Some folks say that God is Love.
Oh, my goodness! Then sue me for libel!
He doesn't sound very loving to me--
The god that you find in the Christian Bible.

It's mainly the Old Testament god
Whose loving aspects are hard to find.
Watch out or he will harden your heart,
Give you boils, or make you go blind.

In fact, he is insanely jealous
And proud to be so, the writers say.
Even look at another god,
And there is going to be hell to pay.

He can be quite petty at times--
Indifferent as to whom he offends.
He doesn't want you to eat shellfish.
And what's his problem with cotton blends?

Very often he is unjust--
Sometimes for neither reason nor rhyme.
Work on the sabbath and you should be ******!
Does that punishment fit the crime?

An unforgiving control freak,
He wants to micromanage us all.
And woe to you if you disobey him.
Look what they say he did to Saul.

A bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser,
He's truly worthy of being reviled
For telling his people to plunder towns
And **** each woman, man, and child.

Misogynistic, homophobic,
And very vindictive if you say no.
From sacrifices to wars and slaughter,
He seems to love to see blood flow.

Megalomaniacal,
He longs for glory and applause.
Cower when you stand before
The great and mighty Wizard of Oz!

For those who are unfaithful, he says,
Unless their evil rebelliousness ceases,
They will fall by the sword and their
Children will be dashed to pieces.

He often derives sadistic pleasure
In hurting those who don't adhere
To his commands and who do not
Sing his praises and live in fear.

Fear of what? Of retribution.
If you don't believe in him,
He threatens eternal punishment.
I hope that hell at least has a gym.

He always seems to be mean and angry.
Look how he treated the Philistines.
Acting like a malignant bully,
He isn't loving by any means.

A very unpleasant character,
Instead of a help, he's more of a bother.
I wouldn't want someone like that
To even be considered my father.

If you don't believe me, then you
Should read the Bible and you will see
How God in the scriptures is not so loving
As people make him out to be.

-by Bob B (5-20-25)

Certain Republican members of Congress
And White House staff have of late
Had a lot of difficulty
Keeping their made-up stories straight.

Senators Graham and Durbin reacted
When Trump referred to "*******" nations
And thus disparaged Salvadorians,
People in African countries and Haitians.

But Senators Perdue and Cotton
At first said they weren't aware
Whether the president said the word
And tried not to get caught in the snare.

A couple days later they said, NO,
He didn't say "*******" at all.
How convenient: this sudden change
Of mind from nothing to sudden recall.

After that they changed their stories.
It wasn't "*******" but instead
The word was "*******." Yes, that was
What President Trump had said.

At first Trump didn't deny it,
But later said his language was "tough."
(But we've heard what comes out of his mouth
Whenever he speaks off the cuff.)

What difference does it make?
The word isn't the main point here.
Attitude, racist feelings,
And lack of respect are very clear.

Once they lie, they have to keep lying--
They have to keep plugging away.
As their stories change, the liars
Look more foolish every day.

-by Bob B (1-17-18)

"They say I shouldn't use my phone
Because it's unsecure.
Anyone who tells me that
Is full of cow manure.
This talk about encryption--
That's a lot of bunk.
The thought of them taking my phone
Puts me in a funk.

"Some in my administration
Say that they foresee
Trouble if foreign spies are really
Listening to me.
Advisers fear that I might share
Secrets, but I say,
That's not easy 'cause I don't under-
Stand them anyway.

"How I love my cell phone
Because I love to tweet!
If they confiscated my phone,
I'd feel incomplete.
Having all my contacts in my
Cell phone really rocks.
I can get advice from all my
People down at Fox.

"I don't want my calls logged.
It really takes some *****
For my Chief of Staff to want to
Monitor my calls.
That's why I prefer to use
My private phone instead.
Who would even want to try
To get inside my head?

"Oh, Hillary's private server?
That's a different story.
Everything she does is in
A different category.
From rules that govern others
I feel I'm exempt.
That has never made my fans
Regard me with contempt.

"So they can't take my iPhone.
That would not be nice.
They say, 'Donald, it's a perfect
Location tracking device.
Spies collect your data
And know each confidant.'
I say, I'm the president,
And I'll do what I want!"

-by Bob B (10-26-18)

The year started out with a kick in the ****
With the inauguration of Donald Trump,
Which was overshadowed one day later
By the Women's March, which was many times greater.
Trump continued tweeting--his words and actions
Really amounting to nothing but major distractions.
He kept certain targets within his sights:
Immigration and LGBT rights.
Oh, and health care, too. Let's not forget
How many people and groups he has upset.
The year saw an increasing acceleration
Of the Mueller Russia/Trump investigation,
Which Donald Trump has constantly tried to defuse
By calling it a witch hunt and fake news.

Also as the new commander-in-chief he
Gave us a brand new word to use: covfefe.
Republicans who attacked their leader at first,
Later showed their feelings had reversed--
Especially those who will benefit greatly
From a horrible tax bill passed only lately.
(Some think that Putin has some dirt on them.
If that came out, wouldn't it be a gem?)
This year we saw the repeal of net neutrality
As we start to deal with a bleak reality.
Don't forget the Trump trip to the Far East,
Which ended up being a big flattery feast.
Many fear our safety is more unsound
As Trump and Kim Jong Un go round and round.

Trump boasts of how he's always hired
The best people; but notice how many he's fired,
Or how many have left his admin team!
A shoddy reputation is hard to redeem.
We've seen racism lift its ugly head,
And not denouncing it, Trump instead
Talked about fine people on each side!
He is constantly taking us for a ride.
Hurricanes in the South and in Puerto Rico
Brought great devastation to our eco-
System, and huge, destructive fires out West
Pointed to issues that must be addressed.
To show he's one of life's shining beacons,
Trump threw paper towels to the Puerto Ricans.

But Trump and fans continue to deny
Effects of climate change, and we know why.
Over 300 mass shootings this year°
Plagued our nation, but lobbyists persevere.
We saw the fall of many well-known men
For ****** misconduct, and once again
We ask why some men feel they're above the law
And wonder when they'll meet their last hurrah.
This is only the tip of the iceberg, true--
Only some of the hell that we've gone through.
A lot is happening in the world, but we,
Instead of seeing the forest, see one tree.
Let's NOT repeat this year to the letter;
Let's hope that 2018 is much, much better.

-by Bob B (12-31-17)

°tracked by the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive

It's funny how in the very odd world
Of income and taxes here in the U.S.,
Those who can afford to pay their share
Often end up paying far less.

If I were among the 400
Highest-earning taxpayers here,
With an average of three hundred thirty-six
Million dollars of income a year,

I would have paid seventeen percent
In federal taxes in 2012.
How and why this happens is something
Into which we ought to delve.?

Had they earned less--let's just say
One hundred thousand dollars instead--
They would have paid the very same rate!
Doesn't that also make YOU see red?

If high-paid lawyers and lobbyists
Can alter the tax code, set up a trust,
Or create a loophole for the wealthy,
It's not illegal, but simply unjust.

- by Bob B

I'm SO tired--so VERY tired--
Of what the Right is doing.
I'm tired of crooked strategies--
The nonsense always brewing.

We haven't even voted yet,
And yet they're planning cases
To fight upcoming election results
In courts in various places.

They've GLOMMED onto some far-right lies
Of rampant voter fraud;
Their talk of voter integrity
Is merely a façade.

They feel that there is no way that
Trump can be defeated
In a major election unless
Thousands of voters cheated!

Their baseless allegations show
Their sorry desperation.
May one more nail go into their coffins
With every accusation!

-by Bob B (9-29-24)

Okay, now they're at it again!
Yep, and they aren't fooling.
Trump and some Republican friends
Are in support of a ruling

To take away the health care from
Twenty-one million souls.
Destroying the ACA° has been
One of their loathsome goals.

Do you have a pre-existing
Condition? If that's true,
Finding affordable health care is
Going to be hard to do.

Dependents under twenty-six
Who up to this point can
Be covered on your policy will
Be kicked off your plan.

Are you perhaps on Medicare?
Well, congratulations!
You are going to have to pay
More for medications!

To roll back Medicaid expansion
In thirty-seven states
Means that millions of people are going
To be in desperate straits.

Did you hear that Trump has said--
Such hypocrisy!--
The real party of health care is going
To be the GOP?

He claims he loves America.
It really seems as if
Republicans don't care that he
Is leading them over a cliff.

-by Bob B (3-27-19)

°Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (12-8-21)

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

Face it: we often think out loud.
But it's not very statesmanlike
When you are a president
To do it when speaking into a mic.

The president's words have repercussions
At home and around the world as well.
Does Trump always mean what he says?
It's sometimes difficult to tell.

To say that Iraq has no sovereignty,
That we should have taken the oil and split,
Is totally irresponsible.
The president seems to care not a whit.

Imagine how the Iraqis feel.
It only confirms what many perceive
To be the reason for our presence
Over there: to gut them and leave.

Imagine the potential harm
Such words can do to Americans there.
Trump, what is going on
Underneath all that hair?

- by Bob B (1-27-17)

Summers at a South Dakotan lake
Were a constant delight.
My brothers and I--three young boys--
Lived each day outright.

Having been sent to stay with our grandparents,
We certainly didn't mind,
For every day was a new adventure;
We'd left our worries behind.

Mornings Gramp brewed our coffee--
He was the first to awake.
We drank it together as the morning sun
Shimmered on the lake.

He'd pour some coffee into his saucer,
Then lift it to take a sip.
I'd copy him and lift my own--
Mindful of my grip.

I'm sure I pestered him with questions.
He probably wanted to enjoy
The calm, peaceful summer mornings
Without a pesky boy.

But the loving man never complained;
The kindness showed in his eyes.
Those were special moments we shared
As we waited for the others to rise.

As soon as we could, we boys would dash
Outdoors to explore and play.
So many wondrous possibilities
And never a boring day!

My favorite activity was cowboys and Indians--
I got to wear feathers, you see.
I laugh when I look at photos of then;
We weren't very PC.

I don't know how I did it, but
We would catch frogs until
We had enough to cook frog legs
On a makeshift grill.

We also caught catfish, bullheads, and perch
As we fished off the pier;
Or we'd take the boat out on the lake
When the weather was clear.

Once when we were out on the water,
A summer storm approached.
We had to speed back to shore as dark,
Threatening clouds encroached.

Back at the house all hell broke loose
With lightning, thunder, and rain.
Gram feared a violent tornado,
Which was her constant bane.

She and I fearfully sat
By the cellar door and waited,
While Gramp snored away in his room
Until the storm abated.

When Gram and I weren't playing cards,
She would be making a feast.
In the kitchen she displayed her skills
As a culinary artiste.

I'll never forget her scrumptious cookies,
Rhubarb pies, and bread.
Needless to say, she saw to it
That we remained well-fed.

Gramp kept busy working on projects--
Building, maintaining, repairing.
Once in a while--to Gram's dismay--
We could hear Gramp swearing.

The days passed so gloriously by,
And it wasn't long before
Our parents set out for South Dakota
And suddenly appeared at our door.

Soon we left to visit more relatives
Before heading west.
Though we had left our childhood paradise,
We were wonderfully blessed.

Much older now, I'm more reflective
And still seeking wisdom and truth.
But I'll always cherish those glorious days
Of my carefree, golden youth.

- by Bob B

D.T.:
"All of this impeachment talk
Is really getting on my nerves.
My strategy to thwart it doesn't
Get the attention it deserves.

"Let's see….What can I do?
Ah, yes! Create a distraction.
If I can start a war somewhere,
That would surely get a reaction!

"A war with China, North Korea,
Russia? No! Out of the question.
A messy war with Iran might do it.
Now THAT would be my best suggestion!

"I'll take out the number two
Person in the Iranian scene.
Then I'll get my staff to help me
Oil my propaganda machine.

"Bush succeeded in making up
Stories of weapons of mass destruction.
I'll convince my base at least,
For I'm an expert at seduction.

"We will say that Soleimani
Was a dangerous, imminent threat.
If Iran retaliates,
That is something they'll regret.

"So if hundreds of thousands die,
To me my plan has great appeal.
In any war there's bound to be
Collateral damage. No big deal.

"It's time for me to make a decision,
For we're approaching zero hour.
It's amazing what you can do
When you have tons of power.

"Impeachment talk will fade away
After I start my war with Iran.
But first I have to make a call
To see what Putin thinks of my plan."

-by Bob B (1-7-20)

Greed, hatred, and delusion:
The three unwholesome roots.
They are responsible for so much suffering:
Pain, sadness, disputes…

"I want, I want, I want…":
Such is the urge that drives us.
And we, poor fools, are unable to see
The goodness of which it deprives us.

Hatred buttresses the ego
With vengeance, distrust, and despair.
We end up being inextricably
Caught in its captious snare!

Delusion poisons us all
And obscures wrong and right.
We flounder about in blind confusion,
Unable to see the light.

But, hark! All is not lost.
Three antidotes exist:
Generosity, loving-kindness,
And wisdom--just a short list.

Generosity quenches
Our constant, greedy craving.
A truly magnanimous spirit leaves
No room for misbehaving.

With loving-kindness we see
The good that comes from caring.
Ugly hatred can't survive
When it's kindness that we're sharing.

Delusion is maybe the hardest
Unwholesome root to destroy.
But just imagine conquering ignorance
And bathing in radiant joy!

If we applied to the poisons
The antidotes listed above,
What a world we could ALL live in!--
A world full of peace and love.

- by Bob B

(Governor Greg Abbott of Texas)

Greg Abbott is on a roll.
The man just couldn't wait until
He signed into law the nation's most
Restrictive anti-abortion bill.

When asked about abortions and ****,
Abbott's answer was pompous and smug.
We will eliminate ****, he said.
What does he have? A wonder drug?

He also signed a bill into law
That demonstrates a recent obsession.
He calls it a voter integrity law--
A euphemism for voter suppression.

(Senator Ted Cruz "Antoinette" of Texas)

Regarding COVID unemployment
Benefits, Cruz spoke to the mobs.
If people are struggling to make ends meet,
Well, he said, let them get jobs.

Easy to say for a man whose pay
Is 174,000 a year--
In dollars, that is--and whose manner
Is unempathetic and cavalier.

(Larry Elder, candidate for governor of CA)

Talk show nitwit Larry Elder,
Is recently pushing Trump's Big Lie.
He says if he loses the recall election,
Then voter fraud is the reason why.

…

Just imagine: these three stooges
Have or seek high positions.
What a shame that we are stuck
With such moronic politicians!

-by Bob B (9-8-21)

Arrested insurrectionists
Are being called by some on the right
"Political prisoners." It seems
That reason and sense have taken flight.

People who are out to hurt
Others and who are inciting fear
Are being called "patriots"!
My goodness! What is happening here?

Elected officials across the country
Are being threatened by the "mob"
For doing what is required of them--
For merely carrying out their job.

Health officials are also threatened
For doing what is expected of them--
For saving lives. How could that
Be something that people would condemn?

From many far-right extremists we're seeing
Violence being normalized,
The effect of which is rapidly causing
The country to be more polarized.

Odious thugs are recruiting thugs.
Election results are constantly being
Questioned for NO legitimate reasons!
It's hard to believe what we are seeing.

And organizers are padding their pockets
While they peddle misinformation.
Threatening our democracy,
They chip away at its very foundation.

What is happening resembles
That which happens when autocrats flower--
When violent thugs pave the way
For fascist leaders to rise to power.

-by Bob B (9-18-21)

United States intelligence chiefs
Announced the need for further protections
To keep intrusive Russian hackers
From interfering in future elections.

During our previous election, U.S.
Agents uncovered meddling tracks
Involving multi-faceted
Russian-inspired cyber-attacks.

There's been NO decrease in activity
All this time. What does that mean?
It means to expect more tampering
In mid-term elections in twenty eighteen.

Some people's ears are deaf to the threat.
Instead of acting, they choose to doubt it.
President Trump and his team so far
Have chosen to do nothing about it.

When it comes to Putin and Russia,
Trump refuses to make a fuss.
Fool us once, shame on Russia,
Fool us twice, shame on us!

-by Bob B (2-14-18)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" by Al Dubin and Joseph Burke.)

D.T.:
Tiptoe through my tantrums,
Through my tantrums--my reality.
Come tiptoe through my tantrums with me.

Tiptoe through my chaos,
For my chaos is a guarantee
If you stroll through my chaos with me.

If things do not go my way,
I'll try to ruin your day.

Don't try to boss me, double-cross me
Or defy me, if YOU do you'll be
Wrapped up in my chaos with me.

If you don't like what you hear,
That's tough 'cause I won this year!

Do what I tell you
If you don't you'll be up a tree.
So tiptoe through my tantrums with me.

-by Bob B (12-17-20)

Tired of worn-out platitudes
("Guns don't **** people. No way.");
Tired, too, of empty excuses
("We can't talk about guns today.");

Tired of worthless thoughts and prayers--
("We feel for you in your pain.");
Tired of losing family and friends
As daily reports list the slain;

Tired of collusion: the stranglehold
Of the NRA on politicians
("You'll get the funds as soon as we
Coordinate our positions.");

Tired of the greedy gun industry
Whose sales of weapons leave a trail
Of blood and carnage and death and grief
As they promote a fairy tale;

Tired of ceaseless justifications
Proclaiming 2nd Amendment rights
And caustic attacks from the gun lobby
Whose acrimony has reached new heights;

Tired of spineless lawmakers
("You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.");
Tired of easy access to weapons
Normally used for fighting wars;

Tired of shootings to a degree
Unprecedented worldwide;
Tired of constant hopelessness
With news of every homicide;

Tired of always being afraid;
Tired even of being tired,
Hundreds of thousands of students marched,
Ready to act and feeling inspired.

They breathed fresh life into
Our revolutionary spirit,
Assertively sending a message
To all Americans willing to hear it.

"No more!" "Never again!
That was their message, loud and clear.
"Enough is enough!" "I call BS!"
"End this senseless violence here!"

May the movement gather momentum!
May this be a watershed
Moment in modern times to help
Protect the living and honor the dead!

The March for Our Lives! They have a dream.
But much more work remains to be done.
Efforts to bring about major changes
In commonsense gun laws have barely begun.

-by Bob B (3-25-18)

Today I got
My booster shot.
It didn't get
A second thought.
Two shots first,
Then THIS makes three.
No, COVID's not for me.

Hi ** the derry o!
Vaccinations work and so
I've known since long ago:
Getting sick is not for me.

My booster shot
Protects me now.
The scientists
Should take a bow.
Viruses
Aren't fun, you see.
So, COVID's not for me.

You MIGHT not want
To get your shot.
It’s hard to un-
Derstand why not.
Experts say
That when we do,
It's best for me and you.

If only all
Would persevere
To help make CO-
VID disappear!
We’re in luck
For we have got
A safe, effective shot.

Yes, herd immunity:
We know what that's all about.
Let’s stand in unity.
Get your booster shot and shout,
"Hey!
I got my shot today!"

-by Bob B (10-25-21)

°This poem could be sung to the melody of the 1940 song "I’ve Got No Strings" by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for the Disney film PINOCCHIO. If you don’t know the song, check it out on YouTube. Knowing the melody helps with the rhythm of the poem.

Today I got
My booster shot.
I never had
A second thought.
Two shots first,
Then THIS makes three.
No, COVID's not for me.

Hi ** the derry o!
Vaccinations work and so
I've known since long ago:
Getting sick is not for me.

My booster shot
Protects me now.
The scientists
Should take a bow.
Viruses
Aren't fun, you see.
So, COVID's not for me.

You MIGHT not want
To get your shot.
It’s hard to un-
Derstand why not.
Experts say
That when we do,
It's best for me and you.

If only all
Would persevere
To help make CO-
VID disappear!
We’re in luck
For we have got
A safe, effective shot.

Yes, herd immunity:
We know what that's all about.
Let’s stand in unity.
Get your booster shot and shout,
"Hey!
I got my shot today!"

-by Bob B (10-25-21)

°This poem could be sung to the melody of the 1940 song "I’ve Got No Strings" by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for the Disney film PINOCCHIO. If you don’t know the song, check it out on YouTube. Knowing the melody helps with the rhythm of the poem.

(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.)

It seems as though our friends on the Right
Are still eager to pursue
Policies that show that they want
To have their cake and eat it, too.

Take taxes, for example.
They want voters to buy their pitch
On how they're lowering taxes, but
The biggest tax breaks go to the rich.

Fighting vaccine and mask mandates,
They chatter on and will not drop it.
They want to get past COVID; however,
They aren't really trying to stop it.

They are seeing the damaging
Effects of extreme weather conditions,
But when we talk clean energy,
They don't budge from their positions.

Ironically, voter integrity
Is an idea that they promote,
And yet all across the country
They're working hard to suppress the vote.

They praise America's history
Of freedom and democracy,
And yet they kiss the ring of man
Who leans toward autocracy.

They cannot have it both ways.
Democratic values matter.
Between thuggish power and freedom,
Americans should choose the latter.

-by Bob B (10-19-21)

I'm glad that dinosaurs preceded mankind
On earth by millions and millions of years.
We have enough worries these days
Than to find more reasons to add to our fears.
 
Imagine walking through the forest
And meeting a Tyrannosaurus Rex!
No, tyrannosaurs were NOT
The ones with the long, slender necks.
 
The tyrannosaur was a killing machine--
A carnivore, frightening and vicious,
Possessing powerful legs and teeth.
It would find you delightfully delicious!
 
Raptors, from the Mesozoic Era,
Were also among the most feared of their day.
On each hind foot they had a large claw
For killing and disemboweling their prey.
 
Small but deadly they were, and what's more:
Their brains were of larger than average size.
A nightly stroll in a raptor area
Is NOT something that I would advise.
 
The long-necked one was the Brachiosaurus--
Not much smarter than the leaves it ate.
It measured 85 feet long
And weighed 40 tons--a LOT of weight!
 
You think, What fun: to slide down its neck!
If I were you I'd forget that idea.
If, perchance, it stomped on you,
You'd be as flat as a flour tortilla.
 
The spiked, plated dinosaur
Was the Stegosaurus--a plant-eater, too.
It didn't have a very big brain
And didn't last long. So, what's one to do?
 
There were thousands of species of dinosaurs.
We're lucky that they exist no more.
You wouldn't want to worry about danger
Every time you walked out your door.
 
But wait, that's no different from now!
Maybe one difference; let me propound it:
You wouldn't be STEPPING on dinosaur ****,
But you would be making long treks around it.

- by Bob B

The world thrives on madness, I guess.
At least that's how it looks of late
As things spin out of control, and that's
Occurring at an alarming rate:

Mask mandates will save human lives,
Yet people resist with crazy notions;
Climate change deniers dismiss
The future threat of rising oceans;

Insurrectionists are seen
As “patriots” in the eyes of some;
Armageddon junkies keep
Messaging “Thy kingdom come”;

Far-right autocracies
And autocrats are on the rise;
People suspicious of reason and truth
Close their minds and lap up lies;

We’re seeing more grasping for power
And greater pursuits to suppress the vote;
Securing equal rights for all
Is becoming more remote;

People shun democracy
And favor personality cults;
Baseless attempts keep cropping up
To undermine election results;

Some people choose to rewrite history
And toss out facts they want to forget;
Xenophobia is rising
And immigrants are seen as a threat;

An ALL-about-ME-world seems to be
The world we’re living in at present;
Being nasty appears to be more
Admirable than being pleasant;

Insecure people yell "Cancel culture!"
When others attempt to expose the truth;
Racists keep using their biases,
Aversion, and hatred to poison our youth.

I once had faith in humanity
And tended to be more idealistic,
But with all this craziness,
It’s harder than hell to be optimistic.

-by Bob B (8-20-21)

SECURITY CLEARANCES

Rules at the White House...Who reads them?
Proper procedures...Who heeds them?
Security clearances
Make scant appearances.
The attitude is: Who needs them?

-by Bob B (2-20-18)

ON ****** MISCONDUCT

Trump says you just have to say,
“I didn’t do it,” and they
Will blame your accusers
And call them all losers.
That’s life in Trumpworld today!

-by Bob B (2-21-18)

GUNS

More GUNS in our schools, Trump swears,
Will STOP the school shootings. He dares
To repeat what the vice pres
Of the NRA says.
They're BOTH lacking something upstairs.

-by Bob B (2-23-18)

HIRING THE BEST?

We know that Trump knows how to fire ‘em,
But how does his conduct inspire ‘em?
Three of his men
Are felons now. When
Will HE ever learn how to hire ‘em?

-by Bob B (2-23-18)

REFORM

Gun-law reform will crash
If Trump believes that it's rash.
The gun lobby's puppet
Will never give up; it
Is hard when you count on their cash.

-by Bob B (2-24-18)

HOPE

The White House has lost its Hope.
Will Trump be able to cope?
Did she rhapsodize
His little white lies?
Is he at the end of his rope?

-by Bob B (3-2-18)

TRADE WARS

When Trump has a bad day,
All of us have to pay.
A trade war because
Of tariffs? Where was
His babysitter? Away?

-by Bob B (3-3-18)

DOSSIER #2

We hear that a SECOND dossier
Has recently come into play.
The word "collude"
Gains certitude
More and more every day.

-by Bob B (3-6-18)

HUH?

Some evangelical preachers
Prove to be rather odd creatures.
Judicious thought
Is something that's not
One of their outstanding features.

Although Trump's values collide
With theirs, they're still satisfied
That as chief of state
He'll make us great
For he still has God on his side.

-by Bob B (3-16-18)

TRUMP CONGRATULATES PUTIN ON HIS “VICTORY”

Advice often falls on deaf ears
As Trump crosses brand-new frontiers.
Best wishes to Putin
Don't make for smart shootin'.
He ALWAYS confirms our worst fears.

The man just cannot resist
Putin, who’s first on his list.
Will no one say why
Putin's his guy?
Melania ought to be ******.

-by Bob B (3-22-18)

DACA

Trump might seem to talk a
Great deal about DACA.
Often he’ll dare
To say Dems don’t care.
What a bunch of ****!

-by Bob B (3-24-18)

INTERVIEW WITH STORMY DANIELS

In Stormy's concise interview
Not much was revealed that was new.
Does IT seem to strike
You, too, that it's like
Experiencing déjà vu?

-by Bob B (3-26-18)

Torture. Yes, once again
The topic of torture is in the news,
And whether honor, humanity,
And decency will win or lose.

Trump's nominee to head
The CIA was put on the spot
And couldn't answer the question whether
Torture is immoral or not.

That was enough for Senator
McCain to say his vote would be "Nay."
A White House aide said, No big deal;
"He is dying anyway."

No comment came from the White House.
Was nobody shocked or annoyed?
Or does this show how the Oval Office
Operates in a moral void?

George Washington said that the treatment
Of POWs should be humane.
Of course, that was before Donald Trump--
When presidents tended to be more sane.

-by Bob B (5-11-18)

A Republican delegation
From Congress has taken a little trip
To Russia, where the members hope
To strengthen a budding relationship.

But have they asked critical questions
About Crimea--the annexation--
Russia's support for Assad, or even
One human rights violation?

Have they asked about Russian meddling
In our elections? What about
Jailed dissenters, poisonings,
And freedoms that the leaders flout?

What about Russian involvement
In other countries' important elections?
Or did they even think to question
Russian-U.S. financial connections?

Were any of these questions asked?
The answer is no--none of the above.
Their murky mission instead is for them
To go to Russia to…spread their love

Prior to Trump's meeting with Putin--
The secret meeting behind closed doors,
Where the former KGB spy
Will have Trump groveling on all fours.

When there are reasons for cover-ups,
It isn't hard to understand
How out of desperation someone
Could play into another's hand.

Not only are Putin and Donald Trump
Lovingly exchanging rings,
But Putin also has Trump's lackeys
Dangling from his puppet strings.

-by Bob B (7-4-18)

Just because something's a tradition
Doesn't mean it's appropriate today.
As times change, so do traditions.
It's good that some are now passé.

Duels--for example--to "defend one's honor"
Were commonly practiced in the olden days.
In modern times people get
"Satisfaction" in other ways.

At one time eunuchs were numerous in China,
And many were employed in the Imperial Service.
Would you do that for a government job?
Yikes, the thought of it makes me nervous.

Castrati, too, were praised in the past
For childlike voices that were second to none.
But those whose voices deteriorated
Sadly lost out in more ways than one.

Years ago a widow in India
Threw herself on the funeral pyre
Of her dead husband. That practice is one
That people--thank goodness--no longer require.

What about animal sacrifice?
Let's hope it remains a thing of the past.
People should try a less harmful substitute:
Cut out chocolate; go on a fast.

Some wedding traditions are simple and harmless;
Brides wear something borrowed or blue.
Customs that don't deny us our rights
Or cause harm to others are ones to pursue.

The list of traditions could go on forever;
People feel they're a way to maintain
Our culture. But clearly certain customs
Are now outmoded or inhumane.

As long as we move with the times, we grow.
We learn from the past, but move ahead.
Moldy traditions that don't embrace
Love and compassion are better off dead.

- by Bob B

A truck picked them up near the Mexican border
And drove across Texas in blistering heat.
A hundred or more were crammed together
With nothing to drink and nothing to eat.

The big rig rolled down the Texas highway
Heading for San Antonio, they say.
Smugglers would pick up their "cargo" there,
And SUVs would cart them away.

The temperature inside the tractor-
Trailer was over 100 degrees.
The door of the trailer was locked from the outside.
The driver ignored the passengers' pleas.

Chorus:
Farewell, dear friends--queridos amigos.
Were you a father, a brother, a son?
Whatever your motivations, you
All were victims in more ways than one.

When authorities found the vehicle
And opened the door and looked inside,
Eight of the passengers remaining
In the tractor-trailer had died.

Two more victims died in the hospital.
Others remained in a critical state.
Dehydration and heatstroke had been
Cruel agents of their sad fate.

Desperate to find better conditions,
They learned that success is not guaranteed.
Hopes can be dashed and life can be threatened
When you're a victim of smugglers' greed.

Chorus:
Farewell, dear friends--queridos amigos.
Were you a father, a brother, a son?
Whatever your motivations, you
All were victims in more ways than one.

(7-25-17) By Bob B

Curtis Yarvin--extremist blogger--
Is a real piece of work.
You'll find him on the Internet--
A place where many crackpots lurk.

He wants to dismantle the government
And force all government workers out
Through a plan that he calls RAGE°--
Something that he bandies about.

He claims that voting is now passé
And highly ineffectual.
He says he has a better idea,
This pseudo intellectual:

We should establish someone whom
He calls a “national CEO”--
In other words, a dictator.
He doesn't mince his words--oh, no.

Why do you think Trump is trying
To shut down federal agencies?
His blatant efforts to take control
Should put nobody's mind at ease.

And guess who's also been right there
In Yarvin's pocket all along:
JD Vance. He's singing the same
Scary, anti-democracy song!

They say our current Constitution
Is worthless and ought to be replaced.
In their eyes, our democratic
System should be laid to waste.

If people want to overthrow
Democracy, that's a good reason
For all of us to be alarmed.
That should be considered treason.

-by Bob B (1-30-25)

°Retire All Government Employees

Tell me how a man--a real estate mogul,
Who brags about women he can ****** or ogle;
Who NOT through hard work but by using his fame
Rakes in the bucks from brandishing his name;
Who supplements his fortune by appearing on TV
And adds to his resumé: celebrity;
Who stiffs his employees, as many have noted;
Who riles up his base against the scapegoated;
Who breaks all the rules and who shoots from the hip,
And earned himself a zero in statesmanship;
Who criticizes others for breeches in security
But whose own practices are clothed in obscurity;
Who hides from the world his shadowy case history
And wants to keep his tax returns a total mystery--
How can this man--this New York resident--
Become a country's 45th president?

There’s trouble in America. That’s what they say.
There’s trouble in America. That’s life today.
There’s trouble in America. Something is broken.
There’s trouble in America. Let the truth be spoken.

Tell me how a man can pull in donations
Despite--give or take--nineteen accusations
Of ****** harassment--of ****** impropriety--
That normally would bring you shameful notoriety.
Women, immigrants, and others whom he blasted:
Why weren't more of them completely flabbergasted?
How could he lead a Party to victory
When his behavior is so contradictory?
White House jobs go to son-in-law and daughter;
He talks of friend Putin as though he walks on water.
How can a person con his way to the top
And "waist" so much money--excuse the malaprop--
Spending so much time at his posh golf resorts?
(Maybe he's making up for time he'll spend in courts.)
How many voters regret what they have done
Now that the blowhard is leader number one?

There’s trouble in America. That’s what they say.
There’s trouble in America. That’s life today.
There’s trouble in America. Something is broken.
There’s trouble in America. Let the truth be spoken.

Tell me how a leader can garner support
When it comes to honesty and he comes up short.
When you're pathological, how do you earn
Respect from ALL of the people that you burn?
If your administration has a racist flavor,
You cannot be doing justice a favor.
Running a country requires a lot more
Than being rich and famous and thriving on lore.
About his private life, most don't give a hoot,
But now he's in bed with NRA to boot!
As the Russia probe keeps digging deeper,
The mountain of evidence keeps getting steeper.
"Un-presidented" is what the man would write;
"Unprecedented" would be more erudite.
Scandal after scandal in the USA!
Madness is only one tweet away!

There’s trouble in America. That’s what they say.
There’s trouble in America. That’s life today.
There’s trouble in America. Something is broken.
There’s trouble in America. Let the truth be spoken.

Trouble in America…

-by Bob B (3-12-18)

Jimmy Lee loved Gertie
From the bottom of his heart.
He swore on stacks of Bibles
That they would never part.
She was his dearest love
In his whole durn life.
If things were very different,
She would be his wife.
 
He would take her everywhere
He could. Ain’t that sweet?
He’d take her to the movies,
Then later out to eat.
He loved to show her off
When going to the store.
They had the perfect life.
Who could ask for more?
 
When Jimmy Lee went driving,
He’d take her for a ride.
It made him feel so good
To have her by his side.
And, oh, how he smiled
When he took her to church!
He knew his Gertie wouldn’t
Leave him in the lurch.
 
She wasn’t much for housework
Or taking care of chores.
She wouldn’t wash the windows;
Nor would she sweep the floors.
Jimmy, he did everything;
He pampered his ol’ girl.
But after all, his Gertie
Was his shining pearl.
 
Gertie always loved--
And it really wasn’t strange—
To spend a lot of time
At the firing range.
To Jimmy Lee that was
The epitome of fun.
Oh! By the way:
Gertie was his gun.

- by Bob B

Trump's three stooges--Karoline Leavitt,
Pam Bondi, and Kristi Noem°--
Perform for their almighty leader
And lie until the cows come home.

Listen to them and you will hear
That when the three of them are pressed
To give an answer to journalists' questions,
They'll undoubtedly do their best

To artfully avoid the topic,
And you will hear them bring up the name
Of Joe Biden, their punching bag.
For ALL that's wrong, Biden's to blame.

If they want to keep their jobs,
They have to lie for Trump, of course.
If they told the bitter truth,
Then he'd demand a quick divorce.

Trump and all his admin team
Have been well-trained in hocus pocus.
They have been instructed to always
Deflect, ignore, and shift the focus.

We are watching as day by day
The river of lies continues to widen.
Trump and his team think they'll win points
By telling untruths and screaming "Biden!"

-by Bob A (6-16-25)

°Karoline Leavitt - White House Press Secretary; Pam Bondi - U.S. Attorney General; Kristi Noem - U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security

George and Martha°--what a couple!--
Blurring the lines between truth and illusion,
Undoubtedly aided, of course, by the *****
Which loosens their tongues as they drink in profusion.

Attacking, needling, going for the jugular--
Oh, the vicious games they play,
Going at each other, and also pulling
Other people into the fray.

Must truth and illusion be so hard
To distinguish between and cause despair?
Do we rely on illusion when
Facing the truth is so hard to bear?

How destructive that can be!
It's obvious that things will go bad,
And we can relate to Martha's words:
"George and Martha: sad, sad, sad."

The truth is there if we dare to seek it.
It isn't something we ought to eschew.
Are you afraid of Virginia Woolf?
If so, then you should know what to do.

-by Bob B (2-20-23)

°From Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

Stories abound that Putin is ill.
The Kremlin, of course, denies it.
You could go over and check for yourself,
But, frankly, I wouldn't advise it.

You could find yourself sitting in prison
Or even be poisoned like some
Who spoke the truth about Putin, who wants
To keep you under his thumb.

Consider all the people who've died
Because of his current war.
The pain and suffering that he has caused
Are truly hard to ignore.

Could it be cancer that's spread through his body?
Perhaps a malignant tumor?
I'm sure there are many folks in the world
Who hope it's not merely a rumor.

-by Bob B (6-1-22)

Write it down. Make a note.
Add it to your list.
Organize your facts so that
There's nothing you have missed.

Keep track of activities.
Organize your files.
Sift through clutter endlessly.
Maneuver 'round the piles.

Listen to the constant chatter
Occurring in your mind.
Update, upgrade, upload, and upscale
Before you get behind.

Connect all dots, look for answers--
Leave no stone unturned.
If the stress builds up then try
Acting unconcerned.

Be sure to take in everything;
Do not miss a sight.
You notice that your grasp is weakening?
Hold on with all your might.

Buy the latest, smartest, greatest--
Maybe pull some strings….
But wait! Surely life must offer
More than countless things.

Are YOU living or BEING lived?
Only you can know.
Slow down. Breathe. Smile. Don't be
Tossed to and fro.

Why be a slave to busyness
And ultimately curtail
Your freedom by condemning yourself
To your own private jail?

Why pore over volumes of words
For clues that will misguide you
Instead of looking within to see
That truth lies deep inside you?

Why seek answers in so many places
Hour after hour
When life's profound meaning can be
Reflected in a flower?

- by Bob B

Allah, Jehovah, Brahma, Zeus…
They're all the same to me
And represent humankind's
Quest to find a key--

A key that will unlock the door
To what can't be explained
And hopefully confirm that seekers'
Hopes can be sustained.

People search for meaning that
Transcends the commonplace
Within this giant universe
Of particles and space.

Some say that instead of looking
Outward, search within.
To search for deeper truths, that is
A good place to begin.

And if we think we have the answer,
We should not forget
That other folks with different answers
Should not be a threat.

Ultimately, if we do
Or don't see eye to eye,
Frankly, none if it will truly
Matter when we die.

-by Bob B (2-1-24)

I met a turkey the other day
While on my daily walk.
Strange to say, his name was Tom;
And stranger, he could talk!

He wasn't in the greatest mood;
In fact, he looked downhearted.
"Feeling the holiday blues?" I asked.
He said, "Don't get me started.

"You would also be depressed
If you were a turkey
And people saw you as a meal
Or turned you into jerky."

He paused; "By any chance are you
A butcher or a grocer?
For if you are, you are NOT
Getting any closer."

I said, "No way!" to ease his mind.
"You don't have to worry."
When he tried to walk away,
I asked, "Now what's your hurry?"

"You know," he answered, "I'm in hiding--
At least until Thanksgiving.
To have to spend your days like this
Is not what I call living.

"Why are we the chosen ones
To grace your silly table?
It turns us into basket cases--
Neurotic and unstable.

"And don't say 'But your sacrifice:
Consider it an honor.'
I would rather live out my dreams
Instead of being a goner.

"Why not switch to tofu turkey?
They say it's not so bad.
You'd save a lot of lives and make
Many turkeys glad."

Giving him a chance to vent
Seemed to lift his mood.
I tried to be empathetic
And not see him as food.

Then he said, "You're going to think
That I'm a nasty fella,
But I think that it's super cool
When folks get salmonella.

"Sorry, but that happens to be
The only method that
We can use to get back at you;
I call it *** for tat.

But really, I must dash," he said,
And so I wished him well.
He waddled off to some safe place
As far as I could tell.

It really made me stop and think--
This unexpected meeting--
Whether I fully appreciate
The many things I'm eating.

My hope this year is simple: May
This one bird at least,
NOT be on the table when
I eat my holiday feast.

- by Bob B

I ran into Tom Turkey again,
Who quietly sat alone in a bar.
It had been a while, so I said,
"Hey, tell me how things are."

"Life for turkeys isn't easy.
You know each day could be our last.
Tomorrow I could end up being
A part of someone's sumptuous repast,"

He said, taking a sip of his brandy
And wiping a tiny tear from his eye.
"But," he added, "I guess you also
Never know when you might die.

"But a giant difference is
That though today you're strong and able,
If something happened to you, you wouldn't
End up on someone's dining room table."

Then he said, "Tell me something;
My reasoning here is kind of murky.
If someone is foolish, weak or inept,
Why do you call that person a turkey?"

"Sorry," I said, "but do understand:
The term wasn't created by me.
Nonetheless, I will attempt
To be more sensitive--more PC."

"Oh," he said, "one more thing.
It's a disgrace to us turkeys and NOT
Pleasing to see the people dance
A dance known as the turkey trot."

"That," I said, "is now obsolete.
The silly dance has faded away.
A turkey trot is now a race
Often occurring on Thanksgiving Day."

"That's a big relief," he said,
And then with a look of consternation,
He glanced at the clock, put on his hat,
And said he was going to a demonstration.

He picked up his placard and left the bar,
Making me feel slightly barbarian.
Across the sign that poor Tom carried
Were scribbled the words: GO VEGETARIAN!

-by Bob B (11-26-19)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (10-25-17)

Someone once said that we die twice--
First, when we take our very last breath.
The flame on our candle goes out as we
Transition between life and death.

But then comes our second dying.
It’s similar but not the same.
That death occurs when someone for
The very last time says our name.

So where are extinguished flames?
What happens to the morning dew?
What effect does speculating
Have upon our point of view?

Life has many questions to ponder.
I wonder if such thoughts are freeing:
Knowing that we once had been
And not remaining attached to being.

-by Bob B (10-26-19)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (9-14-21)

K.J.U.
Notice my long-range ballistic missiles--
Grand and statuesque.
And I have my own nuclear button
Sitting on my desk.

D.J.T.
I don't mess around with upstarts
And incompetent jerks.
MY nuclear arsenal is bigger,
And MY button works!

Plus, MY people like me.
What do you think about that?
Your people have no choice,
And you are short and fat.

K.J.U.
You live in an alternate world.
Why doesn't it click?
Most didn't vote for you,
You old lunatic.

THE REST OF US
Back and forth the children bicker
With verbal attacks and blame,
While we with mounting fear look on,
As pawns in their dangerous game.

-by Bob B (1-3-18)

By keeping one's mouth shut, one might
Appear to be a stupid lout--
They say--however, by opening it,
The person thus removes all doubt.

That's a message that Donald Trump
Really ought to take to heart.
Often when he opens his mouth,
He comes off sounding not so smart.

Trump dismissed concerns about
His tariffs raising the price of toys.
And so when Christmas arrives this year,
Watch out, little girls and boys.

He says that kids this year might get
Just two dolls instead of THIRTY.
Once again, it looks as though
Trump is getting down and *****.

And, yes, those dolls are going to cost
A wee bit more, but that's okay.
Is the man entirely clueless?
What a stupid thing to say!

It sounds just like the comment he made
Regarding injecting ourselves with bleach.
He says the most ridiculous things
In every interview or speech.

Bringing and keeping prices down
Was part of his election campaign.
The nonsense we are going to have to
Put up with during the mad king's reign!

-by Bob B (5-2-25)

We hear that Trump enjoys keeping
In touch with his ***** buddy,
Vladimir Putin; in fact, he could be
Putin's understudy.

Their commonalities are clear--
These two peas in a pod.
Cut from the same piece of cloth,
Both pretend to be God.

Both of them disdain opponents;
Both want total control;
Both of them are leading the people
Down a rabbit hole.

Putin will find a way to jail
Whomever he sees as a threat.
He's had a few of his critics killed;
Trump hasn't--at least not yet.

Birds of a feather flock together;
So the saying goes.
When it comes to gaslighting,
Putin and Trump are pros.

No one's surprised why Trump is for
Cutting off aid to Ukraine,
For HE knows very well that its
Loss is Putin's gain.

Why Putin meddles in our elections
Is obvious, for he
Wants his pal in the White House again--
Yes, his fellow pea.

Both of them have taken the art
Of lying to greater heights.
Both of them are not averse
To trampling on our rights.

Russia is stuck with Putin until
The tyrant meets his end.
But we have the choice at the ballot box
To stop Putin's friend.

-by Bob B (10-8-24)

Holding his adversary
Carefully within his scope
To soldier A is a challenge--
A distant, forlorn hope.
 
An occasional glimpse of a helmet…
An aim as yet unfulfilled…
He knows that he has no choice:
It's ****, or he will be killed.
 
Good timing is essential.
All he can do is lie low…
And wait. But there is something
That he doesn't know:
 
His enemy across the field--
Let's call him soldier B--
Is, like himself, a father--
And also a father of three.
 
He lives for his children,
Who are the light of his life;
And he hates not being at home
To support his struggling wife.
 
His two older brothers
Died in a previous war.
His mother died of grief.
How can he settle the score?
 
For now he can only take aim
At his enemy--at soldier A.
"Focus!" he tells himself. "Focus!"
As his mind starts drifting away.
 
Though soldier A is his target,
B is unaware, too,
Of soldier A's situation--
Of all that he is going through:
 
Soldier A's three children
Count the days till their dad
Will come home to take them to ball games--
To return to the life they once had.
 
The youngest child needs treatment
For a rare, childhood disease.
The middle child is being bullied
And requires his dad's expertise.
 
His wife--on the verge of a breakdown--
Finds it hard to suppress
The constant fears within her
That add to life's daily stress.
 
     *     *     *     *     *
 
So soldier A and B
Await the instant to shoot--
To end the life of the other.
For that they deserve a salute?
 
If the two soldiers could only
Lay down their weapons and race
Across the shell-pitted field
And into each other's embrace,
 
Wouldn't that be amazing?
Much needless suffering would end.
And they could consider everyone
A brother or sister or friend.
 
Ah, but that's just a fantasy--
An illusion, a fancy, a dream,
An unreal expectation
With no place in mankind's scheme.
 
For as long as we're driven by ego,
And ignorance and vengeance and fear,
We're caught in a vicious circle,
And wars will not disappear.

- by Bob B

Humankind is young when you
Consider the grand scheme of things.
It's going to be interesting
To see what changes the future brings.

Though some people still have doubts
And find their questions unresolved,
Others are in awe at how
We human beings have evolved.

In certain ways we have seen
Humanity make great strides.
But then again, progress itself
Is questionable. Who decides?

At times it's flabbergasting to see
How little progress we seem to have made.
Are we really advancing when
So many people retrograde?

We take so much for granted about
This precious globe that gave us birth.
Despite the extensive knowledge we have,
We cannot stop destroying the earth.

Our planet has limited resources,
But people behave as though they've never
Been made aware of that and act
As though everything lasts forever.

Too many people reject reason
And place their trust in falsehoods and fiction.
They choose to substitute myth for fact
And fail to see the contradiction.

It's funny…no, it's scary to see
That while we have advanced in stages,
At the same time, many people
Continue to live in the Dark Ages.

-by Bob B (11-11-19)

The House impeachment hearings show
How the president's cult divides
America, with legislators
Approaching a problem from different sides.

One side calls on oversight
Of presidential abuse of power
And also obstruction, both of which
Are STILL occurring at this hour.

The other side chooses to
Ignore the gravity of the abuse
And tries instead to distract the public
With arguments, lame and obtuse.

They have decided that they'll defend
Their guileful leader at any cost,
No matter how much damage he's done--
No matter how many lines he's crossed.

What a shame, America!
History shows us what can result
When people either choose or are forced
To be a part of a leader's cult.

-by Bob B (12-13-19)

Another claim, and it's a doozy.
This one's crossing new frontiers
Of paranoia and total insanity.
You'll hardly believe your very own ears.

Kellyanne CONjob is now saying
In all seriousness that they've
Determined that Donald Trump could have
Been spied on via a microwave!

There's no need for evidence
In our conspiracy theory society.
Just make up anything
And it can be the cause of anxiety.

Put the finest dress on a fib;
However, no matter how hard you try
To decorate and embellish it,
Your lie simply remains a lie.

Trump had better check his Sharpie.
Who knows? It might be bugged.
And just to be safe, his coffee maker
And blow-dryer should stay unplugged.

- by Bob B (3-13-17)

Why do many religious folks
Tend to get their feathers ruffled
If people say they are atheists?
Why should atheists have to be muffled?

Atheists are often considered
The devil incarnate or evil unveiled.
They are attacked, their lives are threatened,
They're ostracized and even jailed--

Done in the "name of God," of course.
Oh, the reasons that people give
In countries all over the world where people
Refuse to practice "live and let live"!

Do we need a god to tell us
How to live or how to behave?
If I blindly follow dogma,
Don't I become religion's slave?

Constantly seeking, questioning,
Observing, expressing healthy doubt,
Exploring the many facets of life,
Discovering what life's about,

And learning how to sift through all
The knowledge that we humans have gained
Will help us put more focus on
Issues that can be explained.

Some things, yes, are inexplicable,
Mystifying, beyond our knowing.
A question we must ask ourselves
Should always be "Am I still growing?"

There ARE religious people who aren't
Threatened by what others believe.
Secure in their beliefs, they aren't
Fearful, brain-washed, and naïve.

They do not judge nonbelievers
And tell them they are going to hell.
Tempering their beliefs with love
Is what they do so very well.

And then there are the ones who feel
Compelled to express their condemnation.
They need to mind their OWN business
And worry about their OWN salvation.

If you as a nonbeliever are asked
Your position, a way to convey it
Is merely "I'm an atheist
And I am not afraid to say it."

-by Bob B (1-17-25)

"It's an attack--an attack on our country,"
The president said. "It's a disgrace."
It's still amazing how he can say
The things he does and keep a straight face.

The Mueller probe's an attack on our country?
An attack on all we stand for? Say what?
Maybe if Trump had been honest and forthright
He wouldn't find himself in a rut.

What DO we stand for? Rule of law,
Search warrants, magistrates…
Where no one's above the law, not even
The president of the United States.

The president's idols--Putin, Duterte,
And Erdoğan--would never permit
Investigations into their own acts.
To strongmen it would NOT be legit.

To Trump a legal pursuit to find
Answers is a ruthless attack.
Yet Russia assaults our democratic
System, and Putin's a crackerjack!

Poor Trump just doesn't get it.
Whenever he talks, he more or less
Rubs salt in his very own wounds
And finds himself in a bigger mess.

-by Bob B (4-11-18)