The poor, poor billionaires
Are really having it tough.
It seems as though the money grabbers
Just aren't rich enough.

They dumped a lot of money, of course,
Into Trump's campaign.
Now they're hoping that poorer people's
Loss will be their gain.

Trump and wealthy supporters, including
Folks on Capitol Hill,
Are backing what Trump stupidly calls
His big, beautiful bill.

Many people will lose health care
With cuts to the safety net.
The bill will also add trillions of dollars
To the national debt.

Billions of dollars will go to ICE
To do its dastardly deeds.
Trump wants everybody to think
It's what the country needs.

Again we see that Trump and fellow
Republicans have the itch
To push through legislation giving
Tax breaks to the rich.

-by Bob B (6-29-25)

A lie has tremendous power
To trick, to dupe, to deceive,
Until people don't know
What they should believe.

Lies dealt profusely
Appear in varied capacities,
And artful dealers can make
Untruths sound like veracities.

Though they're sickeningly sweet,
Unctuous, and runny,
Lies can nonetheless give
The truth a run for its money.

A certain news agency
Dons a clever disguise;
And then as sly as a Fox,
It spreads its vicious lies.

Mendacious information
Insults the people that hear it.
History has shown us
That there's a reason to fear it.

We see all the time
That lies have a snowball effect
And gather more momentum
When they go unchecked.

When leaders resort to lying,
Though their words are disproved,
The people will live in *******
Until that leader's removed.

The truth can sometimes hurt.
Falsehoods, however, annoy,
Bear down on humanity,
Abuse, defile, and destroy.

-by Bob B (12-12-17)

Loudly the Muses sing out a tale:
The President and the **** Star.
They sing about qualifications and how
Much a leader can lower the bar.

Their voices resound as they tell the story
That happened ten years before he became
The president. Though married he was,
Marriage to him was just a game.

Four months after his fifth child was born,
The man--a celebrity--had his fling.
Did his third wife know? The Muses
Haven't told us everything.

Feeling outrage overload,
The public merely said, "Just one
More story to add to a growing collection.
The man was just having some fun."

If the celebrity had an adventure,
If he had his little affair,
That was his choice--his decision.
Frankly, the Muses really don't care.

When money became involved in the matter,
It gave the story an added dimension.
Hush money paid to the star?
That's what attracted the Muses' attention.

A payment of one hundred thirty thousand
Dollars went to the **** star's account
Before the election to keep her silent,
The importance of which was paramount.

With so many songs to sing, the Muses
Inspire us to listen, to learn,
To grasp the art of living, to seek
The beauty of truth, for which we yearn.

Keep singing, Muses. Follow the money.
Point out hypocrisy, fraud, and deceit.
What more can your songs reveal?
The truth should never become obsolete.

-by Bob B (1-19-18)

The prosecutor versus the felon:
The felon had better be wary.
THIS prosecutor will be
A powerful adversary.

Both are running for president.
The felon thinks that he
Can disconcert the prosecutor,
Who happens to be a she.

She can see directly through
The tactics that he uses
To boost his power and also to flout
The laws that he abuses.

Perceptive, undaunted, astute, and wise,
She knows a con when she sees one.
And anyone who pays attention
Certainly knows that he's one.

Judging from past experience,
We know that he'll resort
To unabashedly accepting
His Russian buddy's support.

Come November, voters should
Remember the following quote:
"This is a fight for freedom," she says.
She will get my vote.

-by Bob B (7-26-24)

The race is on. Watch the runners.
They will soon be rounding the bend.
Oh, the excitement! Oh, the thrills!
We're all wondering how it will end.

Runner number ONE is full
Of life, enthusiasm and grace.
Runner Number TWO, much older,
Has trouble keeping up with the pace.

Runner ONE advances with goals;
She will move the country ahead.
Runner TWO--a he, by the way--
Would move the country backwards, instead.

HER focus is not on herself;
What's BEST for the country is her aim.
HIS focus is how he can boost
His OWN ego and garner fame.

HER beliefs are true and sincere.
HIS, however, seem so shoddy.
In fact, the phony doesn't even
Have a religious bone in his body.

She is optimistic about
A future that's bright and full of hope.
He is full of negative rants
And looks and sounds like a misanthrope.

SHE believes in letting the voters
Fairly decide if she will win.
From past experience he knows
That ONLY through cheating he'll save his skin.

Will Runner TWO stay on his feet,
Or will he trip over more of his lies?
Can Runner ONE keep her momentum
As her supporters' spirits rise?

And on they run. Their fans are cheering.
My goodness! It would be so fine
If Runner Number ONE could be
The first to cross the finish line!

-by Bob B (8-10-24)

The Trump thank-me rallies continue
As Trump hops from state to state,
Expecting applause and adulation
From loyal fans who congregate.

Trying to sound presidential
Is a challenge for one ill-equipped
To speak without a teleprompter
And sound articulate when off script.

To Trump press conferences
Are useless, senseless rigmarole.
He is more comfortable
Tweeting and being an Internet troll.

But how he loves his thank-me rallies!
He can stand on the stage and address
All of his vague promises
Without questions from the press.

Cheering crowds of people show up,
Praising Trump's theatricality.
Funny, many supporters share
The man's alternate reality.

- by Bob B (12-14-16)

The account that follows fills me with sadness--
Sadness and anger at the same time.
Oftentimes a draconian law
Can itself be a crime.

A mother, Amber Nicole Thurman,
Because of Georgia's abortion "solution,"
Died because her doctors wouldn't
Treat her, fearing prosecution.

Unexpelled fetal tissue
Required attention--a D&C.°
Thurman had developed sepsis.
They had to move ASAP.

But because of Georgia's laws,
The doctors, afraid of going to jail,
Waited far too long to act.
Thurman's organs had started to fail.

When the doctors finally
Performed the procedure, it was too late,
Thanks to the strict and narrow-minded
Laws affecting the folks in that state.

Governor Kemp was thrilled when the state's
Abortion ban went into effect.
What other anti-freedom laws
Will Georgia try to resurrect?

Whether to end a pregnancy
Is not an easy decision, but still,
Women should have the right to decide
If it should be by procedure or pill.

Applying loaded words such as "******"
To women and doctors is simply wrong!
Some lawmakers want us to think
That we are weak, but they are strong.

In their attempts to limit women's
Choice, they think that they have won,
While Amber Thurman leaves behind
A six-year-old motherless son.

-by Bob B (9-18-24)

°dilation and curettage, a surgical procedure that involves removing tissue from the ******

Cleo is quite the regal cat.
Whenever strangers meet her
They must pay close attention to
The manner in which they greet her.

A "Hi, kitty, kitty!" just won't do;
That she won't allow.
She prefers, "Your majesty!"
Followed by a bow.

"Such a princess!" people say
On seeing her noble mien.
"I beg your pardon," Cleo thinks.
"Princess? No, it's QUEEN!"

"Where's my scepter? Where's my crown?"
She asks as she marches away
To sit on her throne--a padded chair--
And keep her subjects at bay.

If forced to move from her comfy spot
She makes her displeasure known
With angry looks and a meow expressed
In a very undignified tone.

"There's no justice in this base world
If subjects can treat you so,"
Cleo thinks as she leaves the room
With her pride taking a blow.

She finds a safe, secluded room
That isn't filled with noise
And waits for her evening banquet when she
Can surely regain her poise.

Her subjects know that her taste is refined;
Her needs must be addressed.
Food that's fit for a queen must do--
In other words, the best.

If the quality suffers, Cleo
Will turn up her nose, refusing
To eat another bite and thinks,
"I DON’T find this amusing!"

When people address her as Cleo, she wonders,
"Why don't people see
That Cleopatra is really what
MY name ought to be?

"But, alas, I must remember
That humans are all substandard.
They think they control the world,
And WE'RE the ones who are slandered."

At nighttime Cleo will seek a place
Where she will be undisturbed.
Everyone knows to leave her alone,
Or she will be quite perturbed.

She dreams of sitting alone on a chaise
Pulled by a team of mice
And then of eating her favorite meal:
Anchovies on ice.

-by Bob B (3-6-24)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (6-18-23)

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

Death--a relentless stalker--
Never leaves us alone
Until he once and for all
Makes us one of his own.

We think that we elude him.
Although our defenses are weak,
We try to play a fruitless
Game of hide and seek.

He knows every refuge--
Every hiding place--
And hates it when we spurn
His unwelcome embrace.

"Death, be gone!" we say.
"For you I have no use.
Your never-ending threats
Are nothing but abuse."

"Can't you see," says he,
"That I’m determinative?
Only because of me
Are you able to live."

Lurking in the shadows,
He hopes that we'll forget
To heed our inner warnings
Acknowledging him as a threat.

His efforts to cajole us
Into succumbing are steady.
He demands our compliance
Whether or not we're ready.

When he takes our hand,
The best that we can do
Is stare him down and say,
"I'm not afraid of you!"

-by Bob B (1-2-20)

There's a scammer born every minute!
Every time you turn around
There's someone with a scam.
It's frustrating to always have
A mailbox full of spam.
Can anything be done about it?
Maybe not, so ****!
There's a scammer born every minute!

There's a scammer born every minute!
Whether it is on the phone,
An email, or a text,
Or whether they are at your door,
What will they think of next?
The matter makes me furious,
Disgusted and perplexed.
There's a scammer born every minute!

There's a scammer born every minute!
How DO they live without a conscience?
That's how they survive.
By lying and deceiving they will
Keep their schemes alive.
Unsuspecting victims are
Their targets; thus, they thrive.
There's a scammer born every minute!

There's a scammer born every minute!
Unethical, unprincipled,
Amoral, creepy, vile,
Repugnant, shameless, loathsome, hateful,
They are full of guile.
Sorry, but to see them have to pay
Would make me smile.
There's a scammer born every minute!

-by Bob B (4-21-24)

(This poem could be sung to the melody of Stephen Sondheims's song "Giants in the Sky" from INTO THE WOODS.)

There's a virus going around!
There's a harmful, horrible virus going around!

When you wake each day,
And you hear the news,
And you'd like to think
That it's just a ruse--
That it's maybe a dream--
And so you refuse
To let it change your life.

Then you realize
That the dream is real,
And you learn that you
Simply can't conceal
The troubling facts
That the signs reveal.
You know…you must
Decide to place your trust
In people who don't put on airs.
Their message scares
Us because there's
A harmful, horrible virus going around--
A harmful, horrible virus. Oh, yes, that's what they've found.
And it is a threat
To both you and me.
Yet some people say
That they don't agree.
Though it creeps up close
And it doesn't make a sound,
It's all around.

If only we knew how
To fight it best.
One thing we know is
We can take a test.
But the president seems
To be so obsessed
With other matters, so…

Each state is stuck with
Figuring it out.
And you're out of luck
Unless you've got clout.
So you distance yourself
From others, no doubt.
And you wonder how
The delays came about.
But hey!…Just say,
"We can make this go away!"
But to find a path
Will not be a breeze.
We need expertise
In times like these.
Some say that our economy must come first.
If that is more important than lives, then we’re at our worst.
Yes, we have to work to live and thrive,
But to work a person must be alive.
There are some things that
Can or cannot be reversed.
It's all around.

There's a virus going around!
There's a harmful, horrible, awful, deadly, dangerous
Virus going around!

-by Bob B (5-13-20)

(Listen to Lin Manuel Miranda sing Sondheim's song on YouTube.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz-eZEcsvIk

There was a great nation that wasn't that old.
Born when it broke from tyranny's hold,
The land once proclaimed freedom for all.
Who'd ever guess what would befall?
Here's what happened: a billionaire
With rude behavior and flaxen hair
Bluffed his way through an election
And won because of the law's imperfection.
Many voters could not understand
Why others had buried their heads in the sand.
That this outspoken man was the victor
Shocked many an election predictor.
Some said the win was not on the level
And gave the winner no reason to revel.
Whatever the case, this east coast resident
Became the nation's forty-fifth president.

(Many voters held misinformed views
From eating a steady diet of Fox News,
Gorging on pages of Breitbart sludge,
And wallowing in pools of something called Drudge.
They didn't see the signs that were looming
From a candidate NOT at all unassuming.
When demagoguery's alive and well
And one has a bill of goods to sell,
Some people miss the warning alarm.
They fail to imagine how much harm
A person can do to set back the nation,
And they give that person a standing ovation.
False news reports have power to affect
Election results when facts go unchecked,
And when people blindly accept what they read,
Manipulated "facts" do mislead.)

Before the newly elected official--
Whose reputation had been prejudicial--
Received an official swearing in,
He caused many heads to spin.
Posting on Twitter tweet after tweet--
Some of which were not so discreet--
He, on purpose or maybe not--
Depending on your school of thought--
Made many people and nations wary
With tweets that were more than a little bit scary.
To expand the nuclear capability
And disregard the world's volatility
Would be a plan that smacked of insanity
And also would be a threat to humanity.
The new leader just couldn't refrain
From posting such tweets that sounded insane.

Before taking office the leader selected
A team of advisers who truly projected
A frightening image to people who knew
What kind of damage officials could do.
Some appointees had donated huge
Sums to help elect their stooge.
Few had experience in their position,
But that didn't matter since their mission
Was not so much service, but instead
To **** the agency that they led.
One adviser, who stirred up much fear
And had his mouth in the new leader's ear,
Peddled conspiracy theories that made
Him sound like a madman on a crusade.
The country had never seen such a bunch
Of advisers so clearly out to lunch.

The new leader had a connection
With someone for whom he had great affection:
Vladimir Putin, a tyrant who led
A country called Russia, which once was red.
The reasons the two got so tight
Slowly but surely came to light:
The lifting of sanctions, business ties,
How to control people with lies…
The new leader's kids were also expected
To help their dad, who newly elected,
Had to make important decisions
Despite causing rifts and divisions.
(It's hard for a businessman
With a 90-second attention span
And whose thoughts keep disappearing
To make much sense of what he's hearing.)

The newly-elected president,
Who didn't care about time well spent,
Continued rallies from state to state.
The egomaniac couldn't wait
To stand before a cheering crowd
And share his petty thoughts out loud.
"I have a mandate," he muttered,
And falsehoods colored the words that he uttered.
"I'll make this country great again!"
Instead he made many hate again.
He promised to create millions of jobs;
But that was a ploy by him and his nobs.
The crafty plans of this bait and switcher
Would make the poor poorer and the rich richer.
The people would have a lot more to say
After Inauguration Day.

(To be continued…)

- by Bob B (12-26-16)

They love to distract us out of anger and spite--
Those members of Congress on the far right.
Sometimes one wonders: Have they no shame?
For they keep on playing the Republican game.

The House keeps on passing bill after bill.
Then Moscow Mitch goes in for the ****.
Nothing gets passed, and the Senate's to blame.
For they keep on playing the Republican game.

They keep on saying how much they care
About their kids' future and how they will fare.
If they're so caring, then why do they claim:
No global warming? A Republican game.

They give huge tax breaks to those at the top
And don't care that others suffer nonstop
With high costs of drugs and health care that's lame.
That must be part of the Republican game.

They say they value justice and rules.
Yet they don't mind if they're played for fools
By giving support to a leader whose name
Will haunt us forever. The Republican game.

That they trust in Party over people is clear.
It's NOT hard to see beneath their veneer.
Do you ever wonder when they became
So fully enmeshed in the Republican game?

Republicans out there, your GOP
Members of Congress ***** you and me.
They're more controlled by their lobbyists' aim:
To profit by playing the Republican game.

-by Bob B (11-8-19)

The River of Lies and Deceit keeps flowing.
It's obviously a matter of course.
Desperation and guile feed it,
And Donald Trump is the river's source.

Almost everything that comes
Out of that man's mouth is a lie.
Have the psychoanalysts tried
To figure out the reason why?

Poor ***** training perhaps
When he was a kid, wetting his pants?
Does that explain his nasty behavior?
Does that explain his childish rants?

Call someone a socialist
And that will spell the person's doom,
He thinks. Donald Prevaricator
Ought to be his nom de plume.

He lies about his opponent's record;
He lies when he talks about immigration;
He lies about election polls;
He lies about the state of the nation;

He lies when he speaks of border issues;
He lies about his foreign connections;
He lies about the economy;
He lies about fraud in our elections.

Would it be better to count the times
He tells the truth instead of lying?
Hmm. Let's see. It's going to take
A while to do it…. We're still trying.

How he gets away with it
Is really hard to understand.
Meanwhile, the River of Lies
And Deceit continues to flood the land.

-by Bob B (8-31-24)

"I'm an Alabamian
And proud to be one, too.
Nobody is going to tell me
What to say or do.
So, when it comes to voting,
I have got one rule:
Since I'm a Republican
And no, I'm no one's fool,
And also since the candidates
All have different aims,
I'll vote only for the ones
With R's next to their names.

"I don't care if you’re a cad;
You will toe the line
If your thoughts on God and guns
Correspond to mine.
You can be knocked off the bench
And thumb your nose at laws.
I don't know what you could do
That would give me pause.
Stealing from your charity?
Even that's fair game.
I will vote for you 'cause there's
An R next to your name.

"I don't care what you have done
In your cloudy past.
I don't care how many accu-
Sations you've amassed.
How you've treated women, well,
That is just your style.
I don't even care if you
Were once a *******,
Or if you blasted Muslims or
Transgenders with no shame,
You will get my vote 'cause there's
An R next to your name."

-by Bob B (11-18-17)

Two monks were kneeling by a river,
Washing their bowls in its gentle flow.
One rescued a drowning scorpion,
Which stung his hand before he let it go.

Finishing their daily ritual,
They were about to depart when
They noticed that the very same scorpion
Had fallen into the water again.

Once more the monk reached down,
Scooped up the scorpion with his hand,
And once more the scorpion stung him
Before he placed it on the dry sand.

The other monk questioned him:
"I know the scorpion's a living thing,
But why do you keep saving it when
You know its NATURE is to sting?

"I don't think I could give it
The kind attention that you gave it."
The first monk calmly looked at the other
And replied, "It's MY nature to save it."

-by Bob B (4-4-18)

°An old story retold here in verse

As the House members turn up the dial
At the president's impeachment trial,
If you're keeping score,
You'll see more and more
That the GOP lives in denial.

How can a trial be legit
If Midnight Mitch will not permit
Key witnesses there?
He says, "I don't care.
Who needs a trial? Just acquit."

His reasoning's so hard to parse.
He basically says, "Kiss my ****."
There's SO much at stake,
But HE'S going to make
The trial in the Senate a farce.

-by Bob B (1-22-20)

Congress has numerous duties
With oversight being one.
The president's decided that
Such oversight he will shun.

In other words, he chooses to thumb
His nose at our Constitution.
His lackeys in Congress refuse to defy him,
Fearing his nasty retribution.

Refusing to cooperate with
The lawful demands of Congress, he
Thinks that he's above the law,
Which justifies an inquiry.

Occurring at the moment is
A constitutional crisis, which
The president craftily plans
To pull off without a hitch.

Defying subpoenas and trying to silence
Witnesses' testimonies,
He's rejecting checks and balances
With the help of some of his cronies.

The president seems to think
That certain people should be exempt
From testifying. But watch as they
All are cited for contempt.

Americans deserve to know
What is really happening here.
Trump's obstruction of justice and his
Abuse of power are something to fear.

What it boils down to is this:
It's Trump versus the truth. That's it!
If you dig deep, you will find
What motivates the hypocrite.

If his record were squeaky clean,
Hearings could be set aside.
However, his suspicious behavior
Keeps us wondering, "What's there to hide?"

-by Bob B (5-9-19)

The spider spins its silky web,
Carefully constructing its trap.
Then it sits and waits for its prey
To figuratively land in its lap.

Patiently, it waits and waits.
It hopes an unsuspecting fly
Will dart into its fibrous silk
Where it will then bid life good-bye.

The web shakes. Aha! A victim!
Very aware of the struggling shape,
The spider rushes to nab the creature,
For whom there will be no escape.

After injecting the fly with venom,
Then it quickly and deftly bestrides
Its helpless and now paralyzed victim.
The venom will liquify its insides.

The spider also wraps its capture.
Soon the sneaky spiderweb spinner
Will hungrily **** out every bit
Of liquified parts of the fly for dinner.

Of course, not all spiders spin webs.
Some just sit and patiently wait
For their prey to wander by.
Then they pounce and seal its fate.

So who's the spider? Vladimir Putin.
Its prey? Americans who pretend
That Putin is NOT our adversary,
But, instead, a trustworthy friend.

-by Bob B (11-22-24)

A thirsty stag wandered into
A meadow to reach a pool.
He saw his reflection in the clear water
And thought to himself, "How cool!

"What a beautiful pair of antlers!
I can't believe they're mine.
The curves are superb; they spread out so far.
They're UTTERLY divine!

"But, oh, what ugly legs I have!
They need some readjusting.
How skinny and weak and contorted they look!
They couldn't be more disgusting."

All of a sudden, a lion appeared.
Then a chase ensued.
The stag knew that he had to run fast
Or he'd be lion food.

At first the ground over which he ran
Was free of many trees.
He was able to outrun the lion
With the greatest of ease.

However, soon he came to the woods
Where branches were hanging low.
His antlers got caught in the branches, and he
Staggered to and fro.

As the lion approached the stag,
The stag could clearly see
That he was about to die, and so
He cried, "Oh, woe is me!

"While I despised my legs, I praised
My antlers to the skies.
Ironically, my antlers will
Lead to my demise."

The moral? We should stop and think
Before we gloat or boast,
For far too often we value the least
What is worth the most.

-by Bob B (8-26-21)

°An Aesop fable retold here in verse

One day it dawned on Lana:
Some physical “flaws” seemed more dominant.
Rivers of wrinkles crisscrossed her face,
And the bump on her nose looked more prominent.
“This just won’t do,” she said to herself.
“Good looks are SO in demand.
I’ve got to see Dr. Slicestitch before
All of this gets out of hand.”
 
The doctor, after examining Lana,
Made a few helpful suggestions:
“I have the perfect plan for you.
Just stop me to ask any questions.
Let’s start with a major skin resurfacing
To get rid of wrinkles and spots.
We’ll do a slice here, a little slice there,
And then we will start with the shots.
Collagen and Botox injections
Will follow your mid-face lift.
Rhinoplasty will flatten your nose.
But we can’t give your ***** short shrift.
If you’re looking at breast enlargement,
We can give you an impressive rack—
Unless reduction is more beneficial
To somewhat relieve that pain in your back.
We’ll lift your eyelids, raise your cheekbones,
And put an implant in your chin.
We’ll thicken your lips and pull back your neck
To allow you to have the tightest of skin.
There's sclerotherapy for varicose veins;
My accuracy is really uncanny.
And a little more work in the lower area
Will give great form to your flat *****.
Liposuction on your thighs and belly
Would, I think, be very smart.
Plus laser treatment for unwanted hair.
All this should be a great START.”
 
You should see Lana now;
Stop by to kindly surprise her.
You’ll be astonished by her new look,
Although you won’t recognize her.
Her face is so tight that she can’t smile;
Her translucent skin is pale and waxen.
Her chin protrudes and her nose is flat.
She’ll remind you of Michael Jackson.
It almost seems as though she can’t blink;
If she could, I’d be amazed.
The look on her face is the look of a woman
Perpetually shocked or crazed.
Regarding her *******, she went with large
Instead of doing the breast reduction.
Her ******* might turn heads, but not
The loose skin from her liposuction.
Yes, she’s got new shape to her bottom,
But now especially she must beware:
Since she is so heavy on top,
It makes it hard to sit on a chair.
Since she’s started all this work,
Frequent adjustments will be needed
To fine tune areas that would get messy
If they're left entirely unheeded.
 
A major overhaul on a car
Works well on an old Model T.
The human body is more problematic;
The outcome has no guarantee.
A little adjustment here and there
Is fine if it’s done quite tastefully.
But many people like the idea
Of growing old gracefully.
Lana received a complete transformation;
Of options she was presented with plenty.
It’s just that it’s strange when someone looks
Seventy going on twenty.

- by Bob B

One day Skunk said to Fox,
“Boy, do you ever reek!
I have to tell you, Foxie:
You smell worse than last week.”
 
Fox replied to Skunk,
“Hey, you’re one to talk.
I can smell you coming
From way around the block.”
 
Skunk said, “Okay, let’s ask
Ms. Flower since she’s so discreet.”
Said Fox, “Yuck, why her?
She smells so sickeningly sweet.”
 
So Fox suggested Pelican.
“Well,” said Skunk, “if you wish.
But don’t forget that he always
Smells like rotten fish.”
 
They tried and tried for hours
To agree on who could best judge
Which of the two smelled the worse.
Finally, Fox cried out, “Fudge!”
 
Then Fox went on his way,
Wandering back to his den.
“Don’t YOU smell good!” said the Missis;
She even said it again.
 
Skunk hurried on home,
Where he knew his mother would be.
“Mom, do I smell bad?”
She answered, “Not to me.”
 
A moral of this story
Is all about point of view:
Let others be who they are,
And enjoy just being you.
 
Take with a grain of salt,
What others say or think;
And never let it upset you
If they say that you stink!

- by Bob B

While walking in a desolate area
Without a weapon and all alone,
A man encountered a vicious tiger.
He stopped in his tracks and uttered a moan.

He ran to the edge of a nearby cliff
And glanced at the jagged rocks below.
Desperate, he climbed down a vine
And hung there swinging to and fro.

Looking up, he saw two mice
And had to stifle his fearful cries.
The mice were gnawing on the vine!
His whole life flashed before his eyes.

Then he noticed a strawberry plant.
Holding on as best he could,
He plucked a single berry and ate it.
A berry had never tasted so good!

(3-2-17) By Bob B

°An old tale retold here in verse

In rural Georgia lived a loving
Man known as Robert Eads.
People with a heart as big as his
Are more of what this world needs.

Life has in store for us
A future we can never foretell.
As loving and kind as a person is,
That doesn't mean that all will go well.

In 1996, Robert
Found out he had ovarian cancer.
Ovarian? How could that be? you ask.
He was transgender--a simple answer.

Experiencing abdominal pain,
Robert knew he needed assistance.
But because of his gender identity,
The sick man met with careless resistance.

As Robert grew sicker and sought treatment,
More than a dozen doctors would meet him.
But fearing he'd make their practice look bad,
Those same doctors refused to treat him!

Shirking their responsibility,
Those doctors sealed Robert's fate.
By the time he found one who would help him,
The cancer had spread; it was too late.

A year of aggressive medical treatment,
Gave him time with those he'd befriended,
And time with family, until the day
In '99, when his life ended.

Robert had never understood
How people could be so cruel, and yet
He bore no hatred and took each day
As it came without blame or regret.

How he had loved his girlfriend, Lola--
A transgender woman and love of his life!
If he were still alive today,
I'm sure that they'd be husband and wife.

In Robert's memory, a pine tree was planted.
His ashes were scattered at the base of the tree.
How often in life people must struggle
To be the person that they must be!

- by Bob B

The sum of our experiences:
That's who we are.
Do our experiences guide us
To reach for that distant star?
 
Do they allow us to see
Through a person's façade?
Do they help us uncover
Dangerous deceit and fraud?
 
Do they take us to places
Of deep and profound thought
Outside our ego selves,
Where we're something we're not?
 
Or do our experiences hold us
In a superficial realm
Or on a ship of mindlessness
With ignorance at the helm?
 
Do they allow us to open
Both our minds and our hearts--
To discard superstition
And embrace what reason imparts?
 
Since we're made up of all
That we have seen and known,
How reassuring it is
To know we're not alone.

That reassurance
Should make us mindfully strive
To work for the good of all people
So that our planet can thrive.

- by Bob B

This is the tale of an EPA
Administrator who
Has no shame at all about taking
Advantage of me and you.

We've seen him roll back fifty years
Of environmental protections;
That's bad for us but good for all of his
Oil and gas connections.

A costly, inflated security team
To fly with him overseas
24/7? That ought to make
Taxpayers ill at ease.

For him first class is a must when he flies;
To hell with flying coach.
He feels his team deserves the same
And thinks he's beyond reproach.

Better yet, he would prefer
Military jets.
So what if it costs us even more money;
He has no regrets.

When staff members question his spending
And wonder if it's required,
They will find themselves demoted,
Reassigned, or fired.

Receiving monetary favors
From lobbyists isn't proper.
He wants a bullet-proof SUV;
But here's the real showstopper:

Security staff admit that when he--
In order to catch his flights
Or go to dinner--will ask them to use
Their sirens and flashing lights!

A recent trip took him and his team
To Morocco, but alas,
Believe it or not, the reason was
To promote natural gas!

His attitude toward tax-payer
Dollars is cavalier;
But when it comes to helping the poor,
He is more austere.

So this is how Trump drains the swamp!
A funny way to do it.
But maybe he fits right in with the rest:
That's our man Scott Pruitt!

-by Bob B (4-6-18)

I ran into Tom Turkey today;
It's been a couple of years.
We sat in a local bar together
And drank a couple of beers.

"Tom," I said, "I know quite well
That life has its bumps,
But often when I run into you,
You're feeling down in the dumps.

"Last Thanksgiving had to be
A difficult one for you,
But what is happening this year
That's making you feel so blue?"

"Well," he replied, "you know the day
Is always bittersweet:
It's nice to see people celebrate
But sad to be the meat.

"COVID put a real damper
On last year's merrymaking.
I thought things would improve by now,
But my heart's still breaking.

"Hospitals are under siege.
Cases again are spiking.
In ONE state° 68 percent!
That's not to my liking.

"Unnecessarily,
Many people are dying.
And some people who downplay the virus
Resort to unscrupulous lying.

"It makes no sense whatsoever
When we have the means
To put an end to this horrible scourge
Through safe and effective vaccines.

"Almost as many people are losing
Their lives to COVID today
As LAST year before the COVID
Vaccine came into play.

"Certain counties where vaccination
Rates are super low
Want to send patients to other counties.
To me that's malapropos."

"Tom, I feel your pain," I said.
"I'm amazed as well.
Conspiracy theories and misinformation
Sometimes are hard to dispel.

"Let's hope that more unvaccinated
People will see the light
And work to get this virus under
Control by doing what's right."

"AMEN!" he said, and waddled
Out to catch his cab,
While giving me a cursory wave
And leaving me with the tab.

-by Bob B (11-24-21)

°In Michigan

Thanksgiving Day was fast approaching,
And family members and friends were cheerful.
At the same time, however, people
Were starting to feel a little bit fearful.

The holiday attendees were split
As to their feelings regarding the POTUS.
If he appeared on the TV screen,
They'd have to pretend to take no notice.

The day arrived and all were together,
Watching football and having fun
Talking about a myriad of topics--
Everything BUT that certain ONE.

The turkey was carved; the dinner was ready.
Every Thanksgiving's a major feat.
Grannie sat at the head of the mile-long
Table and yelled, "Come and eat!"

Food was passed this way and that way;
Mounds appeared on everyone's plate.
They all wanted to savor the food
But found that each new bite couldn't wait.

Suddenly, Grannie blurted out,
"STOP eating! Before you resume,
I'd like to talk about something important,
And that's the elephant in the room."

Aunt Margaret practically choked
While Uncle Bill patted her back.
Cousin Katie gulped and fanned
Herself, feeling the room go black.

The uncomfortable silence lingered.
Uncle Ernie kicked his wife
Under the table. The tension was so
Thick it could be cut with a knife.

"Why is everyone so uptight?”
Asked Grannie. "I'm sure you all agree
That it was time for a change, and so…
That's why I bought an SUV!"

Everyone felt a wave of relief
Pass through his or her body, and then
The sounds of delight filled the room
As everyone started eating again,

Saying such things as "Cool, Grannie!"
"Of course, Mother!" "I know I
Think you deserve whatever you want.
Now let's have some pumpkin pie!"

Thanksgiving Day went just as it should;
Nobody fought; no one was maimed.
We have a wonderful time when we don't
Talk about him who should not be named.

(11-22-17) Bob B

The things I should have said in the past,
I didn't know how to say.
The things I want to say right now,
Constantly eat away
At inculcated inhibitions, which
Stifle apt expression
Out of the fear of uttering
A possible indiscretion.
 
The things I couldn't see in the past
I "see" much better now,
Such as the deep and powerful connections
Of the where and why and how.
Although there is a current diminishing
Of youthful visual acuity,
One doesn't need perfect vision
To penetrate ambiguity.
 
The things my ears could hear in the past
No longer sound the same.
Listening with the ears of experience
Completely changes the game.
To see with the ears and to hear with the eyes--
What a challenging perspective!--
Instead of being stuck in a pattern
That's sadly ineffective.
 
The things I knew so well in the past
I know right now even better.
Strict adherence to worn-out ideas
Proves to be a fetter.
If knowing is truly becoming, that means
The immeasurable range of our knowing
Is tied to our experiences and is
A direct result of growing.
 
George Bernard Shaw said youth
Is wasted on the young.
But maybe it's better for us to consider
Our youth as merely a rung
On the amazing ladder of life that we
Haven't ascended for naught.
We're lucky we've made it as far as we have;
The alternative's an unpleasant thought.
 
Knowing what I know and seeing what I see,
I'm forced to speak my mind,
Lest my silence be misconstrued
As agreement, which I find
Would contradict what I have learned
And what experience reveals.
Moreover, I can't justify
Abandoning my ideals.

- by Bob B

Where were you when people marched
For rights, for justice, for science, for peace?
Our growing apathy or insouciance
Will only make the tensions increase.

What were you doing when in the distance
Dark clouds were taking form?
Couldn't you see the flashes and hear
The thunder from the approaching storm?

Had you somehow forgotten the great
Importance of reading between the lines?
Had you divested yourself from the need
To pay attention to warning signs?

When ideology becomes
More important than people, we're doomed.
To what degree depends on how much
Propaganda is consumed.

When cancer cells invade the body,
If we hope to stay alive,
We must make the body a place
Where the invader cannot thrive.

Shame on us if we don't act.
Shame on us if we allow
Democracy to crumble around us.
Mobilize! The time is now!

-by Bob B (6-11-18)

When we see the tip of the iceberg,
One thing that we know
Is there is more--much, much more--
Iceberg down below.

The moon shines on the tip of the iceberg
Creating a silvery sheen
Of gossamer, or sometimes even
A heap of velveteen.

Beating down on the mountain of ice,
The rays from the glorious sun
Melt the surface. But in the meantime,
Damage can be done.

If you approach the iceberg, you
Approach what's "forbidden."
The dangerous part is not what you see,
But rather the part that's hidden.

The shadowy base of the floating mountain
Hidden from your view
Murmurs, "If you get too close,
There's a surprise for you."

The monolithic, towering berg
Will melt eventually,
And gone will be the dangers that
We weren't supposed to see.

Until it melts, be attentive.
Don't be deceived
By bluster and appearances
Not to be believed.

-by Bob B (8-29-17)

In 1961 nine students
Crossed over the boundary line
Of segregation. Those students
Are known as the Tougaloo Nine.

The place: Jackson, Mississippi.
March 27, the day.
The long battle for civil rights
Had already been underway.

One student walked to the counter
And very politely asked for a book
That wasn't available elsewhere. Boy!
Did she get a ***** look!

The students were told they didn't belong there.
There would be trouble unless they departed.
They could go to the "colored" branch.
That is when the read-in started.

Arrested and taken to jail, the students
Couldn't call for legal assistance.
They were kept there overnight
And rudely grilled for their passive resistance.

Police were waiting with dogs by their sides
And clubs in their hands on the day of the trial
To roughen up the students' supporters
With some authoritarian bile.

In front of the library now stands
A freedom marker in recognition
Of nine who traveled the freedom trail
And faced bitter opposition.

Obstacles remain in the path.
The struggle is far from over. We must
Honor courageous people before us
And fight for laws that are fair and just.

-by Bob B (8-19-17)

Watch the two traverse the country
Totally engrossed
In taking their ludicrous, idiotic
Show from coast to coast:

An alleged ***-offender AND
The wacko QAnon queen,
Representatives Matthew Gaetz
And Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Greene's inflammatory comments--
Obnoxious and inane--
Got her kicked off House committees.
She acts downright insane!

Gaetz remains on his committee
Which investigates
Situations such as the one
Involving himself--Gaetz!

They're stirring up the far-right base
While trying to make a splash,
Appealing to people's basest instincts
And raking in the cash;

Ranting about cancel culture
And communistic threats;
Raising fears about our border
With negative epithets;

Reinforcing Trump's Big Lie--
A plot that they endorse;
And criticizing Black Lives Matter,
Which they hate, of course.

If you wonder how long until
The two clowns will implode,
As long as they have an audience,
They'll take their show on the road:

An alleged ***-offender AND
The wacko QAnon queen,
Representatives Matthew Gaetz
And Marjorie Taylor Greene.

-by Bob B (7-21-21)

A man, feeling distraught and empty,
Went to his teacher for sage advice.
He wanted answers immediately--
Answers clear, direct, and precise.

"Please help me!" pleaded the man.
"I feel lost. I'm in a jam.
I want to know my true self.
Can you show me who I am?"

The master didn't say a word.
He just silently looked away.
Three times the man repeated
His question, feeling utter dismay.

The master kept up the silent treatment,
Pretending not to be alert,
While the man displayed impatience
And grew indignant, annoyed, and curt.

Turning to leave, he realized
The anger in the room was his.
The master smiled and shouted out,
"Your true self? THERE it is!"

-by Bob B (3-7-18)

°A popular tale (source unknown) retold here in verse

The music is playing; it's NOT "Brigadoon."
But WE can still hear a familiar tune--
A tune that Trump likes when he's hiding his faults.
This one is known as the Trump-Epstein waltz.

Trump is upset and is starting to squirm.
Things are not running so smoothly this term.
He's taking spaghetti to throw at the wall
To see what will stick, and so HE gives his all.

Obama and Hillary Clinton are now
His targets as he tries to show people how
The two were both treasonous. Trump's such a kid!
He blames them for having done JUST what he did!

To serve as another distraction, Trump's team--
Showing how good they can be when they scheme--
Released certain records: the MLK files.
They hope they can lead us off track with their wiles.

Epstein's accomplice, convicted of crimes,
Is sitting in prison. I'm SURE oftentimes
She wonders if she'll die from "suicide," too.
Or will she be pardoned by Trump? What think you?

The lawyers for Trump want to talk with her, so,
A deal might be made, and then THEY’LL let her go.
She'll HAVE to agree that she won't testify,
And IF she must do it, they'll want her to lie.

As Trump rambles on spouting nonsense, it's clear
That his mental issues are now more severe.
He hopes that the mess will blow over; the crook
Thinks IF he wastes time he will be off the hook.

So watch as Trump dances across the dance floor
To music that we have all heard played before.
He LOVES to distract us when hiding his faults.
This time he's dancing the Trump-Epstein waltz.

-by Bob B (7-23-25)

On the first day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
An alternate reality.

On the second day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Two NDAs and an alternate reality.

On the third day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Three Trump steaks, two NDAs, and an alternate reality.

On the fourth day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Four racist thugs, three Trump steaks, two NDAs, and an alternate reality.

On the fifth day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Five hundred lies, four racist thugs, three Trump steaks, two NDAs, and an alternate reality

On the sixth day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Six childish tantrums, five hundred lies, four racist thugs, three Trump steaks, two NDAs, and an alternate reality.

On the seventh day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Seven Russians hacking, six childish tantrums, five hundred lies, four racist thugs, three Trump steaks, two NDAs, and an alternate reality.

On the eighth day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Eight super spreaders, seven Russians hacking, six childish tantrums, five hundred lies, four racist thugs, three Trump steaks, two NDAs, and an alternate reality.

On the ninth day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Nine COVID cases, eight super spreaders, seven Russians hacking, six childish tantrums, five hundred lies, four racist thugs, three Trump steaks, two NDAs, and an alternate reality.

On the tenth day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Ten crooked pardons, nine COVID cases, eight super spreaders, seven Russians hacking, six childish tantrums, five hundred lies, four racist thugs, three Trump steaks, two NDAs, and an alternate reality.

On the eleventh day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Eleven lawyers losing, ten crooked pardons, nine COVID cases, eight super spreaders, seven Russians hacking, six childish tantrums, five hundred lies, four racist thugs, three Trump steaks, two NDAs, and an alternate reality.

On the twelfth day of Christmas the White House gave to me:
Twelve new indictments, eleven lawyers losing, ten crooked pardons, nine COVID cases, eight super spreaders, seven Russians hacking, six childish tantrums, five hundred lies, four racist thugs, three Trump steaks, two NDAs, and an alternate reality.

-by Bob B (12-18-20)

Under a tree sat a Christmas present,
Wrapped with loving attention and care
With snowflake paper and shiny red ribbon--
Indicative of a festive affair.

A name tag hung from the ruby-red bow.
The name on the tag simply read "Honey."
Surrounding gifts were covered with Santas,
Elves and penguins--cute and funny.

The twinkling lights on the Christmas tree
Cast their colors, sparkling and resplendent,
On the tinsel, garland, and ornaments--
On every reflective yuletide pendant.

The initial excitement that filled the home
With hope and eager anticipation,
Was suddenly brought to a halt:
A cloud darkened the celebration.

On Christmas Eve when wrappings went flying,
One gift stayed under the tree:
The gift for "Honey" remained unopened,
For "Honey" was an absentee.

"Honey's" life abruptly ended
Three weeks before Christmas Eve
By terrorists' bullets. A time for cheer
Turned into a time to grieve.

Times like this test our faith
In hope and humanity. The trick is to know
How to remain calm and rational
When the heart is aching so.

- by Bob B

The president gazed out the White House window.
Squinting to see through the mist and rain,
He gasped as he made out the faint outline
Of the USS John S. McCain.

His pallid face froze in a grimace.
Turning, he said, “That just can’t be.
It has to be an apparition.
How could the ship be here in D.C.?”

Consulting his television set,
He let out a scream of utter disdain.
The image was on his TV screen:
The USS John S. McCain.

Dashing around the Oval Office
Like a madman, completely deranged,
He called his advisers, blathering madly,
"The name of that ship has to be changed!"

Off to Asia the president flew.
As he took in the view from his plane,
Down below him his eyes fell upon
The USS John S. McCain.

"Why…why…must he torment me?"
He asked his wife in a fit of despair.
He bit his lip with so much force,
The blood gushed out, causing a scare.

"Give me a towel!" he yelled. He held it
Up to his lip, which was throbbing in pain.
Moments later the blood left an image:
The USS John S. McCain.

Members of the president's team
Rushed to find places to hide.
Contradicting the angry boss
Would be political suicide.

The president, loving to bully others,
Finds his impulses hard to restrain.
May he be haunted forever and ever
By the USS John S. McCain.

-by Bob B (6-10-19)

The valiant tailor claimed to be valiant,
But he was mainly a phony, a fake.
Killing seven flies with one blow
Does NOT a super hero make.

But, oh, he thought a lot of himself.
Let's just say he was full of hot air.
His ego grew to such an extent,
He wanted his fame to spread everywhere.

Street smart he was--clever and wily.
He quickly learned how to con the crowd.
Winning by playing deceptive games
Made him feel accomplished and proud.

Subduing giants was not a problem
Since he had numerous tricks up his sleeve,
Like pitting them against one another.
His motto should have been, "Deceive!"

Inciting discord was part of his plan.
To make his point he also would tap
Into confusion around him, hoping
That his opponents would land in his trap.

The people never witnessed first hand
The valiant tailor's heroic acts.
All they had to go on was his
Side of the story--his made-up facts.

Through guile he won the princess's hand
And half of a kingdom. Becoming a king,
He rose to the highest level of
Incompetence. That was his thing.

Although the Brothers Grimm recorded
The story many years ago,
Doesn't the tailor seem familiar?
He sounds like somebody else we know.

-by Bob B (5-4-20)

During a future trip to England,
Trump plans to visit the Queen.
Whether that encounter will happen
Still, however, remains to be seen.

Trump chooses not to see
Prince Charles. Want to know why?
There's an issue about which the two
Do not see eye to eye:

Prince Charles supports the views
Of most of the experts, who agree
That climate change is worthy of being
Discussed over a cup of tea.

Whether Trump could comprehend
Healthy discussion is pure conjecture,
But Trump's team has made it clear
That he won't listen to a lecture.

Trump has said that climate change
Is a hoax created by the Chinese
"To make U.S. manufacturing
Non-competitive." Really? Please!

It isn't common for a president
To be so obtuse and thin-skinned, is it?
I'd love to hear the Queen tell Trump
Where he could stick his visit!

- by Bob B (1-30-17)

(Clap) One, two, three, four…

Come on, put on your shoes and socks
And traipse on down to the ballot box
If you haven't voted yet.
Do it now before you forget.
Please, however, heed my advice:
Don't be sneaky and try to vote twice.
We know that some voters cast
Second votes for Trump in the past.

Clap your hands and stamp your feet!
Let's all try to stay upbeat!

We are lucky we can vote.
Let's all keep that right afloat.
This election's consequential;
That means that your vote's essential.
Do not fall for someone who
Lies until his face is blue.
How can anybody laud
A liar who screams "Election fraud!"?

Clap your hands and stamp your feet!
Let's all try to stay upbeat!

Voting right means voting smart;
Vote with both your head and heart.
The one to vote for should be clear:
One talks freedom; the other talks fear.
Her I'll gladly get behind.
He is clearly losing his mind.
Let's all hope the winner will be
The one who'll save democracy.

Clap your hands and stamp your feet!
Let's all try to stay upbeat!

-by Bob B (11-4-24)

Did you hear of the chicken
Who wanted to be a duck?
You have to admit that the chicken
Had a great deal of pluck.
 
Scrutinizing her duck friends,
She sought out the best model,
But despite weeks of practice,
She still couldn’t waddle.
 
“This clucking,” she said, “won’t cut it.
I need to learn how to quack.”
But the only sounds she emitted
Were still not a “quack” but a “clack.”
 
“I prefer to eat duck food,”
She boasted, and with that
She gobbled up all she could
And ended up getting too fat.
 
“Ducks are good at flying,
So it makes perfect sense
For me to try it,” she said—
Barely reaching the fence.
 
“That’s it!” she finally exclaimed.
“For swimming ducks are renowned.”
She dashed into the lake,
Flapped her wings, and drowned.
 
The ducks sighed in sadness.
Poor chicken—she just couldn’t see
THAT THINGS AREN’T NECESSARILY
ALL THEY’RE QUACKED UP TO BE.

-by Bob B

Trump has issued a warning
In his inimitable manner,
Which couldn't have been more obvious
If he had held up a banner.

He said that investigators
Should definitely not peer
Into his financial dealings.
The reason? That's not clear.

Why would such inquiries
Be unjustified?
Hmm. It makes us wonder
What he's trying to hide.

The man has a propensity--
And doesn't give a rap!--
For making himself look guilty
Whenever he opens his trap.

- by Bob B (7-20-17)

There is a member of Congress--
His name is Andrew Clyde--
Who in January
Was barricaded inside

The chambers of the House
While thugs were yelling "****,"
As they stormed the building--
The one called Capitol Hill.

We've seen camera footage
Of the despicable scene,
Which will remain in the annals
As one of the worst days we've seen.

Mr. Clyde, however,
Now has a different spin
On what happened that day.
What a mess we are in!

Tourists paying a visit:
That's what they really were,
Mr. Clyde now says.
And many colleagues concur

That they were there to take photos,
Not to storm the halls.
So is it normal for tourists
To **** and wipe crap on the walls?

Is it tourist behavior
To brutally beat the police
Who were defending officials
And trying to keep the peace?

Do tourists normally break
Into buildings? No, correction!
Call it what is was:
A violent insurrection

By people perpetuating
Not the truth but a lie.
Many people were injured,
And some had to die.

Liz Cheney reminds us--
Acting as the town crier--
If we ignore the truth,
We merely embolden the liar.

Orwell warned us how
Scary it will be
When people are told what to think
And lose the right to be free--

When one is told to distrust
What one sees and hears,
Rejecting evidence of
Both the eyes and ears.

-by Bob B (5-18-21)

A wolf went out for an evening stroll
As the sun was setting
And suddenly noticed his giant shadow,
Which was attention-getting.

The lower the sun dropped in the sky,
The larger the shadow became.
The wolf stopped, gazed at the shape,
And sighed, "What a shame!

"I don't receive enough recognition.
Look how great I am!
The lion says HE'S the king of beasts.
He's a fake--a sham!

"I am bigger than all the other
Animals in this land.
They should all bow down to me,
For I should be in command."

He ostentatiously pranced about,
Exaggerating his worth
And even shouted out loud, "I am
The greatest creature on Earth!"

All of a sudden a shadow approached,
Larger even than his.
Puzzled, the wolf said to himself,
"I wonder what that is."

A moment later, a lion pounced
On the surprised wolf's back
And bit into his neck. The wolf
Cried, "I'm under attack!

"If I had paid attention to facts,
I wouldn't be in this bind.
I could have saved my neck if I'd
Had the presence of mind!"

The Moral? Acknowledging facts is important
If we want to win.
Failure to do so can cause distress
And also do us in.

-by Bob B (9-4-21)

°An Aesop fable retold here in verse

One afternoon a wolf encountered
A lamb that had wandered away from its herd.
Normally, the wolf would devour
The lamb without saying a word.

However, this time he felt a little
Compunction for the little creature.
A feeling of compunction is not
Typically a wolflike feature.

And so the wolf decided that
On this occasion he would entreat it
To come up with a really good
Reason that he shouldn't eat it.

"A year ago you insulted me,"
Said the wolf, feigning scorn.
"That's impossible," said the little
Lamb, "for I had not yet been born."

"Well," said the wolf, "you eat from my pastures
As though you have been given a pass."
"Sorry," the timid lamb replied,
"But I still haven't tasted grass."

"Then certainly you drink from my stream,"
Continued the wolf. "That's what I think."
“But that's not true," the lamb declared.
"My mother's milk is all that I drink."

"Think of every possible reason;
I don't give a tinker's ****.
But I won't go without my dinner!"
The wolf cried out, and gulped down the lamb.

The moral? Tyrants can’t be trusted.
Don’t be fooled by what they say,
For they will use whatever excuse
They can in order to get their way.

-by Bob B (8-19-21)

°An Aesop fable retold here in verse

Over 2500 years ago,
In Kapilavatthu, not very far
From the Himalayas, Queen Māyā
Dreamed something that she found bizarre:

Clothed in flowers, she was paid
A visit by an elephant--lily white--
Bearing in its trunk a pure white lotus
That softly glowed in the moonlit night.

After circling her three times,
The elephant, such as she'd never seen,
Tapped her thrice on her right side
And then vanished inside the queen.

She shared her dream with King Śuddhodana,
Who summoned the Brahmins immediately
To hear the details of the queen's strange dream
And explain to him what the meaning might be.

"The queen will have a son," they said,
"And he will become one of two things:
A conqueror or a holy man.
We shall see what the future brings."

When the time of birth drew near,
The queen longed to visit the place
Where she'd grown up. Her caring midwife
Accompanied her just in case.

As they approached Lumbini Grove,
Her entourage smelled the scent
Of gardens of spices and blossoming trees
That formed a protective, natural tent.

The queen entered the grove and there
Between the blossoming sala trees
Gave birth to her son, Prince Siddhārtha,
While blossoms rained down in the gentle breeze.

According to some accounts, on that day
The ground shook and the trees swayed.
Joyous sounds filled the air
As soothing celestial music played.

As sweet tea fell from the clouds above,
The infant took seven steps and proclaimed:
"I alone am the World-Honored One"--
A title that he was later named.

Back to Kapilavatthu they traveled.
A few days later, Queen Māyā died.
Her sister, Pajāpatī, became
The prince's mother and the king's new bride.

Thus goes a wondrous version
Of a narrative that finds great worth
By beautifully combining legends
And written accounts of the Buddha's birth.

Fact and myth are interwoven
In many great figures from our past.
But true meaning transcends the records
And points to deeper truths that last.

-by Bob B (4-5-18)

°On April 8, many Buddhists around the world celebrate the birth of the historic Buddha. This poem was written to honor the occasion.

Although the Wrangler has left the ranch,
Within our hearts he'll be enshrined,
For now he's gone to the last roundup,
Leaving the rest of us behind.

The sky was the Wrangler's favorite rooftop;
Walls couldn't pen him in.
To him the slow destruction of nature's
Wonders was a cardinal sin.

The saddle was his poetry--
His homage to life, a living ode.
When not on his horse, you'd see him riding
His two-wheeled "horse" on the open road.

An expert storyteller he was.
How he delighted us with his tales!
His theory: a little embellishment
Never hurts when all else fails.

And write! How the Wrangler could write--
Each of his letters a work of art,
A masterpiece of expression, replete
With wit and charm that flowed from his heart.

Fishing, hunting, philosophizing,
Photography, and art to boot:
His varied interests, but interest in YOU
Was maybe his greatest attribute.

Sometimes when his patience dwindled,
He could lose it, and who could blame him.
His wife, Barrie, had to try
To tug on his reins to try to tame him.

A legend in his time, he was--
A striking presence wherever he went.
And spending money to help other
People--to him--was money well spent.

Although to the last roundup he's gone,
The Wrangler's lasting imprint survives.
As we say our good-byes, remember
How he enriched all of our lives.

-by Bob B (8-3-20)

Have you ever heard of the clipper LOCH ARD?
Its story reminds us to be on our guard.
In 1878--oh, such grief!--
She shipwreck occurred when the ship hit a reef.

It happened just off the Australian coast--
Where shipwrecks caused many to give up the ghost--
Because of some miscalculations and fog
And not 'cause the captain was drinking his grog.

The crew had tried hard but could not get a grip
On any way that they could save the great ship.
Only two people--does this strike a chord?--
Survived of the 54 people on board.

A lucky crew member--Tom Pearce was his name--
Made sure survival became his chief aim.
A small upturned boat was for him within reach.
He hung on till he found himself on the beach.

Eva Carmichael was lucky as well.
She hung on to objects afloat in that hell.
When the young woman was pulled from the tide,
She learned that her folks and her siblings had died.

Tom had helped rescue her; he'd heard her cries.
He saw that she struggled and feared her demise.
The two nineteen-year-olds were both tired and sore.
They drank from some bottles that drifted ashore.

Tom searched for other survivors in vain.
He hoped that he had enough strength to sustain
His efforts to scale the sheer cliffs, which he did.
It could have been deadly in case he had slid.

After their rescue and it became known
How the survivors' two lives had been thrown
Together in such a way, people thought they--
Eva and Tom--would get married one day.

Could THIS be a love story starting to bud,
Or would their relationship end with a thud?
They shared a link that was special, of course;
But love is not something that people can force.

Both of them married but not with each other.
In Ireland years later she married another.
Tom and his wife had two sons who would be
On ships--sad but true--when they both died at sea.

As lovely as bodies of water appear,
Oceans and seas can be something to fear.
Eva and Tom were both lucky and brave.
The ocean came close to becoming their grave.

-by Bob B (5-14-24)