A monk, Bhaddiya, was meditating
Long ago in India when
Some other monks heard him exclaim
"My happiness!" again and again.

Assuming that Bhaddiya lamented
The style of life that he had maintained
Before he gave up everything,
Donned his robes, and became ordained,

The other monks went to their master
And told him that Bhaddiya had sunk
Far below the standards required
To be a devout, righteous monk.

"Bring him to me," the master said,
Knowing full well the situation.
The puzzled monk entered the chamber
And bowed to his master in humble prostration.

The master asked, "Bhaddiya, were you
Repeating 'My happiness!' a while ago?
If indeed you were, dear friend,
Is there something that we should know?"

"Master," Bhaddiya replied, "at times
It's hard for me to contain my bliss.
There's absolutely nothing about
My former lifestyle that I miss.

"I was a statesman with power and wealth.
Servants and guards: there were so many.
But reasons to be happy? Well,
I had a hard time finding any.

"Though I had guards, I always feared
Someone would try to **** me and take
All my money and all my possessions.
There was alays so much at stake.

"But now I live in utmost freedom.
I have no fears; I feel…elated.
Never have I felt so happy--
So completely liberated!"

The other monks felt slightly ashamed.
How quickly they had jumped to conclusions!
How easily they had let themselves
Be caught off guard and trapped by illusions!

Bhaddiya had already learned his lesson.
Our ideas--he would confess--
Of what can make us happy can be
Obstacles to our happiness.

-by Bob B (4-30-18)

°An old tale retold here in verse

"Obstructionism...obstructionism:
It has to be my favorite -ism.
So what if we have a schism.
Three cheers for obstructionism!
 
"Who cares if it’s wrong or right?
The important thing is fight, fight, fight.
I don’t care what others say;
But I'll be ****** if they get their way!
 
"You have your cause, I have mine;
But still I have to draw the line:
I don’t believe in compromise—
That’s a word that I despise.
 
"My constituents voted for me.
I am sure they’ll all agree
That I’m the one who knows the best
When any issue is addressed.
 
"So we shut the government down.
There’s a jewel in the crown:
Knowing you can always guide
The folks to blame the other side.
 
"I know there’s a golden rule,
But let me tell you: I’m no fool.
It does not apply to you
When YOU'VE got wealth and status, too.
 
"I let lobbyists speak their mind
And with their cause I’ll be aligned.
(That depends on the amount
That ends up in my bank account.)
 
"How I love to filibuster
With ALL the effort I can muster!
Also, stalling—it’s worth noting—
Is good for keeping us from voting.
 
"It’s political suicide
To let yourself forget to hide
Your real feelings on a matter
And not to indulge in senseless chatter.
 
"Please don’t think we are inept.
Actually, we’re quite adept
At killing proposals one by one
(And getting very little done).
 
"Obstructionism...obstructionism--
The next best thing to favoritism.
We have an ideological schism,
So three cheers for obstructionism!"

- by Bob B

What has happened before our eyes
Hasn't been a big surprise,
But puzzle pieces--bit by bit--
Have come together, and how they fit!

Eight broadcast hearings and we
Can see Trump's culpability
When violent thugs decided to storm
The Capitol--so true to form.

Trump didn't care that some were armed,
For he wasn't worried that he'd be harmed.
He riled up the mob that winter day
And sent it on its merry way

To the Capitol. Yes, even a noose
Was hung there as all hell broke loose.
Trump was watching the violent scene
On his giant TV screen.

For OVER THREE HOURS, the big man child
Let the violent mob run wild
While he did nothing--zero, zip--
To call it off. That's leadership?

Lives were threatened; lives were lost.
Damage was done; lines were crossed.
People pleaded, and yet it's known
That Trump just tweeted and talked on his phone.

In fact, as flames of violence grew higher,
He kept throwing fuel on the fire,
For he continued to incense
The mob, further endangering Pence.

And yet Trump seeks absolution
For thumbing his nose at the Constitution?
He should have to pay--amen!--
And NEVER hold an office again.

-by Bob B (7-22-22)

Ex-KGB agent
Vladimir Putin knows a great deal
About spying and gathering info
And making a person talk--or squeal.

The FBI, CIA,
And NSA have found a connection
Between Putin and a campaign
To alter the results of our election.

To denigrate Hillary Clinton
Was one of the hackers' primary goals.
By hacking into email accounts
And--with the help of Internet trolls--

Amplifying false reports,
Putin's hackers aimed to block
Clinton's chances of being president.
That they did it is no shock.

At altering Russia's election results,
Putin's expertise is shining.
Anyone who criticizes
The tyrant is worth undermining.

Consequently, Clinton became
The target of Putin's wrath.
A little manipulation and we
Are now seeing the aftermath.

Trump, instead of feeling outrage,
Was really more concerned about who's
Responsible for having leaked
Some of the info to NBC News!

The fact that Russia tampered with
Our election doesn't faze him.
What interests him is vengeance against
Anyone who doesn't praise him.

- by Bob B (1-7-16)

OFF TO CANCÚN

So if you're a U.S. Senator
And your state is besieged by cold,
Extreme weather, putting the state
In a catastrophic stranglehold,

With power outages, houses flooding
From bursting pipes, people dying,
Shortages of food and supplies--
The situation terrifying--

How do you help your constituents?
How do you show them that you are in tune
With all their pain and misery?
I know: why not fly to Cancún?

Ask Ted Cruz. That's what he did.
He did it for his kids, he said.
Why suffer here when he could
Play on a Mexican beach instead?

Actually, he cut his trip short,
And flew back home earlier than planned,
Only because he'd gotten caught
And had to leave the sun and sand.

Cruz reveals how little he cares
About the people and dodges attacks.
In a crisis, leadership matters.
And that is something the Senator lacks.

-by Bob B (2-19-21)

FLY ME TO CANCÚN

(This poem can be sung to the melody of the song "Fly Me to the Moon" by Bart Howard.)

Fly me to Cancún
So I can play upon the sand.
Let me get away from Texas.
Cold I can't withstand.
I want to play…in the sun.
I want to play….Who will miss me?

People in my state
Should understand what it's about.
I don't think the government
Should have to bail you out.
Just blame the Dems; they're the cause.
Yeah, blame the Dems, and their laws.

Anyone who wants
To leave can do it if they choose.
I am being attacked
Just because my name's Ted Cruz.
Some people say I'm not fair.
In simple words…
In simple words
I don't care.

-by Bob B (2-19-21)

(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.)

OFF TO CANCÚN

So if you're a U.S. Senator
And your state is besieged by cold,
Extreme weather, putting the state
In a catastrophic stranglehold,

With power outages, houses flooding
From bursting pipes, people dying,
Shortages of food and supplies--
The situation terrifying--

How do you help your constituents?
How do you show them that you are in tune
With all their pain and misery?
I know: why not fly to Cancún?

Ask Ted Cruz. That's what he did.
He did it for his kids, he said.
Why suffer here when he could
Play on a Mexican beach instead?

Actually, he cut his trip short,
And flew back home earlier than planned,
Only because he'd gotten caught
And had to leave the sun and sand.

Cruz reveals how little he cares
About the people and dodges attacks.
In a crisis, leadership matters.
And that is something the Senator lacks.

-by Bob B (2-19-21)

FLY ME TO CANCÚN

(This poem can be sung to the melody of the song "Fly Me to the Moon" by Bart Howard.)

Fly me to Cancún
So I can play upon the sand.
Let me get away from Texas.
Cold I can't withstand.
I want to play…in the sun.
I want to play….Who will miss me?

People in my state
Should understand what it's about.
I don't think the government
Should have to bail you out.
Just blame the Dems; they're the cause.
Yeah, blame the Dems, and their laws.

Anyone who wants
To leave can do it if they choose.
I am being attacked
Just because my name's Ted Cruz.
Some people say I'm not fair.
In simple words…
In simple words
I don't care.

-by Bob B (2-19-21)

Trump is looking for countries willing
To take more migrants off our hands
And house them in their hell-like prisons
Far away in distant lands.

To send them there without due process
Violates our current laws.
But autocrats, of course, do not
Concern themselves with probable cause.

Due process takes too long,
Says Trump and fellow troglodytes
Who run the country conveniently
Overlooking human rights.

***-kisser Marco Rubio°
Says that we are sending the most
Despicable human beings to prisons.
Once they end up there, they're toast.

If we're sending the most despicable
People away, then it would seem
That we should start with Donald Trump
And his deplorable admin team.

-by Bob B (5-8-25)

° U.S. Secretary of State

D.T.:
I'm sure by now you recognize
My wonderful expertise
Of stirring up my base by trying
To put their minds at ease.
If an issue threatens to cause
Danger or distress,
I'll just lie to my fans in order
To gain their faithfulness.

Oh, how I love my rallies
And how they make me feel!
Everyone wants to see me because
I've got crowd appeal.
COVID-19 won't stop my fans;
I defy it to try.
I can win in November even
If some of them have to die.

I deal with serious problems by using
A very special technique:
Ignore them and they will go away,
And DON'T appear to be weak.
If I wore a mask, well,
Then I'd have to admit
That there's a serious problem, and then
The market would take a hit.

Oh, how I love my rallies
And how they make me feel!
Everyone wants to see me because
I've got crowd appeal.
COVID-19 won't stop my fans;
I defy it to try.
I can win in November even
If some of them have to die.

Kim Jong Un gets hundreds of thousands
To praise him in the square.
Maybe they don't have a choice,
But, frankly, I don't care.
When the crowd before me cheers,
It fills my heart with glee.
They see me as their savior, and that
Is ALL that matters to me.

Oh, how I love my rallies
And how they make me feel!
Everyone wants to see me because
I've got crowd appeal.
COVID-19 won't stop my fans;
I defy it to try.
I can win in November even
If some of them have to die.

-by Bob B (6-26-20)

Oh, how the emperor loves his new clothes!
He loves the flash, the glitz, the show.
The presentation is all that matters--
The garish, ostentatious tableau.

His lackeys and sycophants grovel before him,
Currying favor and kissing his…****.
Loving all the attention, he can't
Distinguish between substance and farce.

The emperor has the best people--
The best tailors, the best spinners--
Who say that the ruler's fancy new clothes
Can separate losers from winners.

Fawning subjects praise their leader.
Mesmerized by his tales,
The people fail to see the danger
When facts are ignored and fiction prevails.

Whether from pride, thirst for power,
Or ego, the emperor--walking on air--
Doesn't see that underneath
The pageantry there's nothing there.

Who can break the news to the emperor?
Who can put an end to the lies?
What will bring about true awareness?
What will it take to open his eyes?

- by Bob B (2-13-17)

We knew that Jeffrey Epstein was a cad and palled around
With Donald Trump his buddy, and in friendship they were bound.
But after his conviction, Jeffrey Epstein wondered why
Trump would lie and tell the press he barely knew the guy.

Chorus:
Oh, Jeff Epstein! You did not die for me.
But your death they say was suicide, and that's a mystery.

We hear a lot of what the people call the Epstein files.
We know that there is evidence that's stacked in piles and piles.
The AG made some promises, but now she's changed her mind.
It seems that she is nervous and afraid of what we'll find.

Chorus:
Oh, Jeff Epstein! You did not die for me.
But your death they say was suicide, and that's a mystery.

We cannot trust the DOJ since it's been weaponized.
That Trump is in the Epstein files, oh, who would be surprised?
They'll release as little information as they can
And hope that all the furor will blow over. That's their plan.

Chorus:
Oh, Jeff Epstein! You did not die for me.
But your death they say was suicide, and that's a mystery.

Because of what the "Wall Street Journal" wrote, Trump's lawyers say
That he's been "damaged" and they'll sue to make the "Journal" pay.
But what about the girls whose lives were changed forever? Shame
On Epstein, Trump, and other creeps who clearly are to blame.

Chorus:
Oh, Jeff Epstein! You did not die for me.
But your death they say was suicide, and that's a mystery.

-by Bob B (7-19-25)

"Investigations
Get in the way.
How sad! They turn
My bright sky gray.
Some things are better
Not to know.
That's what I learned
Long, long ago.

(CHORUS)
"Oh, lift the cloud
That's over my head.
Come on, let's put
This baby to bed.
My loyal lackeys
All make me proud.
So will you, too,
If you lift this cloud.

"Oh, I can fire
Whoever I choose.
Then you can watch
It on the news.
Or you can read
It in my tweet.
Sometimes life
Is bittersweet.

(CHORUS)
"Oh, lift the cloud
That's over my head.
Come on, let's put
This baby to bed.
My loyal lackeys
All make me proud.
So will you, too,
If you lift this cloud.

"About Putin…
Well, he's no threat.
The only thing
That I regret
Is that I couldn't
Make people see
That Putin's been
Very good to me.

(CHORUS)
"Oh, lift the cloud
That's over my head.
Come on, let's put
This baby to bed.
I hope you do
What makes me proud.
You'll be my friend
If you lift this cloud."

- by Bob B (6-8-17)

Oh, poor drone! Do you think
That life has dealt you a nasty blow
While you do what nature demands,
And while about your business you go?

The female bees--the worker bees--
Gather nectar and pollen. Not you.
You make no honey and have no stinger.
There's not a lot for you to do.

The workers feed you and keep you around
To help them heat or cool the hive.
But, ultimately, they have an excellent
Reason for keeping you alive:

You truly play a major role,
For you are there to mate with the queen.
But after you mate, you die, poor fellow.
Why must Nature be so mean?

The queen will mate with more than one,
But MOST drones never have the chance.
That fact that you must die after mating:
Is that something that's known in advance?

As winter approaches and food grows scarce,
The workers will say, “Farewell, drone!"
They will kick you out of the hive,
And you will perish on your own.

Ah, we humans also have
Our reasons for being, but by and by,
No matter what our role is on Earth,
Eventually, we ALL have to die.

-by Bob B (9-2-24)

Instead of dealing with real issues,
Trump wants the adulation
Of crowds of supporters at huge rallies
Continuing across the nation.

Obviously, he loves the spotlight.
The praise of the crowds turns him on
And brings a smile to a face
That's usually wan or woebegone.

The instant gratification he gets
From faithful fans and cheering crowds
Strokes his huge, overblown ego
And lets him keep his head in the clouds.

Smitten with the fervent applause
From fawning masses, loyal and true,
Trump beams. But let's not forget:
****** loved HIS rallies, too.

- by Bob B (11-18-16)

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

Preparing the house for fumigation
Isn't fun at all.
But it's also distressful to know
That termites have paid a call.

At first there is no evidence.
"Life is grand," you say.
Then you discover that throughout your house
Termites are chomping away.

"Eek!" you scream. "Those NASTY critters!
How dare they incommode
This household! Look at how they are
Destroying our humble abode!"

How dreadful that in our sanctuaries
These blasted insects lurk!
Removing or double-bagging food
Is a lot of work.

Not only food, it's cough drops, meds--
Whatever can be ingested--
That must be taken care of when
Your domicile is infested.

If you lived in an igloo, then
You would NOT be dealt
A termite problem, but global warming
Would make your igloo melt.

Also, where would you put your router?
Each electronic device
Might not be compatible
Surrounded by all that ice.

What about a house of glass?
Maybe that would be good.
A house of steel? A house of stones?
Anything but wood!

If all the termites living on Earth--
Parents, daughters, and sons--
Were put on a scale, they'd weigh four hundred
Forty-five MILLION tons!

Humans would weigh 350
Million tons if we
Were all put on a scale together.
That would be fun to see!

So, you can see that we're outnumbered.
The termites are in command.
Will we win, or will those little
Bugs get the upper hand?

If we fail to act right now,
The damage will keep getting worse.
Maybe termites are helpful in nature;
For us they are a curse.

Preparing the house for fumigation:
What a pain in the rear!
I can't wait till it's over and we
Can hear the words "ALL CLEAR!"

-by Bob B (4-14-24)

I no longer recognize
These United States.
In my lifetime, we've never been
In such desperate straits.

Due process for many folks
Is widely being denied.
We are seeing the Constitution
Being cast aside.

The power-hungry president
Constantly tries to extort
Favors from others and threatens them if
He doesn't get their support.

The rule of law is currently being
Eroded by the hour
To give the demented president
Authoritarian power.

Trumplicans watch him defy the courts,
And they're okay with it.
He could spit in their faces, and yes,
He'd get away with it.

He treats the DOJ as though
It's his private firm,
And AG Bondi wants to make
Trump's dissenters squirm.

The envy of the world was our
Economy when he
Ascended the throne, but now the mess
He's making is sad to see.

He doesn't care if people might suffer
From a Trump recession.
Doesn't he understand that tariffs
Worsened the Great Depression?

Trump and his administration
Will not back away
From trying to have control over
What we do and say.

His many executive orders are being
Challenged, but he doesn't care.
He derives great Schadenfreude
From other people's despair.

"America the Beautiful"
Is now a different song.
It's lyrics must reflect what is
Occurring. Sing along:

How sad it is to see this land
Become what it's become!
The president looks down on us
As though we're worthless ****.
America! America!
Please say it's not too late.
Democracy? Autocracy?
Oh, what will be our fate?

-by Bob B (4-12-25)

O Eve, we love you to death—
More than we can say, BUT
Why did you have to go
And get us into this rut?
Hey, you had it so good.
Talk about life of leisure!
But one little bite and zap!
That put an end to our pleasure.
Of all the fruit in the garden
You fell for the apple, of course.
You’re lucky that dear hubby Adam
Didn’t request a divorce.
Kicked out of the Garden of Eden,
You had to suffer the throes...
And because of you look what happened:
Now we all have to wear clothes!

Oh, woe is me!
What’s there to do?
Thanks to dear Eve,
We’re all in a stew.

O Pandora, beautiful lady,
Did Zeus not foresee the hard knocks
That would have to befall us
After you opened that box?
Did Hephaestus and Athena
Mold you out of the earth
Only to let out the evils
And put an end to our mirth?
We know that you weren’t being malicious,
For that’s not the person you were;
Your curiosity tricked you
Before you knew what would occur.
With all the plagues and diseases
I don’t know how we would cope
If you hadn’t left in the box
That one little glimmer of Hope.

Oh, woe is me!
What’s there to do?
Thanks to Pandora,
We’re all in a stew.

O Prometheus, why did you have to,
After making man out of clay,
Go and present us with fire?
Now we all have to pay!
Surely your flames have been useful
For helping us to warm our buns,
Or for boiling our drinking water
To keep us from getting the runs.
But look what else you have started:
Because of you and your fire
We now have powerful weapons
That we can never retire.
If we just had rocks and arrows,
We’d still be inflicting much pain.
But bombs that could blow up the earth?
I swear! That is truly insane!
 
Oh, woe is me!
What’s there to do?
Thanks to Prometheus,
We’re all in a stew.
 
Victor Frankenstein, tell us:
Were you not cognizant prior
To making your monstrous creation
That it was sure to backfire?
For the suffering that you caused
Numerous victims have scorned you.
I’m sure some wary friends said,
“Sorry, Victor, I warned you!”
We all know that you suffered.
Your daily life was hell.
And because of you and the others,
We all have to suffer as well.
We in our infinite wisdom,
Ignoring all the signs,
Continue to assemble
Our own Frankensteins!
 
Oh, woe is me!
What’s there to do?
Thanks to dear Victor,
We’re all in a stew.

-by Bob B

One thing we know about Trump is that
Whenever he criticizes someone,
It's often for something that he himself
Does or previously has done.

When he campaigned, he criticized
Obama for golfing. Such a crime!
Now that he's the president,
Trump is golfing all the time!

He blasted Obama for lack of transparency
And accused him of being feckless.
Trump's own transparency comes
To light only because he's so reckless.

Trump says the media should
Be less hostile and model civility.
Then he attacks the press and others
And carries it out with utmost hostility.

Our national security:
An issue to Trump, yet now it's known
How much the hypocritical man
Loves to use his unsecured phone.

Hillary's emails were often a target
Before and even since the election.
Trump's fake concern and constant
Complaints: examples of his projection.

Emails are now in the news again.
This time daughter Ivanka is using
Her private email account for government
Business! Isn't that amusing?

Oh, you hypocrites! You act as though
For you the rules do not apply.
But if there's any justice at all,
You'll get yours by and by.

-by Bob B (11-20-18)

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)

Abraham was sitting around
Minding his very own business when
His Lord spoke to him. You see,
They talked every now and then.

"Take your son up into the hills.
I know a place that's really nice.
And don't forget your dagger, Abe.
I'm hungry for a sacrifice."

So ol' Abe grabbed his son--Isaac--
And off they went, minding the Lord.
I guess there wasn't enough going on
And so the Lord was getting bored.

Once Abe found the perfect spot,
He laid some sticks upon the ground.
He was going to sacrifice
His son there on that little mound.

Isaac lay upon the sticks,
Silently, without thrashing.
His dad was leaning over him.
In his hand his knife was flashing.

Isaac put two and two together.
(You wouldn't have to be that smart
To know your dad was just about
To plunge a knife into your heart.)

Suddenly, the Lord said "Whoa!
I was kidding. Put down that knife.
Abe, I didn't mean for you
To put an end to Isaac's life.

"I was merely testing you.
Sorry about the little scare.
The two of you can go back home
And wash out Isaac's underwear."

Abraham found a ram in a thicket--
Sadly, an unlucky one--
And offered his Lord some roasted ram--
That instead of roasted son.

It doesn't sound to me as though
Abraham's god was on the level.
If gods are willing to traumatize
Kids like that, who needs a devil?

-by Bob B (2-10-25)

(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)

Many people don’t know this, but it’s
As clear as clear can be:
The whale was once a land mammal
That made its way back to the sea.

We all came from the sea, of course,
And crawled onto the sand.
Later some mammals perhaps became
Tired of living on land.

Fifty million years ago
Is when those mammals decided
To spend a lot more time in the water
For something that it provided.

Their descendants became aquatic--
Fully so. We know
All of this because of what
The fossil records show.

The features they needed for sea adaptation
Were not new and bold ones.
All that they required were
Modifications of old ones.

Their bodies adapted; they grew in size.
Seas and oceans, make way!
After millions and millions of years,
We have the whale of today.

(Whales and hippos are very close cousins.
Although it’s not as big,
The hippo's more closely related to
The whale than it is to a pig.)

The whale has tiny hindlimb and pelvic
Bones embedded in tissue.
It is as though its body is saying,
“I don’t need or miss you.”

But what is the largest mammal on Earth?
The blue whale is by far.
How would you like to give birth to a baby
That’s as big as a car?

O mighty king and queen of the ocean--
So worthy of being acclaimed!
So much pain we humans have caused you!
We should be ashamed!

Mighty ones, you have seen
The damage we humans can do,
While all along we should have known
How much we could learn from you.

-by Bob B (3-11-25)

You don’t have to wave your country’s flag;
Nor do you have to boast and brag
That yours is the best country on earth—
Whether or not it’s the land of your birth—
To be a patriot.

There’s no need to brandish your weapons to show
That you have your rights that you’ll never forgo;
Nor do you have to copy the ones
Who feel the need for an arsenal of guns
To be a patriot.

You don’t have to heed everything you are told,
Fear seeking truths that your leaders withhold,
Or forget that in your laws there’s a reason
That public dissent’s not the same thing as treason
To be a patriot.

You don’t have to feel that the government is right
To force young men and women to fight
In wars that profit the War Machine--
And which you in your heart know are obscene--
To be a patriot.

There’s no need to always bewail and prate
On the separation of church and state
Or let the troublemakers upset you
By saying the government’s out to get you
To prove you’re a patriot.

But caring about the poor and the needy;
Wanting to have, without being greedy;
Feeling concern for the rights of ALL;
And helping others up when they fall:
That's being a patriot!

- by Bob B

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)

This body that I call my own
Is air, water, earth and fire.
The urge to be--to live, to persist--
Forms the basis of desire.

Manifesting in different forms--
Countless forms that I call "me"--
I'm like a river that flows through life
And longs to be at one with the sea.

I'm like a wave upon the ocean.
At times I whisper, but often I roar,
Especially when I move too close
To land and crash upon the shore.

My ****** form--shifting, amorphous--
Is constantly changing its shape, its form,
Similar to the clouds in the sky
That float, that tower, that wildly storm.

I'm one with the past and one with the future,
Immeasurable in time and space.
Since I am what I am, I
Can never truly be out of place.

I'm the range of human emotions:
Happiness, sadness, love, and fear.
At times I'm a vision that no one can see;
At times I'm the sound that no one can hear.

I am the stars; I am the mountains;
I am the wind; I am the rain.
There's never a reason to worry because
There's nothing to lose and nothing to gain.

I breathe along with the universe,
Imbibing its force with every breath,
Thus transcending mass and light,
Distance and time, life and death.

-by Bob B (12-15-22)

We read that Jesus was a Jew--
A Palestinian Jew.
He was a poor itinerant preacher
And far from well-to-do.

A Jewish god was thus, of course,
The one to whom he prayed.
Not all, but many Jewish laws
Were ones that he obeyed.

He walked around with twelve disciples--
Also Jewish men--
Who, I guess, were probably
Considered "born again."

The twelve disciples felt he was
The Jewish Messiah, though he
Wasn't exactly what most Jews
Thought the Messiah would be.

To them the Messiah would be a hero
Whose praises they would sing
For being both a peacemaker AND
A powerful, conquering king.

The Jewish Messiah was going to bring
Justice to the land.
The strong Jewish nation would then
Have the upper hand.

They thought that he'd restore the nation
To its former glory.
They needed a powerful leader who
Would fit in with their story.

How could Jesus be their Messiah--
A man so scorned and rejected?
He COULDN’T have been the Anointed One
Whom they had expected.

It really does seem quite ironic
And also very odd
How a rejected Jewish Messiah
Became a Christian god.

-by Bob B (1-12-25)

Whether to have dessert
Is not even a question.
Not to indulge in sweets?
Don’t even make that suggestion.
 
Having no apple pie
Or luscious lemon meringue
Would be a real ******—
As we say in slang.
 
Right out of the oven:
Hot cinnamon rolls...
Or donuts right out of the fryer--
With or without holes...
 
Crepes filled with strawberries,
With a dollop of whipped cream...
When I talk about sweets,
I never run out of steam.
 
Don’t forget about cakes,
And anything with custard...
Chocolate in every form...
And--I’m getting flustered--
 
Fresh homemade cookies
Of any delicious kind...
Chocolate fudge or divinity...
Yikes, I’m losing my mind!
 
Dessert bars, oh, my goodness,
Chewy, crumbly, flaky...
Banana, zucchini, and pumpkin
Bread—soft and cakey...
 
Cupcakes topped with thick frosting,
And filled with chocolate ganache...
Creamy Crème brûlée...
Boy, aren’t we getting posh!
 
A sugary German plum cake,
A Danish butter ring,
And Greek galaktoboureko
Give me a reason to sing!
 
Chocolate frosted brownies...
Lefse with sugar and butter...
My sweet tooth is growing larger
With every word that I utter.
 
Some people say that these sweets
Might be the cause of my death.
Then let me be holding a cookie
When I take my last breath!

- by Bob B

We've progressed in many ways:
We know the earth's not flat.
But killing in the name of God?
Now how absurd is that?

They say we have a developed brain,
But when you hear the news, it
Is pretty clear that many people
Don't know how to use it!

I know it's wise to try to find
What makes others tick.
But sometimes--****!--it's difficult
To put up with their shtick.

To give the benefit of the doubt
Sounds very fine,
But there's a dangerous point at which
People cross the line:

Killing others just because
They don't think like you
Has to be a blatantly
Stupid thing to do.

All over you can find wise people--
In every nook and cranny.
You'll also find many a fool
Whose head is up his *****.

- by Bob B

To distract public attention from
Ongoing investigations,
Trump is on an overseas trip
Cementing international relations.

First stop: Saudi Arabia,
Where President Trump stamped his seal
On a one-hundred-ten-billion-
Dollar war weapons deal--

A deal great for jobs, they say,
And a death blow to the mujahideen.
Basically, it's a huge boost
To the mighty, monstrous war machine.

War crime violations continue
As Saudi bombs frequently strike
Hospitals and markets in Yemen
Causing the number of deaths to spike--

Deaths of innocent civilians including
Children. Children! What's going on?
Jobs so that the war monger
Conductor can wave his deadly baton?

We turn our heads when the Saudis commit
Domestic abuses and NOT in small scale--
While they carry out mass executions
And put women drivers in jail.

No, this isn't the first "deal."
Such deals have happened before.
Money is often the siren luring
Humankind to weapons and war.

This to Trump is a great plus
So he can proudly play the hero.
If anyone is keeping score:
Trump one; humanity zero.

-by Bob B (5-21-17)

Another death on our southern border--
THIS time an eight-year-old child.
You'd have to be an unsympathetic
And cold-hearted person not to be riled.

Little Felipe Gómez Alonzo
Died near the border on Christmas Eve.
The Guatemalan child's death
Leaves another family bereaved.

Representative Peter King
In an interview brushed aside
The pain and seriousness and said
ONLY TWO children have died.

ONLY TWO? And why? Because
The Trump admin is changing the ways
Asylum seekers apply for refuge
With obstacles and major delays.

Closing the ports of entry and making
Families find alternate routes
Through dangerous areas to plead their cases
Has shocked the world and raised many doubts.

Trump and his staff are experts at how to
Manipulate his base with lies--
To turn the public against the very
People they dehumanize.

The Grand Deceiver claims a wall
Will solve our system of immigration.
Though ludicrous, the wall, he says,
Will be our only hope of salvation.

He lashes out through foolish tweets,
Childish tantrums, and angry threats,
Blasting dissenters and passing blame
Without compunction, with no regrets.

Asylum seekers who've brought their children…
Did they ever anticipate
That they'd flee death to find it here
In a sad, ironic twist of fate.

-by Bob B (12-29-18)

They say a secluded monastery
High in the mountains was very strict.
How long a monk could withstand
The rigid rules was hard to predict.

Maintaining a vow of silence was part
Of the monastery protocol.
Every ten years the monks were allowed
To utter TWO WORDS. That was all.

After his first ten years, a monk
Went to his master and bowed his head.
His master asked to hear his two words.
"Bed…hard" was all that he said.

"I see," the head monk replied.
The young monk bowed, left the room,
And then returned to finish his tasks--
The grounds as silent as a tomb.

Ten years later the young monk appeared
At his master's door, eager to say
Two more words. "Food…stinks"
Was all that he could say that day.

"I see," the head monk replied.
Ten more long, silent years passed.
The no-longer young monk returned
To utter his words at long last.

This time he said, "I…quit!"
"Well," said the master with a look of disdain,
"I understand why you'd want to leave;
All you ever do is complain."

-by Bob B (3-6-18)

°A story (source unknown) often told in Zen Dharma talks, retold here in verse

There were times when we at least thought
The United States was deserving of praise.
We served as a model for many nations.
What has happened to those days?

Now we're at the threshold of
A growing movement that seems to be
A direct assault on what we've stood for
And a threat to our democracy.

How we used to criticize
Strongman rulers worldwide
Who stripped their people of their rights!
Oh, how we were horrified!

Now people around the world
Look at us in disbelief
And ask themselves how all of us
Are not overcome with grief.

People who lived in autocracies
And fled because they lived in fear,
Look around wide-eyed and ask,
"What the hell is happening here?"

Insurrectionists being called
Patriots? Voter suppression?
Overturning election results?
A personality cult obsession?

Immigrants becoming scapegoats?
People challenging safe elections?
Paramilitary thugs?
Folks with suspicious foreign connections?

People threatening health care workers
And thinking there's nothing wrong with that?
The breaking down of institutions?
Voters preferring an autocrat?

Apathy will be our downfall;
Our complacency will as well.
There won't be a clang of freedom
From our silenced Liberty Bell.

If we do not strive to preserve
Democracy and make that our aim,
We will suffer the consequences
And have only ourselves to blame.

-by Bob B (10-12-21)

I often wonder how anyone
Can scam other people and call it fun.
How can someone dupe others and be
Content with causing adversity?

What is it about them that makes
Scammers act like cold-hearted snakes?
They hiss, "Honesty be ******!”
How would they like it if they were being scammed?

Like hungry snakes they lie in wait
Until their prey land on their "plate."
They spring as soon as their targets come near,
Before the poor victims can even show fear.

Failing to notice the forms of disguise,
The unwary victims are caught by surprise.
It doesn’t matter how victims feel
Since the snakes’ focus is their next meal.

Scammers and snakes are slimy; that’s true.
But maybe we shouldn't equate the two.
Perhaps it's an insult to snakes to maintain
That they and scammers are in the same vein.

Having no conscience, scammers are ****.
Their minds are selfish; their hearts are numb.
They do not care which rules they subvert;
They couldn't care less if people get hurt.

If I believed in hell, I would say
That that’s where scammers deserve to stay,
Though fire and brimstone and all that stuff
Would NOT be punishment enough.

-by Bob B (1-11-22)

Hey, Sarah Huckabee Sanders,
Now you know how others feel
When they go to a restaurant
And aren't allowed to order a meal;

Or when they visit a business from which
They're turned away--for goodness' sake!--
Because the owners flatly refuse
To bake them a wedding cake.

Take a walk in the shoes of others,
Sarah, instead of pontificating
And parroting the president's lies
Without even hesitating.

Unfortunately, you have chosen
To back an agenda, vile and hateful.
You can hardly expect that those
Who suffer from it are going to be grateful.

Displaying a bit of empathy
Would make you sound a little smarter
And more caring, unless you prefer
To play the put-upon victim or martyr.

-by Bob B (6-29-18)

A hurricane approaches--
One of the biggest we've seen--
And where's the president?
On the putting green.

Millions are preparing
For the storm to hit,
Still not knowing
What to make of it,

While the president
Spends his Labor Day
Hitting some ***** around,
Which, needless to say,

Is his typical manner
Of showing his great concern.
(Just to hear him speak
Makes one's stomach turn.

Here's a man who said
On the campaign trail
He wouldn't have time to golf.
Talk about a tale!)

Think back two years
To Hurricane Maria.
Trump thought he had
The perfect panacea:

Once in Puerto Rico,
Facing a weary crowd,
He tossed them paper towels.
Ah, he felt so proud!

His mindless hypocrisy
Is a tour de force.
I guess each faux pas
Is par for the course.

-by Bob B (9-2-19)

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (3-18-19)

Eight at night and the doorbell rang,
And THERE right before my face
Was a newspaper—almost touching my nose
And barely giving me breathing space.
 
“Here’s your free paper,” I heard a voice say.
I stepped back to read the name of the rag.
At once in my mind I realized that
The name of the paper had raised a red flag.
 
“Sorry, but I don’t read that one.
Anyway, thank you for your time,”
I said to the kid as I started to close
The door, but the kid blurted out, “I’m
 
Hoping that you’ll subscribe to my paper.
Sign up right here; you won’t regret it.”
I shook my head in amazement and said,
“Do you know what? I don’t get it:
 
“I just told you that I don’t read it,
So why would I want to buy a subscription?”
The frustrated kid refused to take NO
For an answer and started to have a conniption.
 
“BUT...just do it for me!” he cried.
“The more I sell, the better my luck
In winning a trip to Hawaii; what’s more,
I’m also trying to earn a buck.”
 
At THIS point I was the frustrated one.
I thought to myself, This guy’s too much!
He’s completely clueless; moreover, he’s acting
Like a son of a such and such!
 
“Good luck with your sales,” I politely said.
“But wait, I’ll wash your car!” he cried.
“I’ll mow your grass; I’ll trim your trees.”
“NO thanks, AND good-by,” I replied.
 
Exasperated he bellowed out,
“I need this sale to up my score!”
I calmly said, “This conversation
Is over,” as I closed the door.
 
I didn’t hear him walk away;
For all I know he could be there still
Pushing his paper, trying to earn
More points but actually scoring nil.
 
While the kid lacked tact and subtlety,
I doubt he’d ever take my advice.
A bit more sense would serve him well,
And a little less pushiness would suffice.
 
A future politician? I wondered.
Or maybe a future billionaire?
Whatever the case, he's got chutzpah,
I thought as I returned to my chair.

- by Bob B

Found all over the world,
And spreading the deadly views
Of hate-mongering preachers
From whom they get their cues,

Unchristianly Christians
Peddle their thou-shalt-nots
And never question the dogma
That slyly poisons their thoughts.

“It has to be right for you,
Since it's right for me.”
That’s what most of them think
Who judge to the nth degree.

If your beliefs are different
Or vary from theirs, forget
Heartfelt understanding;
You're too much of a threat.

Other religions, too,
Are certainly not exempt
From dangerous fanatics
Whose actions draw contempt.

Twisting the sacred scriptures
To suit their misinformed needs,
They act without perceiving
The shallowness of their deeds.

People are ostracized
And even lose their lives
When shameful ideology
Or noxious ignorance thrives.

And hypocrites abound.
We often hear of them--
The ones who criticize others,
Then do what they condemn.

How sad it is when people’s
Actions demonstrate
How little they love to love
But how they love to hate!

(10-19-17) By Bob B

(An experiment, this poem can be sung to the tune of "America" from "West Side Story.")

(Fans)
Donald Trump, oh,
You fearless leader.
Of praise you are so deserving.
Never liking what critics say…
And always hoping they'll go away.

(Critics)
Donald Trump, oh,
You nasty leader--
One who’s so blind and self-serving.
Only caring about the rich.
Your biggest concerns: your sales pitch,
And the people who snitch,
And the money you earn,
And the people you burn….
When will they ever learn
How you're destroying this nation?
And still you expect admiration!

(Fans)
We all agree we like Donald Trump.
We want to be more like Donald Trump.
Our cup of tea: it is Donald Trump.

(Critics)
Lying is key when you're Donald Trump.

(Fans)
We want to visit his tower.

(Critics)
Watch him accumulate power!

(Fans)
We think he rules us with finesse.

(Critics)
Though he's an autocrat, too. Yes?

(Fans)
Drilling off shore: that's with Donald Trump.
He'll never bore you--not Donald Trump.
Job growth will soar with our Donald Trump.

(Critics)
Tariffs galore with your Donald Trump!

(Fans)
We're going to vote for him next year!

(Critics)
It's hard to believe you are sincere.

(Fans)
The man is great; don't forget it.

(Critics)
Sorry, you're going to regret it.

Immigrants fear Mr. Donald Trump.
They won't go near Mr. Donald Trump.
One thing is clear about Donald Trump:
A racketeer he is--Donald Trump!

(Fans)
He says we all should do all right.

(Critics)
If you are rich and if you’re white!

(Fans)
Four more years will be a blessing.

(Critics)
Four more years would be distressing!

(Fans)
Well, don't you know that with Donald Trump
Stocks will all grow, yes, with Donald Trump?
You'll make more dough, yes, with Donald Trump.

(Critics)
With quid pro quo, yes, with Donald Trump.

(Fans)
If he wins, we're gonna be glad.

(Critics)
If he wins, we’re gonna be sad.

(Fans)
Certainly, no one can beat him.

(Critics)
Anyone, you must defeat him!

(All)
La la la la la la la…la…la…
La la la la la la la…la…la…
La la la la la la la…la…la…
La la la la la la la…¡Olé!

-by Bob B (6-19-19)

Bill O'Reilly got the boot!
Fox News has said good-by--
A place where reputable commentators
Are already in short supply.

He faces too many allegations
Of ****** harassment. But, oh dear!
What a mess he's made of things
Now in his Fox News career!

Being a brute and a hypocrite
For Bill O'Reilly was NOT hard to handle.
Funny, but he was an outspoken critic
During the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

Peddler of white nationalistic
Ideas, O'Reilly does have his fans.
He'll find a job with someone who
Peddles theories as bizarre as that man's.

His sudden departure from the station
Doesn't really affect us directly.
But why doesn't a person like him
Behave more circumspectly?

I guess when your mentor is Roger Ailes,
You have the power to do as you wish--
To regard EACH female employee
Or guest as merely a **** dish.

- by Bob B (4-21-17)

On a night three years ago this week
Forty-nine people died
In a mass shooting that once again
Left the country horrified.

The Pulse nightclub, Orlando, Florida,
A place of nighttime revelry,
Became the target where a hater
Carried out his shooting spree.

Maybe among the victims' names
Are none that you can now recall.
Nevertheless, the incident
Is one that affects us all.

It's sad when conditions are such
That mass shootings become the norm.
It's equally sad when lawmakers
Shy away from gun-law reform.

And sad, too, it is when hate-filled
Bigots boldly advocate
That the deaths of forty-nine clubbers
Should be a cause to celebrate!

Shame on them who take religion
And shape it into deadly words
That they sling at innocent victims
While stirring up hatred among their herds.

The path to truth is a winding path;
It's easy to stumble, easy to stray.
Some start out with good intentions
But then get lost along the way.

So many anniversaries
Of mass shootings to recognize!
Will the light break through the clouds
Of ignorance? We can only surmise.

-by Bob B (6-14-19)

Remembering the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting:

Stanley Almodovar III, 23
Amanda Alvear, 25
Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
Martin Benitez Torres, 33
Antonio D. Brown, 30
Darryl R. Burt II, 29
Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28
Simon A. Carrillo Fernandez, 31
Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25
Luis D. Conde, 39
Cory J. Connell, 21
Tevin E. Crosby, 25
Franky J. Dejesus Velazquez, 50
Deonka D. Drayton, 32
Mercedez M. Flores, 26
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
Juan R. Guerrero, 22
Paul T. Henry, 41
Frank Hernandez, 27
Miguel A. Honorato, 30
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
Jason B. Josaphat, 19
Eddie J. Justice, 30
Anthony L. Laureano Disla, 25
Christopher A. Leinonen, 32
Brenda L. Marquez McCool, 49
Jean C. Mendez Perez, 35
Akyra Monet Murray, 18
Kimberly Morris, 37
Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, 27
Luis O. Ocasio-Capo, 20
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32
Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24
Christopher J. Sanfeliz, 24
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34
Shane E. Tomlinson, 33
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25
Luis S. Vielma, 22
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37
Jerald A. Wright, 31

THEY will have the final word.
Believe what the PARTY says is true.
Even Facecrime gives you away,
For BIG BROTHER is watching you.

Honesty? Bah, such nonsense!
Loyalty is what must sell.
State-spread rumors incite the mob
In your bleak, dystopian hell.

Reject evidence of eyes and ears.
That's what THEY say. Watch how hate
Turns the unquestioning supporter
Against the enemies of the state.

The Goodthinkful, unaware
How language affects their thoughts and behavior,
Show how ignorance is strength
And lavish praise upon their savior.

Manipulating public opinion,
THEY know well-spread lies will last,
For that's how THEY'LL control the future,
And that's how THEY control the past.

Doublethink is what THEY call it:
The clever art of reality control.
Ignorance is strength, THEY tell you.
Controlled insanity is THEIR goal.

The more powerful THEY become,
The less THEY prove to be your friend.
It's NOT about what's good for the people.
Power is NOT a means but an end.

War is declared on language and memory.
Inconvenient facts are rejected.
Science is reviled, and THEY
Discredit people once respected.

Doublespeak narrows the range of thought.
By caving in you might survive.
Two and two make four, but sometimes
THEY'LL say that two and two make five.

Opinions are not tolerated.
Protective stupidity: that's THEIR plan.
You think THEY can't control your thoughts,
But, oh, THEY can. THEY really can.

Do you look at your screen, or does
Your screen look at you? Or Both?
Do you know how much THEY know
Or if THEY know you've kept your oath?

Who's the next to be vaporized?
Who's the next to become an unperson?
As long as THEY control your "thinking,"
Everything can only worsen.

If only to awaken from the nightmare
Where truth becomes a likelihood
And we retain humanity!
Wouldn't that be "doubleplusgood"?

-by Bob B (8-30-18)

How we ever ended up
In Wonderland is anyone's guess.
A white rabbit led us down
A hole without an easy egress.

Not enough people wondered
Why the rabbit seemed so strange--
How such a peculiar figure
Could bring about positive change.

Opened doors are way too small;
Closed doors are securely locked.
Either the key is out of reach
Or the path to find it is blocked.

Desperately, we seek an escape.
Once a singular exit appears,
We can swim out with the rat
Or stay and drown in a flood of tears.

We find ourselves in a caucus-race,
Going nowhere. No one's winning.
Floundering about we wonder
Why the Cheshire Cat is grinning.

The caterpillar dreamily tells us,
"Eat of the mushroom--from either side.
One makes you smarter; one makes you dumber.
Use your conscience as your guide."

It's hard to keep our stories straight,
For we hardly know who we are.
We aren't what we were yesterday,
And yet we are, which seems bizarre.

Identities become confused
When everyone speaks in nonsense rhymes.
The bundle that we hold in our arms
Becomes too much to handle at times.

The March Hare, Dormouse, and Hatter,
Sitting together and drinking their tea,
Have a circuitous conversation--
An alternate reality.

Dare we play with the King and Queen,
Who, by the way, think we're fools?
We have all the accoutrements,
But they keep changing all the rules.

The Queen shouts, "Off with their heads!"
Without a bit of remorse or repentance.
Her philosophy is, of course,
The verdict should follow the sentence.

All the chaos in Wonderland
Has baffled us and also incensed us.
How do we manage in such a place
When the cards are stacked against us?

Find Alice. Where is Alice?
She might help us find the solution.
If she saw through the Cheshire Cat's smile
And if she has a strong constitution.

- by Bob B (3-6-17)

(Can be sung to the tune of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee")

This country once was grand.
It's hard to understand
What has gone wrong.
Without change, rest assured,
Rights that were once secured
Will all become obscured.
Hear this sad song!

Our country nationwide
Was once more unified;
Now it is split.
Our leader--not so smart--
Who lacks a caring heart
Is tearing us apart,
Yes, bit by bit.

When presidents defy
Rule of law, tell me why
People don't act.
Obstructing justice should
Prove they're up to no good.
Let this be understood:
They must be sacked.

When leaders lie we must
Find others whom we trust
To tell the truth.
Climate change ought to be
A huge priority,
If not for you and me,
Then for our youth.

If people are too dense
And have no commonsense
Can we survive?
May eyes be opened so
More people here can know
What we must do to grow.
Let wisdom thrive!

-by Bob B (6-12-19)

Freedom of speech is a wonderful right--
A right that all Americans cherish.
It's a right that not all countries enjoy,
And one that we wouldn't want to see perish.
 
People have the right to express
Their opinion in public; yes, that is true.
One thing about it is when they speak out,
Their venomous ignorance often comes through.
 
Isn't there a saying about
Thinking before expressing a thought?
Many people ignore that advice;
What's more, those people ignore it a lot.
 
Publicly expressing rancor and bigotry
Might sound appropriate to those who feel
That they have the right to deny other people
Their rights, which they do with great zeal.
 
Extremist ideas and irrational thinking
Are surely part of the human condition.
People whose speech condemns other people
Are on a destructive, hateful mission.
 
A malicious message spoken in public--
A far-out attack or outlandish expression--
Allows us to see the foolishness in
The speaker's illogic and lack of discretion.
 
An astutely aware and compassionate public
Will let malice fall on deaf ears.
And those who employ such invective,
Instead of our anger, deserve our tears.
 
When we hear people spewing inanities
Powered by ignorance and hatred, we should
Consider the source and counter the poison
So it doesn't taint all that is good.

- by Bob B

Our ego can be a dangerous thing.
Now “ego” here simply means
That sense of “I” that gets in our way.
I wonder: is it in our genes?
 
(I’m not referring to the ego discussed
By the famous Austrian, Sigmund Freud;
All of that psychological jargon
Is something I intend to avoid.)
 
The ego that I am talking about
Is the one that loves to believe
That the WHOLE world REVOLVES around it,
And won’t give but loves to receive.
 
It’s the same ego that feeds our impatience
When many people simply don’t see
That their actions reflect the attitude,
"Don't you know it’s all about ME?”
 
Our ego, too, can fan our temper
When unexpected incidents upset us,
And when things go wrong we think
That somebody is out to get us.
 
Our friend the ego—a bit insecure—
Has us believing in retribution,
And any affront to our character demands
That getting even's our only solution.
 
The poor ego is devastated
When it feels major rejection;
And men’s egos are completely destroyed
When they can’t get an *******.
 
If we can somehow let go of our ego
And  try to take life as it comes,
We’ll encounter much less stress
And end up chewing on fewer Tums.
 
Or we'll find that conquering our ego
Will provide the consolation
Of truly appreciating our lives
With much less medication.

- by Bob B

I read a while back that if climate change
Continues to progress unabated,
The existence of ONE in SIX species
On our planet could be ill-fated.

In other words, one in six
Of Earth's species could disappear
By the end of the 21st century
As conditions become more severe.

As extinctions threaten many species,
Experts exhort us to banish doubts.
Many can't adapt to heat waves,
Rising sea levels, and horrible droughts.

According to scientists, five mass extinctions
Have occurred since this planet's birth.
The next one will be the first
Largely caused by humans on Earth.

Earth--five billion years of age,
And look at the effects of mankind's blight.
Actually, relatively speaking,
We have done this overnight.

Some people say, "Ah, whatever!
By that time I won't be around."
Do these people hear themselves
And know how stupid and selfish they sound?

If we want to save our earth,
We can't survive by constantly taking.
Mankind's modus operandi
Is to push to the point of breaking.

The future of Earth rests in our hands.
What do we want our legacy to be?--
Dwindling food supplies, political chaos,
Polluted land, a poisoned sea?

- by Bob B

OH! MY! GOODNESS! PEOPLE!
I cannot believe what I'm seeing.
Take a really good look around;
You will notice that reason is fleeing.

Legislators in North Dakota
Proposed a crazy resolution
That clearly conflicts with what has been
Written in our constitution.

They want the state to acknowledge that over
All the world, Christ is king!
That has a very definite
Anti-constitutional ring.

Misinterpreting Biblical quotes,
They try to justify their position.
I wouldn't be surprised if they
Will next propose an inquisition!

(By the way, a lot of Christians
Don't understand what the Bible is saying,
How and when and why it was written,
And how it was altered. That is dismaying.)

Our Founding Fathers strongly believed
In separating church and state.
To put a religion above all others
Is something we MUST repudiate.

Christian nationalists are trying
To make a theocracy of the U.S.
They need to study our history,
Open their minds, and decompress.

If they want Christ to be the king
Over ALL the world in THEIR minds, fine.
But writing it into law? No way!
That is going way over the line!

-by Bob B (2-11-25)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (11-7-19)

How can we ignore what happened
On THIS dark day four years ago?
Let us paint it as though it were
Depicted in the style of Van Gogh:

The painting must show emotional depth
To clearly demonstrate its sadness.
The brush strokes, wide and wild,
Should display the utter madness.

To show the anger--not love--apply
Thick and intense globs of red,
Which will also represent
Brutality and blood that was shed.

Apply bright streaks of yellow color
To focus on the cowardly thugs--
There as insurrectionists
And NOT there to pass out hugs.

The Capitol should be depicted
From different angles. That represents
All the absurd conspiracy theories
Believed by all the malcontents.

The paint? Of course, make sure it's thick
To show the thickness of the lies
That Trump and his supporters have told
To make us NOT believe our eyes.

Swirling strokes should indicate
A stark but vivid intensity
Of violence, for which Trump's mobs
Have a scary propensity.

The composition should guide the viewers'
Eyes to see the overall truth--
And NOT to be taken in by those
With tactics questionable and uncouth.

Now stand back; observe our painting.
We must never ever let
The horrors of that day become
A bagatelle that we forget.

-by Bob B (1-6-25)