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)

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)

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)

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)

Donald Trump and Elon Musk--
And this, of course, is no surprise--
Continue to spread misinformation
And hope that we believe their lies.

Now it's about the devastating
Fires raging through L.A.
We are hearing attacks and blame
From Trump and his new protégé.

Musk is blaming the Dems and "wokeness"
And thus is throwing fuel on the flames;
Trump is stupidly misleading fans
By making false, inaccurate claims.

The two men rely on a place
Where lies and misinformation abound:
The Internet--now a perfect
Conspiracy theory breeding ground.

Fact-checking is crucial now
More than ever as Trump distracts
The public with his verbal garbage
And Musk with his alternative "facts."

-by Bob B (1-10-25)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (9-26-21)

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)

Some folks could take a whole seminar
On whether to use "there is" or "there are."
It's really not hard. That being said,
The basic requirement is thinking ahead.

"There is" and "there are" start a sentence.° Okay?
The subject will follow. The verb must obey.
IF you begin with "there is" as a start,
A singular subject must then play its part.

"THERE'S not a lot of money to spare,"
But "THERE ARE a lot of people who care."
"THERE IS a problem when traffic has slowed,"
But "THERE ARE too many big trucks on the road."

"There is a fly in my soup," you will hear.
"Is" is correct. That should be clear.
But "There are a lot of cracks in the curb."
"Are" here, you see, is the right plural verb.

With multiple subjects some people get thrown.
If YOU find it tricky, then you're not alone.
"There are a woman, a man, and a dog
Crossing the street in the cool morning fog."

But, frankly, I'd say, even better yet,
Remove the "there are," and here's what you'll get:
"A woman, a man, and a dog" (short and sweet,
And right to the point) "are crossing the street…."

"There were drums in the song that we played."
Saying "there was" would be wrong, I'm afraid.
From this example, of course, you can tell
That the rule works with the past tense as well.

"There are two dishes that really stand out,"
"There are a lot of ways to cook trout."
Merely by thinking ahead when you speak,
You can perfect your verbal technique.

-by Bob B (6-18-23)

°Although "there is” and “there are” often start a sentence, they don't have to. Other words, phrases, and clauses can precede them.

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)

Supreme Court justices,
Smiling at autocracy,
Have pounded one more nail into
The coffin of democracy.

Immunity! That is what
They decided Trump should get.
Of course, Trump and his Court lackeys
Are in one another's debt.

Receiving immunity for actions
While serving a term as president
Is dangerous for a person like Trump
Who has an egomaniacal bent.

Giving so much power to him
While he's in office unfairly slights
The rest of us, for such a move
Diminishes the people's rights.

Yes, the rights of the rest of us,
For we have seen how he abuses
The power of the executive branch
To do whatsoever he chooses.

Our founding fathers emphasized
That no one is above the law.
The Court regards our Constitution
With a deprecatory "Pshaw!"

There were dissenters--only three--
Who criticized the Court's decision.
But sadly it is not enough
For three to have a clearer vision.

Treating the president of the country
As though he were a powerful king
Makes me sick, especially when
People sing "let freedom ring."

-by Bob B (7-4-24)

You think you're healthy and in good shape.
Cholesterol is low.
Blood pressure is not a problem.
You've got some get-up-and-go.

You go on a daily four-mile walk.
You eat as well as you can.
Fruits and vegetables are both
Part of your daily plan.

Yes, you like your sweets; you feel
Life must have some perks.
You try to balance the good with the bad
And always hope that it works.

Avoiding stressful debt, you live
Comfortably in the black.
And then without any warning, what happens?
You have a heart attack!

Life we know is full of surprises.
Expect the unexpected.
It's strange how a problem with one's heart
Could long go undetected.

The help from paramedics and doctors
And nurses--I can say--
Has given me a new lease on life,
For I am alive today.

A stent in a major artery lets
The blood flow near the heart.
I hope that no more blockages
Will show up in my chart.

Although our bodies are strong and resilient,
It is also said
That despite our resiliency,
We hang by the thinnest thread.

I hope my ticker keeps on ticking,
Displacing some of my fears;
And may the beats continue to sound
For many, many years.

-by Bob B (4-2-23)

AGGRESSION

Nations in Europe are on alert,
And once again the U.S. hustles
To deal with Putin's aggressiveness
As he defiantly flexes his muscles.

Amassing troops on Ukraine's border,
The desperate dictator wants to prove
That he's a force to be reckoned with.
The rest of us watch his every move.

And planning military drills
Not far from the Irish coast
Shows the kind of intimidation
That Putin loves to do the most.

But Irish fishermen said no
And stopped the drills before they started.
The Russian navy decided to find
Another location, and so they departed.

PARDON DANGLING

With extremism on the rise,
Trump continues to stir up his base
With his typical Trumpian lies
And his bumbling lack of grace.

Regarding those convicted of storming
The Capitol, this Florida resident
Is currently dangling pardons while he
Isn't even the U.S. president!

He also wants his fans to protest
Vociferously if he is indicted
For having broken the law. We see
That causing chaos makes him excited.

HATRED

Florida had some **** rallies
With swastikas and racist banners.
Needless to say, the participants
Were crude, obnoxious, and lacking in manners.

Observing the Nazis hateful behavior,
Respectable people wonder why
The thugs get pleasure yelling racist
Comments to people passing by.

Regarding states that harbor groups
Of hate, Florida's second in line.
Groups like that are just like a tumor
That's rapidly growing and isn't benign.

SAD

In the state of Washington
There lived a cop named Robert Lamay.
If he had had a little more sense,
He might be alive today.

Rather than get a vaccination
For COVID, he chose to leave the force--
Probably influenced by
The many lies on Fox News, of course.

Lamay came down with COVID and sadly
Lost the battle. He died last week.
Unfortunately, situations
Just like this are not unique.

-by Bob B (2-1-22)

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 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)

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)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "America the Beautiful.")

America--red, white, and blue--
Please keep your hopeful dreams,
And don't let folks diminish you
With all their shameful schemes.
Protect yourself, America,
From all who'll do you harm.
We hope to see democracy
Remain our good luck charm.

When you hear sounds of people's lies…
When folks conspire and plot
And tamper with your character
To make you what you're not,
Protect yourself, America!
We watch with hope and awe
As you shall strive to keep alive
Our vital rule of law.

How sad it is when folks conspire
To damage and defraud
And place within their line of fire
This country that we laud.
Protect yourself, America!
Don't fret and don't give in!
In times like these stay strong and please
Don't let conspirers win.

Democracy is fragile, so
When times are getting hard,
We trust that we'll survive, although,
We must be on our guard.
Protect yourself, America!
Our values must stay strong.
When people say we've seen our day,
We have to prove them wrong.

-by Bob B (8-2-23)

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.

-R v. W and Kansas-

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

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

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

-China-

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

-Brittney Griner-

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

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

-by Bob B (8-4-22)

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)

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)

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)

Stop the lies, conspiracy theories,
And gaslighting. Let truth prevail.
Every day we hear another
Radical far-right fairytale.

This year's January 6
Insurrectionists were NOT
Patriots. No, they were thugs,
Carrying out a violent plot.

Police officers testified
At a hearing on Capitol Hill.
Sadly, the four men have been
Forced to swallow a bitter pill.

Officers defended Congress
Against a wild and violent mob.
Understaffed and overwhelmed,
They were merely doing their job.

But many Republicans in Congress
Want you to doubt what you have seen--
To erase the violent images
That flashed across your TV screen.

Officers dealt with severe beatings,
Bear pepper spray, bone-chilling threats,
The fear of being crushed by the crowd,
And horrible racial epithets.

They were threatened before the hearings
And then after the hearings as well--
Vicious, violent threats, as though
They hadn't already been through hell.

And while the hearing was going on,
Republicans--on that very same day--
Met outside to offer support
To the thugs, until they were chased away.

How terribly sick and ironic it is
That some Republicans condemn
The officers who in January
Risked their lives protecting them!

Hopefully, during these hearings,
More information will come to light.
Congress MUST ignore what's politically
Advantageous and do what's right.

-by Bob B (7-28-21)

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

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

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

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

Chorus

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

Chorus

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

Chorus

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

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

-by Bob B (7-26-22)

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

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)

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."

"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)

Gosar, Greene, Gaetz, and Boebert°
With their painted smiles and frowns,
Represent--along with some others--
Our present-day congressional clowns.

They have no interest in legislating.
Obstructionism is what they embrace.
They thrive on phony culture wars
To raise money and rile up their base.

To QAnon, M.T. Greene
Has apparently sworn an oath.
To believe that nonsense, one has to be
Stupid, not all there, or both.

Obstructionist par excellence,
Matthew Gaetz joins the whiners.
Yes, he's the one who's been
Accused of having *** with minors.

Anti-Muslim hatred is what
Lauren Boebert loves to spew.
She thinks carrying a weapon in Congress
Is the appropriate thing to do.

Paul Gosar, whose siblings can't
Even stand him, thinks it's cool
To spread Trump's big election lie.
It's hard to find a bigger fool.

And don't forget his violent posts.
He claims that they are merely jokes
And laughs them off, heedless of
The fires of violence that he stokes.

These four clowns, unfortunately,
Are dangerous and not at all funny.
It's difficult to understand
How anyone could give them money.

If there were a big top out there,
I would say, "Save a space for them."
Since they are not suited for Congress,
A circus would be a better place for them.

-by Bob B (12-8-21)

°Representatives Paul Gosar (AZ), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Matt Gaetz (FL), Lauren Boebert (CO)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "America: My Country, 'Tis of Thee.")

Something can't be dismissed:
Two nations now exist
In this great land.
How did this come about?
How did divisions sprout?
How did mistrust and doubt
Get out of hand?

One nation wants to be
Ruled by democracy.
That is its goal.
It always sets it sights
On people's voting rights.
When freedom hits the heights,
We will be whole.

Our other nation seems
Sold out to gross extremes.
That's how it thrives.
It finds itself at ease
With fake conspiracies.
On truth it puts the squeeze,
Yet it survives.

One nation has no ties
With far-fetched myths and lies.
Hope is its guide--
Hope that we can be free
From an autocracy--
Hope for equality:
May it abide!

Our other nation cleaves
To myths that it believes
Will make it strong.
*******, it will state,
Is that which makes it great.
Pow'r to discriminate
Is its theme song.

Our country, will it last,
Or is our split too vast?
What do we need?
Let truth and reason reign.
From hatred let's abstain.
Let's all be more humane.
Make that our creed.

-by Bob B (9-14-21)

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)

Outside a window hung a cage
In which a bird was confined.
A neighboring bat was wondering if
The bird had lost her mind.

During the day when other birds sang,
She wouldn't make a peep.
But every night she sang her heart out
While the rest were asleep.

One evening, the bat paid her a visit
To check out the situation,
Hoping that they'd be able to
Engage in conversation.

"Lovely bird," he said, "I feel
That something isn't right.
Why can't you sing during the day
Instead of only at night?"

"I used to sing the whole day through,
But when the fowler heard
My beautiful voice, he said to himself,
'I must catch that bird,'

She said. "And so he caught me with nets
And stuck me in this thing.
From that point on, during the daytime
I have refused to sing."

The bat replied, "My lovely friend,
Please do not be sore,
But that won't help you at all right now,
Although it might have before.

"Before you became a prisoner--
When you could perch in a tree--
If you had sung only at night,
Maybe you'd still be free."

Of course, the story has a moral:
Precautions are truly great,
But they are utterly useless when
They are applied too late.

-by Bob B (8-9-21)

°An Aesop fable retold here in verse

In Texas, near San Antonio,
Lived a couple--two great guys,
Phillip and Tony, happily married,
But that shouldn't be a surprise.

Tony was a councilman;
Phillip owned a beauty shop.
All was well till COVID-19,
And then everything came to a stop.

Phillip grew ill and saw his doctor,
Who sent him home with some meds. So far,
His illness wasn't advanced, but soon
He had to be taken to the ER.

Tony also grew ill and tried
To stay home for as long as he could.
When he was rushed to the hospital,
Things were NOT looking so good.

Tony was placed in the room next to Phillip,
Who had been on a respirator.
Phillip's body gave out and he died;
Tony died a few hours later.

Phillip's mother had been living
With the two men, and she, too, came down
With the same virus, and so she must grieve
All by herself in the small Texan town.

Together at Fort Sam Houston, Phillip
And Tony will be laid to rest.
While living, the two men had each other.
At least we can say that they had been blessed.

This is just one of the many sad stories
That COVID-19 has brought to the fore.
Until the virus is under control,
We know for certain that there will be more.

-by Bob B (4-19-20)

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 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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

As Trump gets more obnoxious, his
Approval ratings rise.
Why can't more Americans see
The danger in his lies?

The man's a total disaster; he's
A wheel missing some spokes.
At first he lied at his rallies, saying
COVID-19 was a hoax.

Now he wants to expunge those words
From all the records, of course.
He's doing it to save his hide; it's not
Because he feels remorse.

Misinforming the public's a ploy
He's done all along.
He would prefer to croak than ever
Admit that he was wrong.

As governors scramble to fight a virus,
Requests go unheeded.
States compete for medical
Supplies badly needed.

Many people's lives are at risk.
Health workers require
Protective gear, for they are directly
In the line of fire.

"America first" has long been Trump's
Pretended aspiration.
We ARE first: we have more cases
Than any other nation--

Cases of COVID-19, that is.
The numbers, too, are rising.
Due to our government's slow response,
That is not surprising.

Testing, testing, testing is key,
Experts keep repeating.
To act without adhering to facts
Is totally self-defeating.

Experts, speak out! Don't be afraid
Of Trump's tantrums and wrath.
Failure to give us the truth will lead us
Down a dangerous path.

-by Bob B (3-27-20)

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)

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)

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)

(Based on "THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A SHOE")
~
When Democrats mention the national debt,
The Republicans panic and they get so upset.
When THEY'RE in control, do they ever balk?
It's just when the Dems are in pow'r that they squawk.

(Based on "HICKORY, DICKORY, DOCK")
~
Lickity, splickity, splat!
L. Boebert's° such a brat.
She thinks it's fun
To flash her gun.
Lickity, splickity, splat!

°Republican Representative from Colorado

(Based on "JACK AND JILL WENT UP THE HILL")
~
Trump and Mel no longer dwell
In our capital city.
They've gone south, and word of mouth
Is that they're sitting pretty.

Trump will sing, "Please kiss my ring!"
To all who come to visit.
He STILL thinks HE'S in charge. Oh, please!
That's REALLY not funny, is it?

(Based on "THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN")
~
There was a crooked con, and he had a crooked scheme.
He used some crooked tactics to achieve his crooked dream.
He had some crooked friends who helped his crooked plan.
But still he lost the race--that crazy, crooked man.

(Based on "HUMPTY DUMPTY SAT ON A WALL")
~
Giuliani couldn't resist.
Tipping the bottle till he got ******.
He claimed that our voting process was marred.
Due to his lying, he should be disbarred.

(Based on "LITTLE BO-PEEP")
~
Ol' Michael Pence had enough sense
To certify the election.
Although he came 'round, later he found
He'd lost his hero's affection.

Though Michael Pence sometimes sounds dense,
Who knows what will fulfill him?
The man didn't get so very upset
When rioters threatened to **** him.

Will he kowtow, grovel and bow
Before a man who is shameless?
He probably will. That's HIS bitter pill,
For he himself is not blameless.

(Based on "BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP")
~
Blah, blah, Ted Cruz,°
Have you any guts?
I don't think so since you're nuts.
Why don't you take off
And fly to Cancún
And stay down there forever?
And please do it soon!

°Republican Senator from Texas

-by Bob B (10-11-21)

Fiesta is the party cat.
She won't play second fiddle;
Whenever there's a party going on,
She is smack in the middle.

Shrimp cocktail and salmon croquettes--
That's what she prefers.
Don't abandon your plate or else
Fiesta thinks it's hers.

"A lot of cats are skittish," she says,
"And thus they have a bad rap.
I, on the other hand, don't mind
Sitting on anyone's lap.

"Of course, I have an ulterior motive
That guests don't always see.
When I give them attention, there's always
Something in it for me.

"When caviar is served, you'll find me
Walking on a cloud.
I must apply all of my charm
To butter up the crowd.

"I love it when guests rub my tummy
And tickle me under the chin.
When I smell clam dip on their fingers,
My head starts to spin!

"I must admit I have no patience
For guests who shout, 'Achoo!'
And then stentoriously blow their nose
And rudely tell me, 'Shoo!'

"The nerve of them to stifle my pleasure!
For me, goal number one
Is to enjoy each precious moment--
To live means having fun!"

As soon as the dancing begins, Fiesta
Finds a safe location
Far away from dancing feet,
For height is her limitation.

Fiesta waits to hear the hosts
Say, "Let's go to bed.
We can clean up the mess tomorrow."
Then she raises her head.

With everybody gone there's no one
There to scold or berate her.
She can survey each bowl and plate
To see what treasures await her.

"Sally Bowles was right," she says;
"Life is a cabaret!
Why can't my servants put on
A party every day?"

She eats till her stomach is ready to burst,
Heedless of any warning.
Everyone wonders why she is so
Listless in the morning.

-by Bob B (2-14-20)

Breathtaking coastlines, towering pines,
Hills and valleys with grapes on vines
From which we produce our exquisite wines…
Glorious California!

Majestic forests, volcanic peaks,
Beachside towns with their quaint boutiques,
Silicon Valley and its techno-geeks…
Glorious California!

Golden hills with their sprawling oaks,
Expansive fields of artichokes…
There's magic that your name invokes.
Glorious California!

Miles and miles of fine desert sand,
Sometimes a language we don't understand,
But that helps to make this state so grand…
Glorious California!

Poppy-lined roads, gardens and flowers,
Varied landscapes as you drive for hours,
Yosemite's grandeur after spring showers…
Glorious California!

I have been elsewhere
And seen wondrous places--
Mountainous regions
And vast open spaces.
But when I'm away,
I find that I yearn
For home and can't wait
Until I return.

Though crowded at times and in traffic we wait,
No place is perfect; still you're first-rate.
So much beauty in this golden state!
Glorious California!

Some say your taxes are far too high,
Affordable housing's in short supply,
But I plan to stay here until I die.
Glorious California!

-by Bob B (11-29-21)

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)

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)

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)