up with him.

By yelling "Witch hunt!" and lying he hopes
That prosecutors will cower.
There is nothing I know of that
Can quench his thirst for power.

How stupid does he think we are--
Voters here in the States--
When he supports his fake electors?
That's how he operates.

In different states he's facing charges.
Watch each news report.
For a number of months he will be
Spending some time in court.

Prosecutors, do your work.
Juries, listen hard.
Trump's attorneys will grasp at straws.
You'd best be on your guard.

He MUST be held accountable;
If guilty, he should pay.
May the rule of law win out;
May justice win the day!

-by Bob B (7-29-23)

This is a tale of a hustler
And also regrettably how
TV created "a monster"
That we are stuck with right now.

The show was called "The Apprentice,"
And it was largely to blame
For turning a person called Trump
Into a household name.

They claimed that he was inventive
And super successful as well.
The truth, however, came out
And shot that assumption to hell.

We have to ask if it's really
And truly a mark of success
If one goes bankrupt six times.
Of COURSE NOT would be my guess.

Marketers for the series
Did irreversible harm
With the false image they made
Of Trump: no shot in the arm!

He is just an illusion--
One in which to exult--
And all that he's done is become
A con artist leading a cult.

Marketer John D Miller
Deeply regrets what was done.
He says Trump's bad for the country
And ought to be one we should shun.

This tale has a dire warning:
Someone you give a green light to--
Someone who doesn't deserve it--
Maybe will come back and bite you.

-by Bob B (10-18-24)

The president's having a pardon party
To prove that he's a big wheel.
He's showing us that corruption here
Is NOT a very big deal.

Extortionists, swindlers, and liars
Now are going free,
While those accused of lesser crimes
Must pay a penalty.

Financial crimes are not a problem
For person number one.
Then let us see his tax returns
To see what HE has done.

In Trump's previous presidential
Pardons people saw
A whimsical and similar
Assault on the rule of law.

He wants to send a message to
His fellow partners in crime:
"Remain loyal to me and you'll
Avoid serving time."

And he claims he was concerned about
Corruption in Ukraine!
What a farce! Everyone knows
Corruption is HIS domain.

-by Bob B (2-19-20)

Moscow Mitch and Lapdog Lindsey
Have given up on democracy
And fully embraced their thirst for power,
Governed by their hypocrisy.

Power over integrity
Seems to be their guiding drive.
They know that underhanded tactics
Help them keep control and thrive.

Lying for them is par for the course.
With the Trump admin that’s paramount.
How many lies has the president told?
For goodness’ sake, we’re losing count.

Having altered the rules to quash
Obama's prudent Supreme Court pick,
Moscow Mitch has once again
Changed the rules. It makes one sick!

Republicans in Congress now
Mainly sing the same foul song:
"To Hell with the Proper Thing to Do;
Make Up the Rules as You Go Along."

Some misguided voters think
McConnell and Graham are on the level.
Those who perceive their repulsive tactics
Say they've sold their souls to the devil.

For many people, the damage being done
Will last for who knows how many years,
As Trump's four years as president
Confirm some of their deepest fears.

-by Bob B (9-21-20)

Florida's current school standards
Leave a lot to be desired.
In fact, the people responsible
For writing them deserve to be fired.

Yes, they do mention the horrors
Of slavery, we'll grant them that.
But what they go on to say is truly
Disgusting. We can smell a rat.

The writers suggest that slavery
Wasn't all that bad for some
Enslaved people, for luckily they
Derived benefits therefrom--

Benefits from the skills they learned!
Skills! Please, give us a break!
I have heard outlandish statements,
But that one really takes the cake.

That is just like saying that
Concentration camps had frills
Because the Holocaust survivors
Were able to learn survival skills!

Enslaved people were ripped from their homeland,
Chained, beaten, murdered, and *****.
Let's not talk of learning skills.
The lucky ones were those who escaped.

Beaten if they tried to learn
To read, the enslaved enjoyed no rights.
They were merely property
To make life easier for whites.

The only ones who benefited
Were those who sold and owned the enslaved.
Plantation owners and slave traders
Were notably among the depraved.

Don't downplay or sugarcoat
Atrocities faced by many a slave--
Atrocities that occurred right here
In "the land of the free and the home of the brave."

Teaching revisionist history
Is wrong, for it ignores the truth.
Honesty should be our goal.
Otherwise, we mislead our youth.

-by Bob B (7-25-23)

The queen bee flew to Mount Olympus
To offer some honey to Hera and Zeus,
And while she was there she planned to discuss
The current problem of bee abuse.

When Zeus tasted the heavenly honey,
Immediately, his senses were reeling.
In all his life, he had never
Tasted anything more appealing.

"Oh, my ZEUS!"--he REALLY said that--
This honey, your majesty, is delish!
What would you like? Anything!
Tell me and I will grant you your wish.”

"People," she said, "keep stealing the precious
Honey produced in all of our hives.
That is extremely annoying; what's more,
It's a serious threat to our lives.

"We need stingers so we can inflict
Pain on those who try to harm us.
For us bees to get even with others,
Is there a better way to arm us?"

Zeus loved humankind and was
Taken aback by the queen bee's request.
But since he had made a promise, he couldn't
Disappoint his lovely guest.

"Stingers you shall have," he said,
And stingers they got, but with one catch:
The stingers that the bees received
Were the kind that would detach.

So, when the bees stung their victims,
The victims, of course, would let out a cry.
The stinger, however, remained in the wound,
So consequently, the bees would die.

Be careful what you ask for is one
Of the morals that you might have deduced.
Another: pain, when wished upon others,
Just like chickens, comes home to roost.

-by Bob B (8-10-21)

°An Aesop fable, "The Bee and Zeus," retold here in verse

Look at the ways--the despicable ways--
That Trump tried to achieve his coup
By pressuring officials in Georgia
With a repeated turn of the *****.

First, a ballot signature audit
In Cobb County. All was fine.
Next, he pressured Governor Kemp--
This time also crossing the line.

He wanted Kemp to do something
To which Kemp raised an objection--
To push for a legislative session
To change the results of Georgia's election.

That didn't work, and so Trump called
Georgia's secretary of state
To pressure him to do his bidding
In hopes that he'd step up to the plate.

He asked Raffensperger to "find"
Enough votes so that he could win.
Of course, Raffensperger declined.
To him, cheating would be a sin.

So then Trump asked the U.S. attorney
Of the state of Georgia to make false claims
Regarding election fraud, another
One of Trump's deceitful games.

That attempt also failed,
So Trump tried to weaponize
The DOJ to pressure Georgia
By sending a letter full of lies--

A letter written by Jeffrey Clark,
One of Trump's toadies and partners in crime.
Once again, Trump's efforts failed,
But people say it came close this time.

An election worker, Ruby Freeman,
Was the following target, for she
Was accused of election fraud--
Accused unjustifiably.

Both Freeman AND her daughter
Have been harassed and threatened as well.
Because they wouldn't support Trump's lie,
Their lives have become a living hell.

In January, Trump told his thugs
To march to the Capitol, and when
They did, utter chaos took place,
And we all know what happened then.

Georgia was merely one state among many.
But Trump even now continues to plot,
And even though his coup attempt failed,
The next time he tries, it might not.

-by Bob B (12-11-21)

Huey Long° was the kind of fellow
You wouldn't double cross.
He ran his state as though he was
A genuine mob boss.

Bootlickers and flatterers
On whom he could rely
Helped him gain his wealth and power.
That you can't deny.

He stacked his government with folks
Who'd answer only to him.
His dissenters found themselves
Out on a shaky limb.

Hey, Huey,
We all know
The things you did
So long ago.
Your power grabs
Were tried and true.
We know someone
Much like you.

Harnessing the discontent
Of people was his plan.
His gift of gab as a populist
Made him a popular man.

His cadre of guards sufficiently armed
Made him feel quite smug.
Although he got things done, he was
Essentially a ****.

Taking control of elections, he
Sidestepped prosecution.
With power on display, he'd declare,
"I am the Constitution."

Hey, Huey,
We all know
The things you did
So long ago.
In a way
You primed the pump
And set the stage
For Donald Trump.

Calling himself "the Kingfish," Huey
Found corruption handy.
Power, control, and kickbacks were
His modus operandi.

Reporters whom he didn't like
Were ones he would abuse.
They'd be beaten, and he'd call
Their papers "lyinnews."

A glimpse of how a strongman would
Appear in the U.S.A.
Was Huey Long's rehearsal for
A dictatorship today.

Hey, Donald
We see through
All the things
You've tried to do.
Although this
Is NOT your song,
You're a lot
Like Huey Long.

-by Bob B (5-6-24)

°40th governor of Louisiana and U.S. senator from 1932 until his assassination in 1935.

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (7-26-22)

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

If Trump wins a second term,
Apparently, he has a plan
To make the multi-billionaire
Elon Musk his number-one man.

Musk in a Cabinet-level position?
People might say, "No big deal."
Think about the consequences.
Come on, people! Let's get real!

The following is one idea
That Elon Musk is recommending:
Cut the federal government.
Good-bye, discretionary spending!

To carry out his plan we must
Expect a hardship, he adds. But hey!
That is very easy for
A billionaire like him to say.

Many leading economists
Who hear Trump's plans tend to agree
That his proposals would really crash
Our current booming economy.

Musk with all his secret ties
To Vladimir Putin is also suspicious.
No wonder his election support
For Trump has been so overambitious.

Republicans will do away,
With needed regulations and let
All of us see the removal of
Our basic social safety net.

Trump and his billionaire amigos
Think their schemes will be a plus.
Maybe it's good for lining their pockets
But NOT good for the rest of us.

-by Bob B (11-1-24)

Certain energies fill our lives
And work to make us whole.
But they can also work against us
When they're out of control.

Aries energies are dynamic,
Ambitious, though sometimes obsessive.
If they get out of whack, we can be
Impatient and aggressive.

Taurus energies make us feel
Practical, stable, and grounded.
But when they make us stubborn and rigid,
Our problems are then compounded.

Gemini energies have an effect
On self-expression and learning.
But if they make us manipulative,
That can be concerning.

Cancer energies give us a kind,
Nurturing, loving feeling.
But oversensitivity
Can be unappealing.

Leo energies help us shine
And lead, but I must mention
That we can be a bit too much
If we crave too much attention.

Virgo energies lead us to serve
Others and be analytical.
But sometimes they make us too uptight,
Stern and overcritical.

Libra energies lead us toward
Balance and mediation.
But doubt and passive-aggressiveness
Can be a complication.

Scorpio energies grant us with
Emotional depth and power.
But if we become TOO intense,
Interactions will sour.

Sagittarius energies make us
Travel, seek, and explore.
But if those desires are stifled at all,
Life can be a bore.

Capricorn energies drive us to meet
Our goals, which makes us cheerful.
But if we lose self-trust, we can be
Insecure and fearful.

Aquarius energies give us gumption
To fight for many a cause.
But we can be distant and cold if our
Efforts are put on pause.

Pisces energies tend to make us
Sensitive and creative,
Unless we become a victim or martyr,
Which can be suffocative.

"Know thyself," they say. That means
To let your inner strength guide you.
Focus on positive energies that
Swirl around inside you.

-by Bob B (1-22-22)

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (6-7-22)