When humankind is out of control,
The world suffers a giant loss.
Threats of mass extinctions aren't
Difficult to come across.

More than half of the world's primates
Are on the verge of extinction due
To agriculture, logging, mining,
And hunting. Where's the hullabaloo?

Lemurs, chimps, orangutans,
And lowland gorillas are under threat.
When we endanger others, we also
Endanger ourselves, don't forget.

Habitat loss, climate change,
Wildlife trade…. Scientists fear
That if these are not halted, many
Primates will sadly disappear.

We're talking about numerous species--
A couple hundred, not just dozens.
What is wrong with **** sapiens?
How could we do that to our cousins?

-by Bob B (2-6-17)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (1-25-20)

(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)

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (9-18-21)

Putin's war drags on and on
Since his forces invaded Ukraine.
For two years now, Russian soldiers
Have followed his orders. Imagine the pain!

Actually, the Russian attack
Dates way back to twenty-fourteen
When Putin stole Ukrainian land.
The current invasion's a bloodier scene.

Life goes on for the rest of the world.
We work; we play; we party; we feast.
Ukrainians are suffering,
But some people don't care in the least.

Extremist Republicans who kiss
The ring of king Trump, do not care
If Ukraine falls, or if the country
Is torn to shreds by the eastern bear.

If Putin is victorious, then
Other countries may fall as well.
People will suffer, and what's more
The Russian brute will be hard to repel.

Pressure on Putin and aid to Ukraine
Are two ways to put an end to the war.
The dictator already has
A great deal to answer for.

-by Bob B (1-31-24)

(This can be sung to the tune of the old ballad "Sweet Betsy from Pike.")

Every day it seems there's a new story to tell.
Trump and his cronies aren't doing very well.
They've lied to cover up what we all know
Is truly an instance of Trump's quid pro quo.

At first they said, "Oh, no, that's what it can't be.
If you look closely, then you all will see
That what Trump had said in his telephone chat
Was certainly not quid pro quo, *** for tat."

Sing too-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-ay!

The info we gather from witnesses lends
Credence to how Giuliani and friends
Went to Ukraine to push forth their plan.
Rudy's Trump's fixer--his new handyman.

If asked to conspire and if you resist
Helping the president, you'll be dismissed.
The stories we're hearing now help to explain
All that occurred overseas in Ukraine.

Sing too-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-ay!

Republican stories then started to change.
Of course, we are used to that; that's not so strange.
First, they cried, "False accusation! A slur!"
Now they're saying, yes, quid pro quo did occur.

But that's not a problem, Republicans say.
Whatever Trump did, well, that is okay.
Everyone's making a hullabaloo
Over something that clearly all presidents do.

Sing too-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-ay!

Yes, presidents bargain and presidents deal,
And when it occurs it's for our commonweal.
But when his political gain is the goal,
Abusing his power is out of control.

Their strategy now is for them to attack
Witnesses fiercely and not to hold back.
Let us all hope that one day they'll eat crow
For trying to justify Trump's quid pro quo.

Sing too-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-ay!

-by Bob B (11-6-19)

The quiet of the early morning
Before the break of dawn…
Glistening nighttime dew captures
Moonlight on the lawn.

The soundless darkness obfuscates…
Tranquility prevails…
Not a chirp is heard, for there
Are no nightingales.

Shadows on the moonlit sidewalk
Cast by the towering palm
Punctuate the serenity
Of the morning calm.

Although the silent inner voices
And noiseless thoughts don't cease,
The stillness fills one's being with
A soothing inner peace.

Taking full advantage of
The still dark morning hours,
Hungry snails quietly
Feast on garden flowers.

Shhh! If you listen intently
Before the snails depart,
You will hear the soft and rhythmic
Beating of your heart.

-by Bob B (11-4-19)

Radhika grew up in a poor Indian village.
She, her parents, and siblings survived
Droughts, famines, diseases, and monsoons;
Sporadic good fortune was always short-lived.

A gentlemen came to the village one day
And offered Radhika a job as a maid.
Oh, how exciting! A job in the city--
REAL work, for which she'd be paid!

Once in Mumbai, Radhika was led
To a hovel where she was brutally *****
And beaten and moved to a windowless room
At a brothel from which few girls escaped.

The poor young girl--eleven years old--
Learned very quickly how cruel life could be.
Her daily dream was to make her way home,
As soon as she found a way to flee.

Having lost years of her youth,
Radhika escaped and went home at sixteen
To parents who cast her out of the house
For being "sullied," for not being "clean."

Not knowing which way to turn--
With defeats piled on top of defeats--
Radhika returned in desperation
To the city, where she worked in the streets.

All over the world "Radhikas" exist,
But most of us never see them.
What will it take to end such cruelty?
We have to find a way to free them.

- by Bob B

We often hear about radical Muslims,
And some do pose a threat.
But there are other dangerous radicals
About whom people forget.

Radical Christians and radical Hindus:
Both have been in the news.
Yes, there are even radical Buddhists
And also radical Jews.

Radical WHATEVERS can be a danger--
No matter the crusade they declare.
The problem is not one certain group,
But radicals everywhere.

To see extremists twist religion
Is especially galling;
To see it used to justify cruelty
And hatred is appalling.

All should follow their conscience but must
Let others do the same.
The freedom to choose one's path should be
A universal aim.

If people use religion to condemn
And to stifle query and thought,
Today's relevance of their religion
And values amounts to naught.

- by Bob B

(This poem is based on Poe’s poem “The Bells.”)

I. (Initial rain)

It’s the luscious sound of rain—
Gentle rain.
How it seems to soothe my nerves and calm my weary brain!
How it patters, patters, patters
In the early morning hours!
And we're certain that it matters
That with every drop that splatters
It will feed the hungry flowers
As it falls, falls, falls,
Dripping down the roofs and walls.
Oh, the wonder of the music made so gloriously plain
From the rain, rain, rain, rain,
Rain, rain, rain--
From the gentle pitter-patter of the rain.

II. (Subsequent days of rain)

It's the dreadful sound of rain--
Heavy rain.
How the constant pummeling is driving me insane!
How it beats and beats and beats
On all our windows and our walls!
And the windows now are leaking
And some inside walls are streaking
As the dismal water falls.
And it pelts, pelts, pelts
As my optimism melts,
And my hopes for storms to quickly pass are miserably in vain.
It's the rain, rain, rain, rain,
Rain, rain, rain--
The depressing and distressing sound of rain.

-by Bob B (2-5-24)

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (9-8-22)

°Resting ***** face

(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.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (9-8-22)

°Resting ***** face

Let's sing a tale of honor and valor,
Of a legal trailblazer who always will be
Etched in our hearts as a fighter for causes
And known as Notorious RBG.

Criticized and sharply rebuked
For taking a "man's spot" at Harvard Law,
She had a legal intellect
And a glowing work ethic that left folks in awe.

Graduating first in her class
From Columbia Law, she would soon learn
That getting a job wouldn't be easy;
And unequal pay was a major concern.

The fearless fighter wouldn't give up.
Bound and determined, she'd do what was right
And struggle for women's equality.
Justice for all was her noble fight.

Nobody's put on a pedestal;
Equality means that treatment's the same.
That BOTH men and women have full
Citizenship stature was RBG's aim.

Her friendship with Justice Scalia showed
That politics did not have to divide us--
That we can conquer our disagreements
By letting our heart and wisdom guide us.

Words are important when sending a message.
That is what RBG took to heart.
In facing personal challenges,
Her inner strength played such a great part.

For many years she battled cancer
But never failed to keep up with her work.
Responsibility and duty
Were two things that you didn't shirk.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: how we will miss her!
With sadness and heavy hearts we lament.
How we will miss her carefully thought-out
Rulings as well as her words of dissent!

She died on the eve of Rosh Hashanah
While folks were in the synagogues praying.
They say that righteous people die then.
With RBG, that goes without saying.

Remember this tale of honor and valor,
Of a legal trailblazer who always will be
Etched in our hearts as a fighter for causes:
Supreme Court Justice RBG.

-by Bob B (9-22-20)

The lizards crouched on a desert rock,
Quietly reminiscing,
When all of a sudden one of the members
Noticed that one was missing.

“Where is Sunny?” he asked the others.
“Is he under the weather?
Come to think of it, he wasn’t here
The last time we were together.”

“Poor Sunny,” the patriarch said,
“Isn’t himself these days.
He even lacks the motivation
To come and soak up some rays.

"Haven't you noticed that recently
His eyes have lost their twinkle?
For some of us it’s the end of the world;
For others it’s just a wrinkle.”

Then he added, "Sometimes in life
A sad thing can occur,
And suddenly we realize that
We're not what we were.

“So, what I have to share with you,
I say with no compunction:
Sunny seems to suffer from
A case of reptile dysfunction.”

-by Bob B (8-7-21)

Where can I get my remedy
For COVID-19 today?
The president said he knows how he
Can make it go away.

He said it's very simple, for it
Merely involves an injectant--
Just inject into your veins
A household disinfectant!

Let me see: what would be better--
Lysol, Purell, or bleach?
Or maybe he would recommend
Getting a shot of each.

And then he offered another idea:
What might expedite
The death of the virus is bathing ourselves
In ultraviolet light!

For the longest time he pushed
A drug and strongly suggested
That it be made available,
Although it hadn't been tested.

His other strategy has been
To fire or demote
Those who don't agree with him.
Scientists take note.

What a guy! What a leader
To get us through this mess!
Where he gets his bizarre notions
Is anybody's guess.

By the way, he failed to mention
That Lysol injections do
Ultimately **** the virus
BECAUSE THEY **** YOU, TOO!

-by Bob B (4-25-20)

So Mike Johnson° and Mitch McConnell°°
Are angry with Harris, for she
Called Donald Trump a fascist.
Oh, my goodness me!

Let's just say there COULD be a reason
Why she went out on a limb:
She was just agreeing with
People who'd worked with him.

General Kelly°°° and General Milley°°°°
Expressed a condemnation
Directed at Trump. They said he was
A dangerous threat to this nation.

Perhaps there is another reason
Why she would concur.
But first, let's look at some of the things
That Trump has said about her:

He has called her a communist,
A fascist and Marxist and still
Continues to say that she is stupid
And also mentally ill.

When Trump criticizes others--
Something he'll often do--
His words reflect aspects of
Himself. That's so true!

Frankly, after hearing and seeing
All he's said and done,
If either of the two were a fascist,
HE would be the one.

Mike Johnson and Mitch McConnell
Ought to open their eyes
To see how they hurt America
By spreading MAGA lies.

-by Bob B (10-26-24)

°Current speaker of the House
°°Senate minority leader
°°°Former White House chief of staff
°°°°Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Pfmmmpf! went the door. The engine started;
The “Fasten Seat Belts” signs were lit.
My screen showed emergency instructions.
I thought to myself, “Well, this is it!”
 
The plane shook as it rolled down the runway.
I gulped and curiously looked around.
With white knuckles I clutched the armrest
As the plane lifted up off the ground.
 
Holding my breath as we ascended,
I glanced out the window, and what do you know:
Houses, streets, and cars grew smaller
In the ever-shrinking world down below.
 
I wondered, “Has my Xanax kicked in yet?
Will it hurt to have ONE glass of wine?”
The plane leveled off; the flight attendant
Smiled and said, “Honey, you’re doing fine.”
 
The screen on the back of the seat in front of me
Displayed a map of our cross-country route.
If I sat there and watched that screen,
I knew that I was going to freak out.
 
Sleep? Forget it. How is that possible
With all of the vibrating, bouncing, and roaring,
And lights going on and off and overhead
Cabinets clicking and people snoring?
 
No leg-room for stretching my legs:
The dreadful curse of economy class.
The constant shifting around in my seat
Was a literal pain in the ***.
 
I tried in vain to get some sleep
With my book lying in my lap.
I'd peek at the screen. We'd moved only
A millimeter across the map.
 
I felt like Sisyphus pushing his rock;
The night seemed to have no end.
Finally, to my great relief,
Our plane started to descend.
 
“Yay!” We landed and rolled to a stop.
On leaving the plane, I felt signs of fall.
Breathing in the fresh air, I thought,
“That wasn’t so bad after all.”
 
I'd passed the test with flying colors—
Sort of. At least I wasn’t too frantic.
And as it turned out my very next flight
Was going to take me across the Atlantic.

- by Bob B

Are you perchance a favor-seeker?
Come on in and join the scores
Of those who want a favor from Trump.
You scratch his back; he'll scratch yours.

Looking for a federal contract?
Wear a MAGA baseball cap
And patronize the president.
See what suddenly lands in your lap.

Perhaps you want an ambassadorship
Or some sort of advisory role.
If so, then be a loyal donor
And maybe you'll achieve your goal.

One day you might need a favor.
If you and Trump are somehow aligned,
He will gladly come to your aid
In case you have a pardon in mind.

You'll gain from your relationship,
And Trump will gain from your support
As you pour hundreds of thousands of dollars
Into a Trump hotel or resort.

What do you need? Laws, funding,
Land, appointments, or maybe directives?
Just send money in Trump's direction
And you can easily meet your objectives.

Is it a myth that he's a successful
Businessman--one of those bosses
Who shine in the business world? If so,
Then why is he constantly racking up losses?

Ah, but Trump has found a way
To redefine the expression "to drain."
In HIS case it means to use
The Office for financial gain.

His promise was to "drain the swamp."
At least, that's how he tried to present it.
But has he really? Not at all.
All he's done is reinvent it.

-by Bob B (10-12-20)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (1-16-23)

My dad could be a character.
He often loved to get your goat,
But in a fun or teasing manner
And always keeping his wit afloat.

Very well read and articulate,
He used his humor to be quite punny.
However, when he teased my mom,
She didn't often find him funny.

He could be loquacious with his
Gargantuan vocabulary.
Since he could talk about anything,
The topics, of course, would always vary.

He possessed the enviable
Ability to think on his feet.
To hear him talk at events to me
Was an unforgettable treat.

My mom would listen attentively,
But after a while her ire would spike.
I could hear her softly mumbling,
"******, Warne, put down the mic!"

The use of the word "******" here
I have to admit is rather tame,
For both of my folks could string together
Words that would put a sailor to shame.

No offense to sailors here,
But certainly you know what I mean.
After we left our family
Gatherings there'd be a scene.

"Stop talking politics
At family parties!" Mom would shout.
"And stay away from religion," she'd add.
Of course, I've left the cuss words out.

But Dad was truly a loving man--
Warm, affectionate, and kind.
His liberal outlook on life taught me
To open both my heart and mind.

Twenty-six years ago he died,
And yet so much of him survives:
The love that he had for his family
And the ways that he touched so many lives.

-by Bob B (6-16-24)

Certain events change our world
And boldly challenge the status quo,
Such as the following major event
That happened seventy years ago:

Sending shock waves throughout society,
Jackie Robinson challenged the norm
And gave a segregated system--
Major league baseball--a brand-new form.

Robinson broke the major league
Color barrier by cutting through
Years of unfair treatment in sports.
Three cheers for Number 42!

The ongoing struggle for civil rights
Would take inning after inning,
For Robinson's accomplishment
Wasn't an end but just a beginning.

Facing enormous hostility still,
The baseball player held his ground.
Sadly it took many years
For politicians to come around.

A year later President Truman
Integrated the military--
Also a long time coming,
But also a move that was necessary.

Seventeen long years later
Congress passed legislation
In civil rights, which became
A major blow to segregation.

Why so long? So it goes;
In politics you will find
That often we want to move ahead
While politicians lag behind.

Other barriers are still to be broken--
Barriers to civil and equal rights.
There are more fights to be fought
And goals on which to set our sights.

So let the number 42
Honor the history-making man
Who was a hero among many heroes,
Whether or not you're a baseball fan.

- by Bob B (4-15-17)

Do you remember Sandy Hook?
Do you remember when we
Heard about a twenty-year-old
Going on a ****** spree?

December 14: Do you remember
Hearing the news that day?
Twenty children are no longer here
To run and laugh and play.

Ages six and seven they were--
The kids who lost their lives.
Imagine the pain that lingers in every
Loved one who survives.

Six adults at the school that day
Were also brutally shot.
Will we ever find a way
To cut the Gordian knot

Of senseless killing and murderous mayhem,
Or having the fear that when
Our loved ones leave the house, they might
Never come home again?

Millions of Americans cling to a murky
Second Amendment right--
Spurred on by a huge gun lobby
Whose appalling power is tight.

It's bewildering why Sandy Hook
Wasn't the very last straw.
When looking at sensible gun control,
People just hem and haw.

Universal background checks;
Assault weapons bans as well;
No large-capacity magazines…
Must that be such a hard sell?

The focus of many is strictly on
Their "rights" and their pocketbooks
Instead of demanding ways to prevent
Future "Sandy Hooks."

- By Bob B

In the fall of 1972
When cosmos waved in the autumn breeze
For miles along the country roads,
And dappled foliage covered the trees,

In South Korea I knew a man--
I'll just call him Sergeant D--
Who was stationed in the city of Seoul
At a U.S. Army post with me.

Buddies we weren't. To tell the truth
I didn't know him very well.
But he was a definite character,
Always joking and raising hell.

Payday would come once a month
And Sergeant D would be in the black.
A few days later he'd want to borrow
Money that he'd never pay back.

That fall Sergeant D
Was "getting short," an expression that meant
He was close to leaving the service.
For him that was an exciting event.

"Short!" he'd yell, on entering the barracks.
"Short!" you'd hear from a block away.
He loved to rub it in, much
To his homesick army buddies' dismay.

To exit the service, he would fly
To California, where a car--
A flashy new model--awaited him
To drive back home--rather far.

So after the sergeant left Korea,
Picked up his car, and headed east,
He died on a California
Highway. Tragic, to say the least.

After having survived two tours
Of duty in Vietnam, this man
Left Korea and died before
His post-army life began!

Life is full of ironies
That always have us asking "Why?"--
Ironies that make us chuckle,
Make us ponder, make us cry.

- by Bob B

Maisha Oni Muhammad-Brinkley
In Dallas, Texas, worked her magic
As a respiratory therapist
Until, sadly, her life turned tragic.

Also known as the Breathing Lady,
Maisha became her patients' friend.
Her sweet smile and compassionate heart
Accompanied her until the end.

Last September, Maisha grew sick,
Having contracted COVID-19
Just a few months before
She'd have access to a vaccine.

The forty-three-year-old mother of four
Needed to be hospitalized
And placed on a ventilator.
The seriousness couldn't be minimized.

Commitment to excellence had always been
Her motivation. Now she depended
On help from others to fight the virus,
Since her life had been upended.

November 18 arrived--the day
The loving wife and mother died.
Her husband of twenty-four years was able
To be there sitting by her side.

So when you're feeling tired of the virus
And let down your guard, you will find
That YOUR life AND the lives of OTHERS
Could be at risk. Bear that in mind.

-by Bob B (1-29-21)

The year: 1921.
The date: the 31st of May.
A White lynch mob gathered at
The Tulsa courthouse late that day.

The goal: to lynch a nineteen-year-old
Black man, who'd been accused of assault,
Perpetuating the racist idea
That Black men are guilty by default.

The man, **** Rowland, had been accused
Most likely because of a misunderstanding.
Nevertheless, the angry mob--
Thirsty for blood--showed up demanding

To take the law into its own hands.
The news spread; the mob grew in size.
Some Blacks--among them some veterans--came
To stop the lynching. Not a surprise.

All of a sudden, shots were exchanged.
A few people died on the spot.
The group of Blacks retreated while
Rumors flourished and tempers grew hot.

The African-Americans lived
In a bustling district called Greenwood. Its fame
Was rapidly spreading; America's Black
Wall Street was its popular name.

Mobs rampaged through Greenwood streets,
Setting businesses on fire,
Looting homes and murdering people.
Rumors and hatred stoked their ire.

Firefighters, who rushed to the scene,
Were under attack and forced to flee.
For eighteen hours angry White mobs
Carried out their ****** spree.

At least thirty-five city blocks
Lay in ruins on June 1st.
Of low points in American history,
This has to be one of the worst.

It's hard to know how many people
Died, for numbers were underreported.°
Historians are grappling still
With information that's been distorted.

Thousands of people were homeless, for over
Twelve hundred homes had been destroyed.
A once thriving, exciting district
Became a charred, horrendous void.

The massacre was not unique;
Others have happened here as well.
The country--though great in many respects--
It has other ghastly stories to tell.

Time does not erase the past.
Don’t let memories become obscure.
We must work together so such
Atrocities never reoccur.

-by Bob B (5-31-21)

°Initially, the state reported 36 deaths. Historians say the death toll was much higher, from 150 to 300 people.

When we think of heroes or heroines,
Role models, mentors, or all of these combined,
The name WILMA RUDOLPH is one
That definitely should come to mind.

Wilma was born in 1940,
In Tennessee, the Volunteer State.
As a child she had polio and wore
A brace on her leg until she was eight.

They had to travel a distance to seek
Medical help because of a lack
Of services for folks in their town
If the color of their skin was black.

But Wilma was able to beat the odds
With inner strength and determination,
Along with physical therapy,
Hard work and dedication.

While still in high school in '56,
Winning became her newly found theme
As she won a bronze medal
On the US Olympic team.

Later, back in school holding
Her medal in the air for classmates to behold,
"Skeeter" (which was her nickname back then)
Said that her goal was to go for the gold.

In 1960, at the summer games
In Rome, Italy, the world would see
Wilma win not only ONE gold medal,
But the "fastest woman in the world" won THREE!

The first American woman to win
Three gold medals in track and field
At a single Olympiad, Wilma
Let her expertise be revealed.

One of the most popular
Athletes at the games in Rome,
Wilma became a superstar--
A status which followed her back home.

She then decided to teach and coach
And run a community center. Her name
Would shine along with the others in
The US Olympic Hall of Fame.

To Wilma, reaching your goal meant
You had to work hard--to persevere.
Her stamina guided her to become
A civil and women's rights pioneer.

Wilma succumbed to cancer in the year
1994, but she
And her inspiring life continue
To live on in our memory.

-by Bob B (2-27-18)

Josseli Barnica was a young mother
Who unfortunately became
The victim of laws in Texas denying
Women their rights. Remember her name.

This happened in 2021,
Even before the overturning
Of Roe v. Wade, and all of us
Should find Josseli's story concerning.

The 28-year-old pregnant mother,
Thrilled to be having child number two,
Learned that she was miscarrying--
Suddenly, and out of the blue.

Occurring shortly after Texas
Had passed strict abortion bans,
The incident reminds us that life
Doesn't always heed our plans.

The doctors faced a dilemma here.
The matter should have been routine,
But the new abortion laws
Made it a crime to intervene.

They said they wanted to help the patient
But told her that their hands were tied.
Because of their delay in treatment,
The young mother, Josseli, died.

Sepsis had taken the mother's life.
Abortion bans can sadly make
Pregnancies quite dangerous,
And many women's lives are at stake.

Lawmakers, are you happy now?
You SHOULD have been aware of the flaws
In your reckless attempts to control
Women with your draconian laws!

-by Bob B (10-31-24)

"Why did Mommie have to die?"
Asks a child? The answer, in short,
Is because of a lousy decision
Made by the country's highest court.

Since the 2022
Overturning of Roe v. Wade,
The Court has caused chaos and panic,
For women and doctors are afraid.

Not in every state, however--
Only in states that have curtailed
Women's rights. And still we see
New restrictions being unveiled.

When doctors are even afraid to treat
Miscarriages for fear
That they'll be prosecuted, well,
We have a real problem here.

Lack of prompt and urgent attention,
Can lead to sepsis, and women have died.
Many women refuse to seek help
For fear of being vilified.

The huge uncertainty about
Reproductive access has led
Some women who wanted children
To choose sterilization instead.

A number of states with very strict
Abortion bans have made provisions
For exceptions; fear, however,
Of criminal charges affects decisions.

Some women are willing to travel
To other states for medical care.
Other women cannot afford it,
Or they are scared and do not dare.

There's TOO much confusion and misinformation.
Many women seek out a bit
Of help on Reddit and TikTok, but
Do we know if the info's legit?

Here's an idea: if WE know that
An aborted fetus can live on its own,
Then "pro-lifers" can raise the child
And leave the mothers and doctors alone!

-by Bob B (10-17-24)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (9-30-21)

To return to the essence of what I was
Before I was: a mystery.
Will knowing who or what I was
Before I was be clear to me?

To speculate on lofty dreams:
Wistful efforts to fantasize
Something that’s unheard by formless
Ears or seen by formless eyes.

Disintegration of ruins show
The odd conception of what became
A vainglorious attempt to have
A monument outlast its name.

Will the name be muffled by
The echoes of a limitless void
When all semblance to what we think
Is real is once and for all destroyed?

Even though impermanence
Governs what we think and feel,
Maybe a deep understanding
Reveals something pure and real--

As real as any bubble that bursts
Or lightning flash from sky to earth.
Must being be purely palpable,
Or does it somehow transcend our birth?

Speculation gives the seeker
Hope--a blissful sanguinity--
While past, present, and future constantly
Merge into infinity?

-by Bob B (7-28-18)

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)

A BLUE WAVE swept across
America in 2018--
A definite reaction to
The Trump propaganda machine.

The wave, if not a tsunami, still
Brought about significant gains
For hopeful Democrats in the House
Who had to counter nasty campaigns.

Okay, yes, it works both ways,
But Democrats mainly stayed on topic,
Stressing the issue of health care, about
Which Republicans' views are myopic.

Trump and his favorites focused on
A "caravan," creating tension
And unwarranted fear in supporters.
Now it's a topic they barely mention.

The Democrats did exceedingly well
Despite all the voter suppression.
Of course, the Right yells, "Voter fraud!"--
Which has become another obsession.

Now the work really begins.
Will Trump model greater civility?
At least there will be checks and balances
And hopefully accountability.

In the meantime, we will wait
And see how politicians behave
And hope that more people will see
The benefits of riding the wave.

-by Bob B (11-10-18)

After years of limited access
To the voting booth,
We are now--once again--
Facing an ugly truth:

While laws making it easy to vote
Should be watertight,
Many Americans do not feel
That voting is a right.

There were the 13th, 14th, and 15th
Amendments. That is true.
But lawmakers STILL found ways to make
Voting hard to do.

Fifty-six years ago
We Americans saw
The Voting Rights Act being
Signed into law.

One would think that that would be
The end of the battle, but no:
Now lawmakers all around
The country are saying, "Whoa!

"We can't make it easy to vote.
NO WAY nohow!
People might vote for the other person,
And that we can't allow."

We must pass the necessary
Laws for voter protections.
If not, we'll have to say good-bye
To free and fair elections.

-by Bob B (8-7-21)

A river of lies flows from the White House.
Watch as the river widens each day.
Watch as it gains speed and momentum
And all credibility flows away.

The reasons for firing James Comey,
FBI Director, are scattered:
Because of Comey's treatment of Clinton's
Emails? Really, as if that mattered.

Then it was a DoJ
Suggestion that Trump was acting upon,
Adding another story to the
Great pretense phenomenon.

Next in an interview,
Trump sang another song--
That he had really wanted to fire
James Comey all along.

A man whom Trump had praised in the past
Was simply a "showboat," a "grandstander,"
Who'd lost control of the FBI.
Watch the river of lies meander.

We have heard a different story
Having to do with loyalty--
That Comey was fired because he wouldn't
Bow down before the royalty.

Just mention "Putin," "Russia," "hacking,"
"Collusion," and yes, "investigation,"
And the "You're fired!" president
Acts out of desperation.

Has Trump considered telling the truth?
He and his team should give it a try.
If they are going to make up stories,
At least they ought to stick to one lie.

- by Bob B (5-12-17)

Instead of fixing Obamacare,
Republicans are making it worse.
They want to play Robin Hood,
But they are playing the role in reverse.

Wanting to come to someone's rescue,
They've come up with a major switch
By robbing money from the poor
And giving that money to the rich.

Cutting Medicaid by billions
Of dollars over the next ten years
Will hurt the people who need the money
The most. The plan deserves no cheers.

To give 880 billion
Dollars in tax cuts to those with wealth
Shows that many Republicans care
More about money than people's health.

Experts predict that over a decade
Twenty-four million people will lose
Their health insurance, which is not
Very reassuring news.

As usual, the elderly
And poor will be the hardest hit.
People have to raise their voices.
We have the right to throw a fit.

So raise your fist in protest while
Ryan and his merry men
With hypocritical smiles on their faces
All come riding through the glen.

- by Bob B (3-15-17)

We see that Trump and his Republican
Friends are not averse
To funding cuts. Thus, they've become
Robin Hoods in reverse.

Robin Hood had a giant heart,
But this is quite a switch:
Republicans are robbing the poor
And helping out the rich!

Cutting healthcare and food assistance
Programs is their goal--
Something very unpopular
In almost every poll.

Some were holding out at first,
And, no, it wasn't a bluff.
They opposed the bill because
It didn't cut enough!

The bill also has a provision,
Which we know from reports
Takes away the contempt power
From our federal courts.

Is letting them take away our freedoms
Something we're okay with?
We must stop them from doing something
They shouldn't get away with.

Speak up! Protest! Raise your voice!
Watch Republicans gloat
As they take away our rights.
Remember that when you vote.

-by Bob B (5-22-25)

Did you happen to notice
That last year Santa's sleigh
Was missing an important
Figure, by the way?

Let's see: Comet and *****
Along with Cupid and Prancer
Were there, and so were Donner,
Dasher, Blitzen, and Dancer.

Which reindeer was missing?
Rudolph? Ah, you guessed it.
The news was out there, but
The media had suppressed it.

(Because of frequent fog,
Santa was being sensible
In counting on dear Rudolph,
Who had become indispensable.)

It all started like this:
On the morning of Christmas Eve,
Rudolph was tired from having
Been on the qui vive

For sneaky present robbers
All the previous night.
By noon, poor ol' Rudolph
Looked a sorry sight.

To perk himself up a bit--
The "where" is still unclear--
He dipped into a little
Too much Christmas "cheer."

Now I don't know about you,
But Rudolph's nose would flicker
Whenever he drank wine
Or any other liquor.

When the team of reindeer
Lined up, Santa could tell
That sleigh-guiding Rudolph
Wasn't doing so well.

Needless to say, Santa
Really got a whiff
When he approached his friend
And took a little sniff.

"I can tell, dear Rudolph,
That you've been making merry.
Did you turn your eggnog
Into a Tom and Jerry?"

"I think--hiccup!--a little,"
Said Rudolph with a blush.
"Go to bed," said Santa.
"We are in a rush."

That night Santa was forced--
Although he felt remorseful--
To use toys with lights
To guide him. How resourceful!

So last year if the batteries
To your toys were run down,
Causing disappointment
And many a tear and frown,

Don't feel so sad.
They went to a good cause:
They helped to distribute
Gifts from Santa Claus.

Regarding this year, I
Don't want to keep you guessin':
Rudolph's back in service.
I think he learned his lesson.

But some say Santa's considering--
Despite objections and moans--
Future gift deliveries
With the use of Amazon's drones.

- by Bob B

Let's call it what it is
And NOT cater to far-right haters--
Neo-Nazis, white supremacists,
And KKK demonstrators--

Who in polo shirts and carrying
Tiki torches in the night
Proclaim to us that expressing their hatred
And bigotry is their right.

Let's not legitimize
Efforts to take us back in time--
Efforts to recultivate
A prejudicial paradigm.

Trump and his administration
Of nativists and alt-right advisers,
Have openly given a green light to
Racist rally organizers.

Fringe groups that were somewhat obscured,
Have stepped into the light of day,
Emboldened by what irresponsible
Leaders might say or not say.

People were injured in the discord;
A counter demonstrator was killed.
Let's not allow desires for odious
Racial injustice to be fulfilled.

A president who says he wants
To make American great again
Is really much better at
Making America hate again.

-by Bob B (8-16-17)

He died at seventy years of age;
His words had poisoned a nation.
Much of what he ranted about
Was total fabrication.

White identity politics:
He set a blueprint for that.
And when he criticized liberals,
He upped the thermostat.

Race-baiting for him was certainly
Par for the course.
Constant attack was his strategy,
With no hint of remorse.

Being politically INcorrect
To show his point of view
And crossing the line of propriety
Were what he loved to do.

True he had his loyal fans
Who would never condemn
His bigotry and conspiracy theories.
What is wrong with them?

The Capitol insurrectionists,
Naturally, he'd spout,
Were NOT thugs, but patriots!
Figure that one out.

When giving him the Medal of Freedom
Despite his divisive ways,
Trump insulted all the people
Truly deserving of praise.

There are some who’ll jump for joy,
Knowing that Rush is gone.
But sadly all his vitriol
Continues to live on.

-by Bob B (2-18-21)

He died at seventy years of age;
His words had poisoned a nation.
Much of what he ranted about
Was total fabrication.

White identity politics:
He set a blueprint for that.
And when he criticized liberals,
He upped the thermostat.

Race-baiting for him was certainly
Par for the course.
Constant attack was his strategy,
With no hint of remorse.

Being politically INcorrect
To show his point of view
And crossing the line of propriety
Were what he loved to do.

True he had his loyal fans
Who would never condemn
His bigotry and conspiracy theories.
What is wrong with them?

The Capitol insurrectionists,
Naturally, he'd spout,
Were NOT thugs, but patriots!
Figure that one out.

When giving him the Medal of Freedom
Despite his divisive ways,
Trump insulted all the people
Really deserving of praise.

There are some who’ll jump for joy,
Knowing that Rush is gone.
But sadly all his vitriol
Continues to live on.

-by Bob B (2-18-21)

(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.)

Saber Rattling doesn't cut it
In this day and age.
Mindless ranting intensifies
A dangerous pressure gauge.

Threats, idle or otherwise,
Prove not strength but weakness
For those who think diplomacy
Epitomizes meekness.

They say that there is strength in numbers,
But that's not always true.
When numbers mask insecurity,
The real face shows through.

Credibility indicates
An inner strength and power.
Brute force and ignorance
Ultimately sour.

Praise to those who seek the truth
Before the world shatters.
Woe to us if we lose sight
Of what really matters.

- by Bob B (6-21-17)

Rising prices might distress us.
It might be harder to make ends meet.
Leaders have to make decisions
For which they're bound to take some heat.
But there are things that come at a price,
And they involve some sacrifice.

We know that wars have consequences
That affect the world at large.
We also know that very little
In this world comes free of charge.
Freedom lovers don't think twice
When it comes to sacrifice.

Tyrants rise and tyrants fall.
While they're in power, they deface
Democracy with dictatorial
Measures that they rush to embrace.
To curb their power, here's some advice:
Get ready for some sacrifice.

If democracy can flourish,
People eager for freedom must strive
To stop the flow of resources
That keep dictatorships alive.
It's not going to be all sugar and spice.
Get used to the concept "sacrifice."

-by Bob B (3-9-22)

Trump’s America: sad, sad, sad.
The horrors are quickly coming to a head.
After three and a half ugly years,
See where his failure to guide us has led.

What have we heard over and over--
Hateful rhetoric, thousands of lies?
Democratic values to him
Are merely something to pulverize.

Accountability: what's that?
He's fought it every inch of the way.
His low and demeaning attacks on our freedoms
Were bound to blow up in our faces one day.

"What can I do to rally my base?"
He wonders. "Be as obnoxious as ever.
I can do whatever I want;
I just have to pull the right lever."

To unify the country? No way!
That hasn't been a part of his plan.
We've seen what happens when people elect
A president who's a shifty con man.

His groveling toadies in Congress have lost
Any integrity they might have had.
Their cowardly actions have shown us that if
Trump is toxic, they're just as bad.

"A fish rots from the head down."
We often hear that said, I know.
But with all that is happening here,
The old expression is so apropos.

A virus spreads; people are dying.
To Donald Trump, Wall Street comes first.
It's all about attention and money
For which he has an unquenchable thirst.

We know where his loyalties lie,
And it's NOT with us common people, for sure.
Beneath his pompous bluster lies
A man who's weak and insecure.

Come November we have to decide:
Do we give the tyrant the boot,
Or do we allow him to bring the country
Into greater disrepute?

-by Bob B (6-12-20)

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)

When we last visited Santa,
A sign on which was written "For Sale"
Hung from a post on his property.
It's hanging there still from a rusty nail.

Santa shuffled out to greet us.
Conditions have been taking a toll
On Santa, for it is obvious that
Things aren't going so well at the Pole.

"Welcome back," said Santa, wiping
A little tear from the edge of his eye.
"I wish I could say that things were improving.
Alas, they're not," he said with a sigh.

"The Arctic is warming at such a fast rate!
Believe you me, it's very alarming.
Don't people care about
The habitats that humans are harming?

"Upsetting the balance of nature is having
Disastrous consequences, for now
We are at a tipping point.
How much more will we allow?

"Melting sea ice is making it hard
For animals who need it to thrive.
Polar bears and walruses
Are finding it hard to stay alive.

"A lot of snow and ice up here
Is badly needed to reflect
The sun's energy back into space.
Now we have the albedo effect:

"Water and rock both absorb
Heat from the rays of the sun, which will
Cause even more ice to melt,
Making the earth warmer still!

"Many animals face starvation,
Animals such as reindeer that graze.
As we observe the Greenland ice
Sheet melt, expect bleaker days.

"With the thawing of more terrestrial
Permafrost, methane's released
Into our earth's atmosphere.
Our problems once again are increased.

"I hate to be a buzz ****," he added.
"But my cheerful '**, **, **!'
Is turning into a dire warning--
Now it's more of a 'Whoa, whoa, whoa!'

"No one wants this property,
Other than polluters and drillers.
But I refuse to sell to climate
Change deniers or habitat killers."

Mrs. Santa called from the house.
"The missus needs me," he said. "So long.
Tell everyone that Santa needs
A climate change Christmas song."

With that, he turned and left us standing,
Baffled, bewildered, sad, distraught.
Some folks might be fooled by deniers,
But one thing's for certain: Santa's not.

-by Bob B (12-10-19)

Christmas Day! It's hot off the press.
I cannot believe what I am reading.
There in bold headlines and all in caps:
SANTA CLAUS PULLED OVER FOR SPEEDING!
 
Is it possible for Santa's sleigh
To exceed the maximum miles per hour?
Might that have a little to do
With all of his horse-…or reindeer-power?
 
The policeman asked for his driver's license.
A driver's license for Santa? What gives?
Don't cops know that such trivialities
Are unnecessary where Santa lives?
 
What about vehicle registration?
Also missing on Santa's person.
"Oh, oh," I thought. "He's going to have problems."
But keep on reading: things only worsen.
 
When asked if the red in his cheeks resulted
From tipping the bottle, Santa said, "Stop.
You must be kidding, for you ought to know
That Santa has NEVER touched a drop."
 
The policeman asked him to walk a straight line.
Shaking with laughter, the plump man replied,
"I can't EVEN see my feet.
I couldn't walk a straight line if I tried!"
 
The cop threatened to search the sleigh,
Which, Santa said, would be all right.
"But once you start," he added with a  grin,
"You'll find it's going to take you all night."
 
A witness heard Santa quietly mutter,
"It wasn't such a good idea
To take that alternate route. Good grief!
Where have I landed? In North Korea?
 
You know, you're putting me way behind schedule.
If I don't hurry, I'll be in big trouble."
Santa pleaded with the man in uniform,
"I need to get going on the double."
 
So Santa got off with only a warning.
We're lucky he wasn't hauled off to jail,
Which would have forced Mrs. Claus
To have to come up with money for bail.

- by Bob B

All was quiet at midnight
In the comfortable little house
Till Santa accidentally
Stepped on the dog's toy mouse.

The SQUEAK! sounded to Santa
As loud as a cannon boom!
He stopped in his tracks and waited
For silence to fill the room.

Carefully placing the presents
Under the Christmas tree,
He spied a plate of cookies
Next to a glass of Chablis.

Suddenly from the hallway
Came a little sound:
"Hold up your hands, Santa….
Now slowly turn around."

Complying with the order,
Santa turned. Behold!
Identical twins stood there--
Barely five years old.

Both were holding toy guns.
Santa all the while
Had to struggle to keep
From breaking out in a smile.

"We just saw you closing
Mommy and Daddy's door,"
Said one. "We want to know
What you were looking for."

"I had to make sure," said Santa,
"That they were fast asleep.
You know how our Mommies
Hear every little peep."

The boys squinted their eyes,
Not sure what to believe.
All they knew was that Santa
Wasn't the kind to deceive.

"I heard," said the other twin,
"From a friend of mine
That you like to drink milk;
But Daddy says you like wine."

Santa hesitated:
"Well…it depends on my mood.
Sometimes I like variety
Regarding my drink or my food."

The first asked, "Why are Santas--
The ones we see at the mall--
Big and round, but you
Look so skinny and small?"

"Santa works so hard
And he's up so very late,
By the time he is finished,
He's lost a lot of weight."

Santa mumbled softly,
"Will they buy that story,
Or am I going to sound
Trite and conciliatory?"

The dog came in from the hallway
Wagging his tail as though
He had been Santa's friend
From a long time ago.

"How does Sparky know you?"
Both boys asked, surprised.
"ALL pets love Santa,"
The wise man emphasized.

The twins were resolute,
And both remained suspicious.
"You know," said Santa wily,
"It wouldn't be judicious

"To keep detaining Santa.
He has lots to do.
Other kids are waiting
For presents, just like you."

"Ju-what?...Aw, never mind!"
Responded the second twin,
Coming around to realize
The hurry Santa was in.

"We hope we get what we asked for.
But one thing we want to make clear:
If all we get is clothes,
You'll be in trouble next year."

Santa winked and smiled.
"Deal!" he firmly said.
Now put down your weapons
And go back to bed."

While drifting off to sleep
In their beds shortly thereafter,
The two boys heard some mumbling
Accompanied by laughter.

They shot out of bed in the morning--
Slightly after dawn.
The first thing they noticed was
The wine and cookies were gone.

But glasses resembling their dad's
Had been left behind.
Their dad said he could wear them
If Santa didn't mind.

- by Bob B

When Santa returned to the slushy North Pole--
Effects of global warming, you see--
He sat down in his old recliner,
Sighed, and muttered, "Oh, dear me."

Mrs. Claus--who had been in bed--
Entered the room and felt distressed
To see her hubby in such a state--
So disconsolate and depressed.

She offered to make him a cup of hot coffee--
Something that Santa would never refuse--
As he wrote lyrics to what he called
"The Merry Little Christmas Blues":°

"I don't like what's happening to Christmas;
It's just not the same.
It's now so
Commercial that it's such a shame.

"I don't like what's happening to Christmas;
Gone are peace and joy.
I now fear
For every little girl and boy.

"Wars rage on bringing suffering
All around the world. So sad.
Many folks follow autocrats.
Oh, I think the world's gone mad.

"If the people will not say good-bye to
Hatred, war, and greed,
I fear that compassion cannot intercede.
Compassion's what all people in the world need."

That's what Santa sang to the missus,
And she--poor lady--started to cry.
Santa then repeated two stanzas
While gently wiping a tear from his eye.

"Wars rage on bringing suffering
All around the world. So sad.
Many folks follow autocrats.
Oh, I think the world's gone mad.

"If the people will not say good-bye to
Hatred, war, and greed,
I fear that compassion cannot intercede.
Compassion's what all people in the world need."

"I'm sorry, my dear," said Mrs. Claus,
"But your sad song is making me weep.
You have had a busy night.
Go lie down and get some sleep."

-by Bob B (12-28-24)

°Santa wrote his lyrics to a blues version of the melody to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

(This poem could be sung to the melody of Rodgers and Hammerstein's song "Climb Every Mountain” from THE SOUND OF MUSIC.)

Vote Democratic!
Hear now my plea.  
More’s at stake than merely
Our economy.

Vote Democratic!
Let freedom thrive.
Democratic values
Must be kept alive.

A candidate who
Tries to push Trump’s Big Lie
Is not right for the job.
You will see by and by.

Vote Democratic!
May hearts be stirred.
Sing the song of freedom.
Let your voice be heard!

Our rights are at stake,
Like the freedom to choose.
People must realize
We have so much to lose.

Vote Democratic!
May hearts be stirred.
Sing the song of freedom.
Let your voice be heard!

-by Bob B (10-17-22)