Trump has found another target.
This time it's Meryl Streep.
Once again he's demonstrated
How his thirst for vengeance runs deep.

He didn't like a comment that she
Had made at the Golden Globes, and so
He blasted her with a series of tweets--
Three tweets all in a row.

Streep had referred to a disabled news
Reporter whom Trump had imitated.
Trump lashed back, saying the award-
Winning actress was "over-rated."

A mature and intelligent man
Would move on and do what it takes
To model decent behavior, but that
Is difficult for a man with no brakes.

Poor Trump is still stuck
In the na-na-na-na-na-stage,
Which makes him appear childish and is
Unbecoming for someone his age.

- By Bob B (1-10-17)

A farmer working in a field
Felt compassion for his horse--
A tired, overworked jade.
He let it go with no remorse.

When villagers discovered that
The farmer's horse had been set free,
They wondered how the man would prosper.
The farmer succinctly said, "We'll see."

Days later the farmer's horse
Returned to the poor man's piece of land,
Bringing along several others,
Eager to give a helping hand.

The villagers heard the wonderful news
And rushed to share the farmer's glee.
"How fortunate you are!" they said.
The farmer merely replied, "We'll see."

The next day the villagers
Watched with ghastly fear in their faces
The son fall while training the horses
And break his leg in numerous places.

Lamenting the farmer's sad misfortune,
They asked how he would ever be
Able to work the land on his own.
The farmer again replied, "We'll see."

Soon a terrible war broke out.
The emperor needed able young men.
Because of his broken leg, the farmer's
Son was excused from duty. Again

The villagers went to the farmer, saying
"Your son escaped the emperor's decree.
How lucky for both of you!" The farmer
Responded by only saying, "We'll see."

Even though the son's leg healed,
The son walked with a definite limp.
Village children viciously teased him,
Calling him a klutz and a gimp.

The villagers came to see the farmer,
Their words of pity staggeringly
Effusive. "Aren't you sad?" they asked.
The farmer smiled and said, "We'll see."

The sons of the villagers died in the war.
The farmer, along with his only son,
Worked the land, grew quite wealthy,
And never complained to anyone.

Once in a while he'd meet his friends
And chat over a cup of tea.
"How lucky you are!" they'd say to him.
He'd shrug his shoulders and say, "We'll see."

- By Bob B (2-21-17)

°An old Chinese tale retold in verse

When dealing with a serious crisis,
We need a leader whose words inspire us,
Not one who tries to cover up facts
In dealing with the spread of a virus.

Coronavirus (COVID 19)
Around the globe is quickly spreading.
If we--the public--remain uninformed,
Into what dark abyss are we heading?

At first the president seemed less concerned
About our welfare--our protection--
And more concerned about how the matter
Affects his chances of reelection.

Downplaying the words of the experts,
He doesn't want the markets to panic.
If we aren't told the truth, however,
The consequences could be titanic.

Censoring the information
From health officials isn't wise.
We will be subjected to more
Of the Trump administration's lies.

For Mike Pence to lead the response
Doesn't make any sense at all.
When dealing with a health crisis
In Indiana, he dropped the ball.

Governmental agencies
Created to deal with crises as such,
Have been hollowed out by Trump,
Who has the reverse Midas touch.

The head of the HHS:° guess who.
A former lobbyist! Oh, yes.
And for big pharma. Watch him make
The crisis into a bigger mess.

Trump must be the protagonist
In every drama, someone has said.
While he blathers, how many people
Will die from having been misled?

A leader needs certain qualities
To fight all kinds of vicious attacks:
Honesty and competence--
Two important things ours lacks.

-by Bob B (2-28-20)

°Health and Human Services

Caution! Watch out for Russian bots.
They're out there to deceive you.
Share if you will the messages,
But who do you think will believe you?

Bots show up on the screen of your phone,
Your tablet, or your computer,
And if you're on to their tactics, they
Resemble a pesky suitor.

Suitor? No, more like a stalker--
Disruptive and insidious--
Whose sly, deceitful game plan is
Destructive and invidious.

Recognizing the bots in social
Media isn't so hard.
But many a Twitter or Facebook fan
Is frequently caught off guard.

The bots are extremely useful for
Encouraging disconnections.
They've also proved to be handy for
Influencing elections.

Putin will say, "Bots? What bots?"
Ah, but he's a sly one!
If he can strengthen a road to disruption,
He will fortify one.

Hazards of our computer age:
Troll farms and bots,
Causing frustration and trying to
Manipulate our thoughts.

-by Bob B (2-28-18)

Don’t worry, people;
So far it’s not a threat
To human beings; I mean,
It hasn’t attacked us YET.
 
You think that we have problems?
Ants have problems, too.
For us, bacteria and viruses
Seem to come out of the blue.
 
In Brazil a zombie ant fungus
Affects carpenter ants.
When the hosts are infected,
They climb up nearby plants,
 
Leaving their homes and colonies.
It’s hard to understand why,
But they clutch onto the leaves
And hang there waiting to die.
 
After their death a stalk
Grows from their body, and so
Spores from that fungus
Infect the ants down below.
 
The cycle then continues.
Don’t you wonder whether
The ants could figure it out?—
Put 2 and 2 together?
 
When ants are hanging from leaves,
The other ones shouldn't neglect them.
Their failure to address the matter
Will fatally affect them.
 
For all of us creatures on earth,
When everything seems A-OK,
Nature seems to manage
To throw a curve ball our way.
 
We have our own worries—
Both natural and man-made
Issues that we should confront,
And not ignore or evade.

- by Bob B

Look at the ways--the despicable ways--
That Trump tried to achieve his coup
By pressuring officials in Georgia
With a repeated turn of the *****.

First, a ballot signature audit
In Cobb County. All was fine.
Next, he pressured Governor Kemp--
This time also crossing the line.

He wanted Kemp to do something
To which Kemp raised an objection--
To push for a legislative session
To change the results of Georgia's election.

That didn't work, and so Trump called
Georgia's secretary of state
To pressure him to do his bidding
In hopes that he'd step up to the plate.

He asked Raffensperger to "find"
Enough votes so that he could win.
Of course, Raffensperger declined.
To him, cheating would be a sin.

So then Trump asked the U.S. attorney
Of the state of Georgia to make false claims
Regarding election fraud, another
One of Trump's deceitful games.

That attempt also failed,
So Trump tried to weaponize
The DOJ to pressure Georgia
By sending a letter full of lies--

A letter written by Jeffrey Clark,
One of Trump's toadies and partners in crime.
Once again, Trump's efforts failed,
But people say it came close this time.

An election worker, Ruby Freeman,
Was the following target, for she
Was accused of election fraud--
Accused unjustifiably.

Both Freeman AND her daughter
Have been harassed and threatened as well.
Because they wouldn't support Trump's lie,
Their lives have become a living hell.

In January, Trump told his thugs
To march to the Capitol, and when
They did, utter chaos took place,
And we all know what happened then.

Georgia was merely one state among many.
But Trump even now continues to plot,
And even though his coup attempt failed,
The next time he tries, it might not.

-by Bob B (12-11-21)

The human attention span, they say,
Is getting shorter every day.
With so many distractions now,
People need a constant "Wow!"

Many get no satisfaction
Unless they are bombarded with action.
Instant gratification's a must;
A lengthy article's a bust.

Who spends hours with MOBY ****?
People prefer an action flick.
A long book now is hard to sell
And is a modern reader's hell.

Work makes students feel constrained
Unless they can be entertained.
Reading selections make us happy
Only if they're short and snappy.

Letter writing? A dying art.
We want our info à la carte.
Concentration only succeeds
If it fulfills immediate needs.

And some will ask for no repentance
If they can't get through this sentence.
Exaggeration? Perhaps, and yet,
There's some truth in it, I bet.

If none of this applies to you,
Then you deserve a loud "Woo-hoo!"
Enjoy some quiet time alone,
And most importantly, turn off your phone!

-by Bob B (1-9-21)

"Now that we are gathered here,
Let us count all the ways
I have been successful in
My first 143 days.

"When we look at my wonderful record,
It's impossible not to see
That no other president
Has ever done more than me.

"So let's go around the table.
I would like to hear from you.
Tell me what you think of me--
Of course, from MY point of view."

"Thank you," said Secretary Priebus,
Opening his packet of Splenda,
"For the opportunity
And blessing to serve your agenda."

The lavishing of praise continued.
They knew what would come to pass
If they didn't pour it on
And kiss the president's giant ***.

- by Bob B (6-13-17)

“We LOVE to watch the animals here,
And there is such an amazing variety
That observing them year after year
Keeps us from boredom and satiety.
 
“Look how they dash about their cage—
Holding their babies, giving them food.
They often act as though they’re on stage:
Some are loud; some more subdued.
 
“Some of their colors are flashy and bright—
Incredibly beautiful to the eye.
Some are less interesting—actually quite
Boring compared to the others nearby.
 
“They come in so many different sizes.
Look over there! He’s got a big head.
Watch out! That one is full of surprises.
That big one there is way overfed.
 
“At times they act a lot like us,
Nonchalantly sitting and staring,
Or making a wild and noisy fuss
With voices rising, tempers flaring.
 
“It’s interesting when they make funny faces
And screech, and grunt, and squeal, and ooh.
It’s good that they stay back a few paces;
If they got closer, who knows what they’d do?
 
“Sometimes it’s funny when they act silly,
Which they do quite often enough.
One expects them to be *****-nilly;
That is their style: to act off the cuff.
 
“When the sun sets, we always feel sorrow
As they retire. But what's to prohibit
Them from coming back here tomorrow,”
The chimps say as they gaze from their exhibit.

- by Bob B

At times there are not two sides to a story
When there's a "side" that hoodwinks and distracts
The public with a far-fetched explanation,
While paying no attention to the facts.

A lot of us believe that truthfulness
And honesty should always be our guide--
Good investigative journalists
Check the facts so truths are verified.

We can see the demagogues at work.
Oh, how they twist the truth to meet their needs!
They finely tune their powers of deception
So they can get away with their misdeeds.

It helps when they have power and control--
Particularly when they have the latter--
And when they have supporters who believe
That lying isn't wrong and facts don't matter.

So if you feed me nonsense and proclaim
That honesty is not obligatory,
Then you confirm what I have just expressed:
At times there are not two sides to a story.

-by Bob B (2-26-22)

A life so early beset by struggles
Was yours when your family fled from Hanoi
And in South Vietnam sought refuge and freedom—
It’s sad what conflicting ideals can destroy.
The South was only a tentative haven
While you attended French schools through the years.
The North-versus-South conflict exploded;
Your country was hurled into suffering and tears.
But luckily you escaped with your children,
Again seeking refuge, this time in the West:
In Europe, Canada, and then California—
A safe life for your children, your constant quest.
 
Your flower boat has gently borne you
To the Other Shore—your journey’s end.
You will always be in my heart.
Tạm biệt, lovely Liên; au revoir, my dear friend.
 
We met in the 80s and as fate would have it
We became friends. I’ll never forget
How we thoughtfully guided our students—
Our work together: the perfect duet.
I could sit and listen forever
As you shared interesting tales from your past.
Your knowledge was thorough, your stories intriguing,
Your manner so charming, your wisdom so vast.
I miss our dinners and social occasions.
In thinking about them I have to smile:
We’d talk for hours over large bowls of phở,
And I’d get a word in just once in a while.
 
Your flower boat has gently borne you
To the Other Shore—your journey’s end.
You will always be in my heart.
Tạm biệt, lovely Liên; au revoir, my dear friend.
 
If anyone needed a helping hand,
You would be there, offering support.
Then, not needing to earn recognition,
You’d turn down all praise; you’d sell yourself short.
How I envied your mastery of languages—
English, French, Vietnamese!
Your mellifluous voice—I can still hear it—
Tender, angelic, as soft as a breeze.
Our phone conversations—whenever they happened—
Were always an adventure. Oh, yes, but I swear
That I could never be in a hurry—
I needed at least a whole hour to spare.
 
Your flower boat has gently borne you
To the Other Shore—your journey’s end.
You will always be in my heart.
Tạm biệt, lovely Liên; au revoir, my dear friend.
 
Teacher, friend, sister, cousin—
I saw you in so many ways—
Your kindness and generosity inspired me,
Broadened my world, brightened my days.
You lived for your family—who always came first—
And never resentful, you never complained.
Imagine how much you influenced your children
With your giant heart! Just think what they’ve gained!
How much you accomplished in your precious life!
How much you managed to do on your own!
You, with that tiny, delicate frame,
Were one of the mightiest people I’ve known.
 
Your flower boat has gently borne you
To the Other Shore—your journey’s end.
You will always be in my heart.
Tạm biệt, lovely Liên; au revoir, my dear friend.

- by Bob B

Autocrats clearly despise
Congressional oversight,
For autocrats love control.
They always must pretend they're right.

Autocrats despise the truth.
If asked about it, they hem and haw.
They want to avoid our scrutiny,
Thinking they're above the law.

Autocrats have no problem
Obstructing justice. How they glower
At anyone who tries to prevent
Them from gaining total power!

Autocrats couldn't care less
Whether the people raise objections
As to how they rose to the top.
Forget the legitimacy of elections!

Autocrats stifle voices.
Freedom of speech? What is that?
Controlling what the people hear
Is the goal of the autocrat.

Autocrats have their fans
Who are quick to scoff and demean
Those who aren't brainwashed by
The huge propaganda machine.

Autocrats trample on rights.
Freedoms are on the chopping block
While the autocrats distract
The people with sanctimonious talk.

Autocrats can garner votes,
Despite their having no sense of shame.
If people elect autocrats,
They have only themselves to blame.

-by Bob B (6-5-19)

Women of Texas, steady yourselves;
The breeze is turning into a gale.
The American Taliban is trying
To force you into a Handmaid's Tale.

Women of Texas, if you are
Of childbearing age, please remember
That wildfires of epic proportions
Can start with only a single ember.

Women of Texas, although they aren't
A panacea that cures all ills,
IF you're concerned, maybe it's time
To stock up on morning after pills.

Women of other states, beware:
The stealers of women's rights aren't through.
Attacks on you and your freedom of choice
Might be occurring in your state, too.

-by Bob B (9-3-21)

I tell you it's hard to live with a man
Who's always so preoccupied
With making other people happy,
Especially at Yuletide.

Time and again I've asked why he
Prefers to live in this frigid zone.
And then he works each Christmas Eve
While I have to stay home alone!

I mean, why this bias of Christmas
With winter and snow year after year
When it's nice and steamy on Earth's
Beautiful southern hemisphere?

Don't get me wrong: I don't begrudge
His eleemosynary devotion
To making other people happy.
That's a kind and generous notion.

But his thoughts are always on
"The kids," and so, I feel neglected.
And yet I always put on the front
Of being cheerful, cool and collected.

Another thing I must admit:
It's hard for a wife whose hubby enjoys
An overwhelming fascination
Or infatuation with all his toys!

You might think the man is cute;
However, I am less enthralled.
He suffers from puer aeternus.
At least that's what I think it's called.

I tell him, "Dear, I understand
Your thoughtful desire to do good deeds,
But maybe you are overdoing it.
Don't forget: wives have needs."

I sometimes think the worst might happen
Whenever my spirits start to sink.
I have to muster up inner strength
To stop myself from taking to drink.

I'd love to be able to find a place
Where we could spend some time by ourselves.
It isn't easy to live with a man
Who spends all his time with reindeer and elves.

Oh, well…I guess it's true:
Every marriage has its flaws.
But try to imagine what it's like
To be Mrs. Santa Claus.

-by Bob B (12-25-18)

Nondescript, muffled sounds
Can penetrate cement and wood
And dirt, but silence dominates
This dank and dreary neighborhood.

Days are long and nights are frigid
Here where I’ve been laid to rest.
I slumber with my Purple Heart
And other medals across my chest.

How fickle life is! Good intentions
And dreams often come to naught.
Too late we learn the consequences
Of trusting all that we were taught.

Alas, the mighty powers that were
Had in mind a contrary plan.
They sent me off to fight their war
In the mountains of Afghanistan.

“When Johnny Comes Marching Home”: my buddies
And I would sometimes sing that song.
But fate presented a different plan
For my return all along.

I "marched" home, although my marching
Was somewhat a paradox:
I came home covered with medals
And lying in a flag-wrapped box.

Medals! Let the generals keep them.  
If I had a choice, I’d rather be
At home playing with my kids
And caring for my family.

-by Bob B (7-23-18)

The sheep at the ranch were all in a dither.
They had to decide on a leader, and two
Candidates who stood before them
Worked on persuading each ram and ewe

To vote for them to serve as leader.
Working together, succeed they would,
Said one. The other said that if any-
Body could save them, he alone could.

For some odd reason, the second sheep
Won to all the animals' surprise.
The wool was pulled right over their heads
As he continued to propagandize.

"Do not listen to what others say,"
The newly-elected leader declared.
"Evil wolves are out there to **** you."
He was able to keep the sheep scared.

Some atypical sheep were skeptics
And didn't believe the leader's baloney.
They more they heard the leader speak,
The more they thought the leader was phony.

"Something is terribly wrong," they said.
"The leader's garb seems off-kilter.
He cares NOT a jot about us;
What's more, he speaks without a filter."

Gradually, sheep disappeared.
Their whereabouts was a stumper.
Meanwhile, their leader became
Louder, bolder, meaner, and plumper.

The sheep then chose one of their own
To see if the leader had major flaws.
He noticed that under the leader's clothing,
The leader had not hooves but claws!

Many sheep refused to believe
Their ruler was phony and not on the level
And blindly followed the leader's commands,
Basically signing a pact with the devil.

Too late they learned the problem of choosing
A leader filled with distrust and loathing
Who didn’t have their best interests
At heart--in short, a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Ah, poor sheep, if you had been
Careful not to have taken the bait,
You could have spared yourselves much trouble
Long before it became too late.

-by Bob B (12-18-17)

A year ago at the North Pole
Santa STILL had a sign
That read "For Sale," posted on
His slushy, sludgy property line.

We stopped by to pay a visit
And found Santa out of sorts.
He asked if we perchance had read
Recent global warming reports.

"Things are looking worse than ever,"
He said, on the verge of crying.
"The ice caps continue to melt,
And the world's coral reefs are dying.

"We'll be seeing flooding coastlines,
Food shortages, wildfires….
And some even have the nerve
To call the prognosticators liars!

"People ask if it's too late.
I tell them that it depends
We can stop the warming, BUT
We MUST reverse emissions trends.

"If the earth's temperature rises
Two point seven degrees, they write,
Above pre-industrial levels--
That's degrees in Fahrenheit--

"We'll face dire consequences:
Mass extinctions of animals and plants,
Wobbly countries, refugees….
These are NOT just foolish rants!

"The world economy must be transformed.
Come on! You have to use your head!
Renewable sources of energy
Are vital; otherwise, we're dead."

How sad it was to see a man
Who once had been so cheerful and jolly
Now become so sad and so
Demoralized by human folly!

He showed us his dilapidated
House, and then with a sigh,
He said, "I've got work to do,"
At which point we all said good-bye.

-by Bob B (11-24-18)

The highest court in Arizona,
Stuck in 1864,
Just dug up an abortion ruling
Written during the Civil War.

Amazingly, the seven judges
Must have found a time machine,
And no, this is not a film
We're watching on the giant screen.

The law banning nearly all
Abortions was a barricade
To women's right to choose until
It was blocked by Roe v. Wade.

Reflecting the times, the law exposes
Feelings that were deeply rooted.
Physicians who assisted women
Could easily be prosecuted.

Hmmm. I wonder where the court's
Time machine will take them next.
Will they soon unearth another
Old, antiquated text?

Republicans who might agree
With what the court is doing, now
Are scaling back their rhetoric
In hopes that they'll squeak through somehow.

All who champion women's rights
Should honestly be mortified.
Choosing to favor the court's decision
Should be political suicide.

Fortunately, a lot of folks
Who've heard the news are having fits.
Take out your sledgehammers
And smash that time machine to bits!

-by Bob B (4-11-24)

The Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos
As Secretary of Education--
A real slap in the face to the public
School system in this nation.

DeVos's desire to "advance God's kingdom"
Through education sounds a bit scary.
That should make anybody
Who knows the Constitution wary.

Her vague and incoherent replies
To Senators' questions were dull and drizzly.
Her thoughts regarding guns in schools:
You never know; there might be a grizzly.

Her reputation for school reform
In Michigan isn't stellar.
To weaken the public school system
Is NOT a solution. Would someone tell her?

- by Bob B (2-8-17)

Santa breathed in the cool night air,
Thinking back on the days of old,
Before the polar ice cap started
Melting. When weather was REALLY cold!

"I barely need my heavy jacket,"
Santa said to himself in dismay.
"With all this ice so mushy and slushy,
How will the reindeer pull my sleigh?"

A polar bear came trudging by,
Emaciated and sour in mood.
Shrinking along with the habitat
Was the bear's supply of food.

"Santa," asked the polar bear,
"Do you know what's happening here?
Something very sinister is
Adversely affecting the cryosphere.

"The temperature's rising on land and sea.
I have to say, this isn't nice.
I don't mean to be punny here,
But we are walking on very thin ice."

"Seabirds, too, are leaving," said Santa.
"And so are ice-dependent seals.
Pressure on the ecosystem,
Is making it hard for them to find meals."

Feeling pessimistic, the bear
Wandered off, shaking his head.
Santa muttered, "**** fossil fuels!"
And sloshed his way into his shed.

The once-jolly man started to work
On a project in which he seemed engrossed.
Soon he emerged, carrying
A "For Sale" sign stuck to a post,

Which he placed on his property.
He sighed, "Talk about regrets.
Why the heck didn't I give
More kids chemistry sets?"

- by Bob B (12-20-16)

Things are wild in the Garden of Eden
When Adam returns from his daily toil.
(You see: even in Paradise
Adam has to till the soil.)

"Adam," says Eve, "taste this fruit.
How could one ever surmise
That eating this fruit could be one's undoing?
You'll see the world through different eyes."

Adam partakes of the forbidden fruit,
And all of a sudden he feels inside
A rush of shame. Grabbing Eve's hand,
He says, "Come. We've got to hide."

A booming voice shakes the foliage,
"****! I knew I'd eventually dread it.
When I made you humans, I
Certainly gave you too much credit.

"What did I tell you about partaking
Of the tree bearing forbidden fruit?"
?"Eve MADE me do it!" cries Adam.
God yells, "I don't give a hoot!"

"The serpent," says Eve. "It's the serpent's fault.
He was the actual perpetrator."
"Shush," says God. "You silly ninnies.
I will deal with the serpent later.

"Your thirst for knowledge of good and evil
Opened your eyes. I knew you'd rue it.
You'll be banished from Paradise now.
Bottom line: you both blew it."

Then God adds, "And put on some clothes.
Don't you feel at all ashamed?
And, by the way, before you leave,
Are there any animals you haven't named?"

Adam shrugs, "Nameless animals…
Let's see. I don't think there are any.
But there are millions of species here.
Why did you have to make so many?"

"Exit now from the Garden," God thunders.
"You had to know the mess you'd be in.
Both of you are going to discover
That now your troubles will really begin."

The Garden gates slam shut behind them
As the couple sadly wanders off.
"A fine mess you got us into!"
Adam mutters to Eve with a scoff.

"Life was easy in the Garden of Eden,
But there's one thing I have to confess,"
Says Eve, admiring herself in a pond,
"I'm really liking my brand new dress."

If they think they have troubles now,
Wait till they see what else God forbids:
Mixing fabrics and eating shellfish.
And wait till they start having kids.

"People are going to blame us," says Adam.
"We need to come up with a good solution.
I'm hoping that somebody somewhere devises
A logical theory of evolution."

So off they journey, hand in hand,
Wishing they'd gotten by with impunity.
"It was just fruit," they lament, already
Missing their life in their gated community.

As word spreads across the country,
The Never Again movement expands;
And while that happens, one thing is clear:
We have a huge fight on our hands.

The NRA, which represents
Gunmakers and NOT gun owners,
Lately has become one of
Our politicians' principal donors.

When Wayne LaPierre° and Marion Hammer°°
Envision more guns on the street or at school,
The two of them--like Pavlov's dogs--
Smack their lips and start to drool.

Working hard in Florida
To avoid commonsense regulations
Of guns, gun lobbyists are
Expanding their base of operations.

Congressman Matt Gaetz,
Also lives among the ones
In some bizarre fantasy world
Where the solution is always more guns.

Pushing the NRA agenda,
They say, "Get rid of gun-free zones."
Their logo ought to be an assault
Weapon over a skull and crossbones.

Although he speaks out of both sides
Of his mouth, the president never balks
When dealing with the organization.
We know how loudly money talks.

Praise to the Never Again movement!
There will be a moment of truth
When more and more voters decide
To battle it out in the voting booth.

Meanwhile, the NRA
Will let its appalling message be spread,
While the weapons industry takes
Potshots at the graves of the dead.

-by Bob B (3-5-18)

°Vice president of the NRA
°°NRA lobbyist

It's funny how the followers
Of one religion often find
The myths of their religion as real
And true and easy to get behind,

While the myths of other religions
To them are merely stories, fiction,
Implausible beliefs, and they
Express their feelings with great conviction.

Oftentimes the god or gods
Of someone else's religion become
Devils or evil forces to certain
Believers. A case of zero sum.

It's also odd how many believers
Profess that their beliefs are strong--
That followers of other religions
Are in the dark, deluded, wrong.

In other words, they insist
That their religious point of view
Tops all others, as though they're saying,
"What's good for ME is good for YOU."

I resent it when anyone
Tries to make it his or her goal
To tell me what I should believe
And then attempts to "save my soul."

I also resent it when legislators
Use the pulpit to make our laws
And very conveniently ignore
The fact that such a process has flaws.

"Be a light unto yourself."
Beware of any religion that smothers
The truth, deceitfully pressuring us
To blindly follow the path of others.

-by Bob B (2-20-24)

The past has disappeared, and yet
It's all a part of this moment somehow.
The future hasn't occurred, but it
Is nonetheless tied to now.

The essence of what we were before birth
And also of what we'll be when we're gone
Eludes those who want to explain
An existential phenomenon.

Humankind's greatest attempts
To clarify life's mysteries
All fall short of certainty.
Is there one who truly "sees"?

Time and being are inextricably
Woven together. How sublime!
Time cannot be separated
From being, nor can being from time.

Why spend time--if that's the case--
Speculating on hocus-pocus?
Finding one's authentic self
Ought to be one's major focus.

Fight the waves and you might be
Swept away in the undertow.
Dive into the river of life
And let yourself go with the flow.

-by Bob B (4-4-19)

As chief diplomat,
By the way-o,
You're NOTHING but a rat,
Mike Pompeo.

So Trump has become
Your protégé-o.
Sounds like zero-sum,
Mike Pompeo.

Supporters you may please
Every day-o
By acting like a ******,
Mike Pompeo.

But most of us see fully--
Let us say-o--
The workings of a bully,
Mike Pompeo.

Kelly° asked about
The game you play-o,
And all you did was shout,
Mike Pompeo.

Calling her a liar,
Not okay-o,
When YOUR pants are on fire,
Mike Pompeo.

Your reputation's in
Disarray-o--
One more thing to spin,
Mike Pompeo.

What are you trying
To convey-o
With your constant lying,
Mike Pompeo?

You and Trump should know--
Come what may-o--
You'll reap what you sow,
Mike Pompeo.

-by Bob B (1-30-20)

°Mary Louise Kelly, NPR reporter

Be the peace that you would like
To spread around the world and know
That it comes from deep within,
And when it's nurtured, it will grow.

Be the laughter you want to hear
Fill the air with glee and mirth.
Let its contagious sounds extend
To people everywhere on Earth.

Be the light that you want to see
Radiate both near and far.
Let it serve as a beacon of hope;
Let it be a guiding star.

Be the love that unites the world--
A love that's meaningful and real.
Let its radiance gloriously
Embrace all living things with zeal.

Be the antidote to anger.
Let compassion fill your heart,
For ill-will tries to overpower
Love and tear the world apart.

Be a person who always seeks
To make the world a better place.
Let your glowing smile be mirrored
On every other person's face.

-by Bob B (12-17-22)

Beware the Sinclair Broadcast Group,
Where needed attention to truth is skipped.
Anchors from all across the country
Have to read the very same script.

Harmless? Well, that's what you think.
The trouble is problems arise
When the news stations are forced
To spread to millions the president's lies.

What should be an anathema to
A free society happens to be
A broadcasting system that is
The next best thing to state-run TV.

Here's the major emphasis:
Coordinate presentations.
The Group cunningly sets out
To brainwash viewers of local stations.

The wise, of course, see through all
The blatant deception, but many don't
See through the crafty propaganda
Machine--either they CAN'T or WON'T.

Woe is us if our news system
Imitates Putin's, and so
Beware the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Reject the dangerous puppet show.

-by Bob B (2-12-19)

She was so beautiful, oh, so beautiful.
People said that for miles around.
Her radiant face: the pride of the pueblo;
Her melodious voice: the most pleasant sound.

Blessed with a husband and two lovely sons,
She never imagined her joy would end,
Until the day she found her marido
Making passionate love with her friend.

Jealousy hungers for vengeance, and vengeance
Opens its arms to grief and despair.
The wife was driven mad by her anger--
The pain being more than the woman could bear.

Taking her beautiful boys to the river
That gently serpentined down to the coast,
She drowned them both to hurt her husband.
Their death would make him suffer the most.

“What have I done?” she cried when she came
To her senses. “Padre, condemn me to hell!”
She waded farther out in the water,
And then she drowned herself as well.

Unable to rest, her spirit haunts
The towns, the valleys, the hills, and the plains.
Remorse and guilt can eat at the soul;
A hollow heart is all that remains.

They call her La Llorona; her cries
Can make a person die of fright.
Though seeking her children, she’ll settle for any
And ****** them away in the dark of the night.

Beware, beware, beware La Llorona.
Pity her plight, but fear her intent.
Beware the consequences of anger
And vengeance that leave us with much to lament.

-by Bob B (6-3-21)

Watch as the hawks preen their feathers.
Searching the landscape, they keep track
Of what is happening all around them
Before planning their attack.

Having a keen sense of vision
While on the lookout for easy prey,
They don't care how others see them
As long as they can win the day.

Traditional diplomacy?
No, that's not part of their plan.
Their hearts are set on crushing their victims
And seeing how far their wings will span.

Conflict seems to energize them,
For conflict is their food, their source
Of livelihood. They don't care
If others suffer. There's no remorse.

Surreptitiously, they act--
Never flaunting their true intent.
Their prime tactics cause confusion--
A truth they try to misrepresent.

They say that acting so is their nature.
Does ALL their aggression make them feel joyous?
It’s sad to suddenly realize
That they were always out to destroy us.

Peace comes at a giant cost
As high above us they circle and soar.
Negotiating with them is useless
When their minds are set on war.

Don't be taken in by their cunning.
Don't fall prey to their devious cries.
Save yourself and others by knowing
How to separate truth from lies.

-by Bob B (5-11-19)

Beware of populist demagogues.
Don't let them be misunderstood:
They build their popularity
Without promoting the public good.

They pander to passions and prejudice
And also hold reason and truth in contempt.
From all accountability
Demagogues want to remain exempt.

They are masters of the masses
And try to tear down norm after norm.
Using tricks to betray the people,
They are experts at how to perform.

Using their popular support,
They undermine our institutions.
Swindling us through sophistry,
They stand firm in their resolutions.

Wearing contempt that they invite
As a badge of honor, they hope
That no one scrutinizes them
Or puts them under a microscope.

Notice their quest for unrestrained power,
Their hunger for vengeance, their thirst for control.
Support for ideas that violate
The rights of others is often their goal.

Controlling the hearts and minds of the people,
They want you to think that they are friends.
Then they leverage your support
For their own political ends.

It's scary to think that Americans
Could eagerly cast their vote in a fog,
Electing a dangerous person who is
Clearly a populist demagogue.

-by Bob B (11-9-24)

°Inspired by the writings of Dani Rudrik, Eli Merritt, and Emily Pears

Beware of the two-headed monster
Of incalculable size—
An amorphous, protean shape
That attacks by surprise.
 
This monster relies on deception
To corner its unwary prey;
You fall into its clutches
Once your endurance gives way.
 
One of its faces is comely,
Displaying a luring smile
And a look of apparent compassion—
Both of which beguile.
 
Its mouth forms words of loyalty,
Morality, honor, virtue,
Freedom, pride, and values;
You wonder how that could hurt you.
 
But what you don’t see directly
While you’re busy being stung
By all the sly, false promises
Is the monster’s disgusting forked tongue.
 
The other face of the monster
Is hideous beyond belief—
Bearing an insidious smirk
And a mien that fills you with grief.
 
The mouth on this face spews hatred,
Poison, distrust, hypocrisy,
And duplicitous manipulation—
A threat to any democracy.
 
It pours out dangerous platitudes
And remedies that mislead.
Underneath its artifice
Runs callousness and greed.
 
The monster, of course, uses trickery
To let you see only one face;
But it keeps its nefarious tactics
Constantly in place.
 
With tentacles of far-reaching range,
It reaches out to clasp
Any heedless victim
And hold him or her in its grasp.
 
So beware of the two-headed monster
And its growing provocation.
Only two things can **** it:
Reason and education.

- by Bob B

I keep hearing
People say
That facts often
Get in the way.
Bombarded by
The constant chatter,
I'll merely say,
"Facts matter."

- by Bob B (2-15-17)

I want to see beyond the mountains,
Know what's hiding deep in the sea,
And survey the fascinating features
Of the human heart's topography.

We can scale the towering peaks
So we can see what lies beyond,
And we can probe the ocean’s depths
To understand that giant pond.

The human heart's more problematic;
So many secrets are hidden deep.
At times its depths are hard to fathom,
Its self-protective walls too steep.

We must always keep on searching
And NOT assume that we comprehend
All that can be known, for knowledge
Has no boundaries, no end.

If going beyond our human knowledge
We tap into the Absolute,
Imagine the bliss of suddenly seeing
A transformed being taking root!

-by Bob B (5-17-20)

Hawks are present. Perhaps you can't
See them all, but they are there--
Waiting for the perfect moment
To capture you, unaware.

You are told it has to do with
Needed management and control.
But know they long to tear you apart
Because they cannot swallow you whole.

Are they circling overhead?
Listen carefully; decipher their cries.
Despite what you are told to believe,
They want to rule the land and skies.

Always on the lookout for victims,
They tie power and strength to wealth.
They seek out the vulnerable.
Their strategy: attack by stealth.

While you earn your livelihood--
Working hard to make ends meet--
To them you are nothing but
A menu item--something to eat.

They can spot you from far away.
Your home's a fragile sanctuary.
Is your encounter part of a plan,
Or is it strictly arbitrary?

When they say, "Do not fear;
We're your friends." That's not true.
One false move and it's all over.
Certain things you can't undo.

It doesn't matter whether you
Are fast or slow, strong or frail,
Once they have you, say good-bye.
Your screams will be of no avail.

-by Bob B (8-4-18)

A massive field of energy
With quantum fluctuations:
That is how it all began,
From all indications.

And then the Big Bang came about,
Giving birth to us,
And energy became transformed
Into matter. Thus,

We are beings who go way back
Into a distant past.
Over 13 billion years--
Before the die was cast.

Within that scheme, planet Earth
Is relatively young,
And many of the scientists'
Songs remain unsung.

No one knows for certain why
It all was orchestrated.
We ALL seem quite unique, and yet
We're ALL somewhat related.

Billions of years, collapsing stars:
So difficult to grasp.
The vastness of the universe
Makes us stop and gasp.

-by Bob B (11-20-22)

Seventeen people lost their lives
At a high school on Valentine's Day
In the city of Parkland, Florida.
Students and teachers, by the way.

Yesterday at Pompano Beach
The last victim was laid to rest
Of the seventeen killed at the school.
Oh, how far we've progressed!

For meanwhile, a so-called preacher
In Pennsylvania made a plea,
Asking couples to bring to church
Their AR-15s to be blessed, you see.

Whenever there's an incident,
From out of the woodwork lunatics spring.
So now at church they're blessing guns?
Crackpots will bless anything!

Insensitivity knows no limits
When humankind's ignorance rages.
Is this the twenty-first century,
Or are we living in the Dark Ages?

-by Bob B (2-26-18)

At five a.m. the doors swing open.
The throng of shoppers lined up at the store
Pushes and shoves and jabs and elbows
Its aggressive way through the wide-open door.
 
Once inside, the crowd scatters
This way, that way, in chaotic motion.
The store clerks gasp, feeling like islands
Surrounded by a raging ocean.
 
"Oh, no you don’t!" one woman shouts
At another woman clutching a box
Containing the last flat-screen TV.
"Hands off; it's mine!" the other one squawks.
 
A mad tug-o'-war ensues
As the two women grapple to claim what's theirs.
An onlooker who is knocked down in the skirmish
Shrieks, "What a sorry state of affairs!"
 
Everywhere you look, items are flying.
The store resembles the scene of a battle,
OR, perhaps, a giant herd
Of loud, thundering, angry cattle.
 
A man stops to pick up a bottle
Of perfume that he dropped--a gift for his wife--
And is trampled by the surge of shoppers.
The poor guy nearly loses his life.
 
One bold shopper with her canister of pepper spray
Threatens to douse the belligerent crowd
Until she is tackled by security guards
And is escorted away, cursing out loud.
 
Announcements blare from the loudspeakers:
"Shoppers' special on aisle three."
Suddenly, the rivers of shoppers change course
As the curious hope to get something free.
 
In the background, Christmas carols playing
The hopeful messages of joy and peace
Are drowned out by the ear-piercing din
That sounds like the honking of thousands of geese.
 
"I want my mommy," a whiny child cries.
"What do you want for Christmas: a dolly?"
Asks Santa, losing his last bit of patience
And doing his best to try to act jolly.
 
The chaos never ceases to wane
As the shoppers vie for the best shopping deals.
One man rushing to grab the last smart phone
Slips and falls head over heels
 
And slides into an obese grandma,
Sending her sprawling into some shelves
Of decorations, which all go flying.
The injured lie covered with reindeer and elves.
 
Interminable lines at the registers await
The exhausted shoppers. You get closer; hurrah!
The woman in front of you then needs a price check!
No, that can't be! That's the last straw!
 
Another day of Black Friday madness.
Would that it could be over! But no.
You've barely started; that's store number one.
You have four more stores to go!

- by Bob B

On February 1 each year,
Black History Month begins.
Major contributions of Blacks
Are praised, and everybody wins.

But yesterday, we heard the shocking
Reports on the nightly TV news
That fourteen--yes, fourteen!--bomb threats
Occurred at this country's HBCUs.°

Threatening lives and causing disruptions
At Black institutions of learning,
The culprits' hateful acts display
Behavior that is highly concerning.

And at the same time, many states
Are passing laws that sadly embrace
Innocuous and unrealistic
Ways that teachers can talk about race.

If educators are forced to cover
U.S. history insincerely,
Students won't learn the truth of our past,
And Americans will suffer dearly.

So why Black History Month?
What started as an important endeavor
To recognize accomplishments
Is now needed more than ever.

-by Bob B (2-2-22)

°Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Pandora lifted the lid from her box
And boy! ALL hell broke loose.
You want to put the "evils" back?
You can try, but it's no use.

(It wasn't a box but really a jar,
Many translators maintain.
Box, jar…call it whatever.
The story's key points remain.)

Hephaestus had followed Zeus' orders
And made Pandora from the earth.
The first of the race of women was she,
The story goes--for what it's worth.

Sickness, strife, toil, killing…
In short the ills of humankind
Escaped and now we're stuck with them.
For any evil that comes to mind--

Countless ways to destroy the earth,
Ways to ****, ways to maim,
Terrorist bombs, torture, and plunder--
Dear Pandora takes the blame.

(She shares similarities
With Eve of Biblical fame, but whether
There were connections, that would be
Another story altogether.)

If someone said, "See this box?
Don't open it, whatever you do."
Or gave the command, "Don't eat this fruit!"
Wouldn't you be curious, too?

In letting out the world's evils
Pandora was pushing the envelope.
The one thing that she left in the box
Was a little glimmer of hope.

Maybe that hope stays in the box--
Out of our touch. That's a suggestion.
Or if it were released, could it
Conquer evil? That's a good question.

Couldn't Pandora see that this
Was JUST a setup? Well, she should have.
But if SHE hadn't lifted the lid,
Somebody else certainly would have.

- by Bob B (6-6-17)

The telephone is constantly ringing;
I’m on the verge of insanity.
It’s all I can do when answering calls
Not to break out in profanity.

It doesn’t help to block a number,
For callers will use another.
How many do they have access to?
Twenty? Forty? Brother!

The scammers are the worst, of course--
Each a conniving crook!
But telephone solicitors?
Also bad in my book!

If they would only take NO for an answer,
It wouldn’t be so bad.
But when they importune me for money,
That’s when I get mad.

Sometimes solicitors overstep
The bounds of familiarity;
If they do, I’ll flatly refuse
To donate to their charity.

I hate to be rude, but it’s hard not to
Say something mean.
As I said, I'm at the point
Of saying something obscene!

It MUST be self-defeating for them,
For I know I'm not alone
When I say they’re forcing me
To never answer my phone.

The “Do Not Call List”? What a joke!
Robocalls? A pain.
All of us in phone-call hell
Have the right to complain.

This phone-call madness will have its place
In the annals of demonology,
For we know one thing: it is one
Of the curses of modern technology.

-by Bob B (9-13-18)

The president invited supporters
To visit him in the White House this week.
Such a display of hypocrisy!
A prayer ****, so to speak.

With impeachment procedures occurring,
He's trying to bolster part of his base
By meeting with religious fanatics
To pander to them face to face.

Referring to so-called religious freedom,
He wants to remind them how much he's done
To help the country and doesn't see how
He's ******* it up for everyone.

"Religious freedom" really means
A free rein to discriminate,
A way to deny equal rights,
Another way to perpetuate hate.

Watch them lay their hands on Trump
And pray. They don't care in the least
How it looks to the rest of the world.
Don't they know they're blessing the beast?

-by Bob B (11-1-19)

Look upon the ocean horizon
And tell me what perchance you see.
"I see a ship that's bringing enslaved
People to toil in the land of the free."

This happened over and over again.
Tell me: did black lives matter then?

I see families weeping together.
Ask them why? What did they say?
"They said their loved one was lynched by a mob
Who call themselves the KKK."

This happened over and over again.
Tell me: did black lives matter then?

Why are those people spitting on
Those kids seeking better schooling?
"They don't like the idea of
The country's integration ruling."

This happened over and over again.
Tell me: did black lives matter then?

Why are police using whips,
Tear gas, and clubs on marchers? Take note!
"Ah, they are demonstrators
Marching for the right to vote."

This happened over and over again.
Tell me: did black lives matter then?

Many people seem upset.
What might be the explanation?
"Disproportionate figures of
Brutality and incarceration."

This happens over and over again.
When so, do black lives matter then?

Some people say “All lives matter,”
But all lives haven't for hundreds of years.
Stop rivers of hate and injustice
That empty into an ocean of tears?

-by Bob B (6-9-20)

Did you see Hitchcock's classic
****** when it was first released?
Back in 1960 it was--
Before our thirst for blood increased.

Hitchcock teased us with the camera
And was a master at building suspense,
Which for many who saw the movie
Turned out to be too intense.

The unforgettable scene in the shower
Made many viewers too afraid
To shower when staying at home alone
For years after the film had been made.

The intensity of that frightening scene
By modern standards is simple or thin.
They say there's only one split second
That shows the knife touching skin.

In movies now heads go flying,
Bodies explode, throats are slit,
Blood gushes, sprinkles, and splatters--
The butchery never seems to quit.

Eyes pop out, insides ooze,
Bodies are sometimes split in half
Or burnt to a crisp before our eyes.
After a shriek, the viewers laugh.

Are we more sophisticated
Or just immune to blood and gore?
Scenes that scared us way back when
Do not scare us anymore.

It's refreshing when directors use
Restraint and wisely resist temptations
To show it all and leave so little
To the viewers' imaginations.

- by Bob B

While American and Israeli officials
Clink their champagne glasses and schmooze
At an embassy in Jerusalem,
One thing is barely making the news:

Over one hundred twelve° Palestinians
Have been killed at the Gaza Strip
Since March 30 by Israeli soldiers
Demonstrating their marksmanship.

Over 13,000° have been
Injured, having wounds that consist
Of large, gaping holes in the victims--
Bullet holes the size of a fist.

The bullets shot from high-velocity
Weapons on hitting their target explode
Expanding and mushrooming inside the body.
Israeli cruelty à la mode?

People from all walks of life gathered
To demonstrate and express their frustration
For living conditions in their Gaza prison--
An abominable situation.

Conditions, in fact, are among
The worst that the world has seen.
May 14 was the bloodiest day
Since the strife in twenty fourteen.

Israelis call it "self-defense";
It's really shoot-to-injure or ****.
Are snipers keeping track of how many
Palestinian coffins they'll fill?

One uncle never imagined
That he would need a body bag.
He carried home his 8-month old niece
Wrapped in a Palestinian flag.

The people want a place that's home.
But while negotiations stall--
And marginalized by circumstances--
They live inside or outside a wall.

-by Bob B (5-19-18)

°Based on a report by journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous

For what occurred on March 7,
There was truly no excuse.
Although the day started out calmly,
Before long all hell broke loose.

The year: 1965.
Selma, Alabama: the place.
Six hundred marchers for freedom
And state troopers stood face to face.

The goal of the marchers was a demand
For equal rights in the voting booth,
For the tight grip of Jim Crow laws
In America was an ugly truth.

The plan: a peaceful march from Selma
To the Alabama capital, where
They would take their grievances
To the governor. What's fair is fair.

Reaching the Edmund Pettus Bridge--
Named, by the way, after a man
Who'd been a Confederate general
And member of the Ku Klux ****--

The marchers stopped. The state troopers
Told them all to turn around.
However, the marchers, one of whom
Was John Lewis°, stood their ground.

Soon the state troopers advanced,
Wearing gas masks and waving their sticks.
They threw some whips and tubing wrapped
In barbed wire into the mix.

Men, women, and children were beaten.
Blood was flowing; marchers were screaming.
Some of white spectators were
Holding Confederate flags and beaming.

That evening, while millions were watching
"Judgment at Nuremberg" on TV,
The movie was interrupted by scenes
Of the brutal assault for all to see.

The day is known as ****** Sunday--
A day that we should never forget.
And yet today the voting rights
Of people of color are still under threat.

When we restrict the right to vote,
Democracy's up against the wall.
No one is free until ALL are free.
Equal rights means justice for all.

-by Bob B (3-6-21)

°American politician, statesman, and civil rights activist who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 until his death in 2020

Halloween is approaching, and so
You'd better watch out for spooks.
Watch out for zombies and vampires and witches.
Most of all watch out for kooks.

Ghosts are out there hoping to scare you
And trying to put on the squeeze
For you to think that the COVID vaccine
Is worse than the disease.

They haunt the halls of Congress and make
Appearances anywhere,
Looking for innocent victims to
Intimidate or scare.

They don't mind Halloween masks
That might look gruesome or gory.
But wearing masks to save human lives?
That is a different story!

Once a zombie bites you, you
Join the walking dead,
Which shows how easy it is for mistrust
And ignorance to spread.

Vampires want to feast on the blood
Of truth that runs through your veins,
After that, your appetite
For blood is all that remains.

Witches know how to concoct a potion
To make you want to distrust
Our institutions, many of which
They want to see bite the dust.

Kooks are scary, for sometimes they
Are harder to recognize,
But once they open their mouths to speak,
You can hear their lies.

Though Halloween is a scary time,
Frankly, we have to fear
All of these kooks and zombies and such
Every day of the year.

-by Bob B (10-9-21)

Republicans have a boogeyman.
Actually, more than one.
They are extremely creative and won’t
Let themselves be outdone.

Take critical race theory—
One of their current bugaboos.
They say it’s going to bring about
Our downfall. Hear them on Fox News.

Expressing White racial grievance
And complaining about C.R.T.
Shift the focus away from systemic
Racism here in this “land of the free.”

Marxism and socialism—
Also right-wing boogeymen
That pose insidious threats to our freedom?
Yawn! No, not this again!

Of course, you have the deep state conspiracy—
Another one of their baseless fears—
Which, they like to point out, has been
Happening during the past five years.

Then there’s always Antifa! Right-wing
Pundits will not let you forget,
Although far-right domestic terrorists
Are the ones posing a REAL threat.

What about the Devil incarnate:
George Soros, whom they bash
Excessively on right-wing shows
Where they spread their balderdash?

Ah, and don't forget the Dems.
Trumplicans love to fulminate
Against the Democrats and call them
Dangerous enemies of the state.

They say these boogeymen are going to
Destroy us and NOT just tarnish our name.
Do they REALLY believe this nonsense?
Are they for real? Or is it a game?

-by Bob B (7-18-21)

The president appointed a man
To help support his nefarious plan--
Something that's so common in these times.
The man became the president's pal
And pushed a bogus rationale
To try to cover up his boss's crimes.

The president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

An office that should really be
An independent agency
Is one that we call the D-O-J.
But since the president's henchman's there,
The agency's the worse for wear
And grows less independent every day.

Thanks to our leader's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

To bolster a right-wing conspiracy theory,
Barr has started a new inquiry
To investigate the Russia investigation.
Of course, he knows he'll get Fox News
To help support his spurious views
For it’s a peddler of misinformation.

To help the president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

To try to prove that the Mueller probe
Was a crime, he roams the globe
To find someone to help him prove his case.
He merely shows that he's got gall
And NO integrity at all.
How can he look us in the face?

The president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

What a stunt--a big distraction,
A sly and furtive counteraction--
As they try to manufacture dirt.
Distractions from impeachment chatter
Is for them an easy matter.
To them it doesn't matter whom they hurt.

Watch the president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

-by Bob B (10-25-19)

AG Barr's attempt to spin
Conspiracy theories is wearing thin.
He wants to prove the Russia probe's a sham.
Investigations come up short.
They can't debunk the Mueller Report.
But Barr doesn't give a tinker's ****.

That's the president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

The AG cannot rest, you see,
Until the lackey shows that he
Has a subject he can't fail to broach.
Even though his plan has holes
And serves his partisan political goals,
He insists that Trump's above reproach.

The president has a shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

It's sad he's such a sorry cuss.
The AG should be working for us;
The president's personal lawyer he is NOT.
But Trump thinks Barr will save his hide.
So what if neither one has pride.
Barr will be his shining Lancelot.

That's the president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

Many of us remain nonplussed
At how the AG has no trust
For DOJ employees who work hard.
Instead, he thinks a "deep state" scheme--
A myth he's peddling to the extreme--
Is real and so he has to be on guard.

That's the president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

Rejecting Congressional oversight,
Barr has taken on the fight
To cover up the president's transgressions.
Barr puts AG Sessions to shame.
Though both have played the president's game,
Barr is ten times worse than AG Sessions.

That's the president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

-by Bob B (12-6-19)

________
(Original poem: Part I)

BOOTLICKER BARR

The president appointed a man
To help support his nefarious plan--
Something that's so common in these times.
The man became the president's pal
And pushed a bogus rationale
To try to cover up his boss's crimes.

The president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

An office that should really be
An independent agency
Is one that we call the D-O-J.
But since the president's henchman's there,
The agency's the worse for wear
And grows less independent every day.

Thanks to our leader's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

To bolster a right-wing conspiracy theory,
Barr has started a new inquiry
To investigate the Russia investigation.
Of course, he knows he'll get Fox News
To help support his spurious views
For it’s a peddler of misinformation.

To help the president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

To try to prove that the Mueller probe
Was a crime, he roams the globe
To find someone to help him prove his case.
He merely shows that he's got gall
And NO integrity at all.
How can he look us in the face?

The president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

What a stunt--a big distraction,
A sly and furtive counteraction--
As they try to manufacture dirt.
Distractions from impeachment chatter
Is for them an easy matter.
To them it doesn't matter whom they hurt.

Watch the president's shining star:
The man known as Bootlicker Barr.

-by Bob B (10-25-19)

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.)

D.T. from the White House balcony:

"To all my fans here, I want to say
That I need all your help and support
If I'm going to survive this outrageous ordeal.
It isn't easy.
Enemies want me to fail--yes, that's true.
Only my loyal supporters
Have known what they all have to do.

"For me to keep my power, I had to play.
There were things that I had to distort
To protect all I had and to make me seem real.
I had a mission.
I had to show you that I would come through--
That my people are number one--
While I"--sniff--"am just number two.

"Bow down to me, o my people.
You know I don't want to leave you.
The bonds we have here
Are hard to sever.
If you will let me,
I'll rule forever.

"Regarding experts, I have my own.
I listen to those who will spout
All the words and ideas to which I subscribe.
If they defy me.
I will see they're brought down, yes, for suffer they will.
Especially all of my friends
Who fear me on Capitol Hill.

"Bow down to me, o my people.
You know I don't want to leave you.
The bonds we have here
Are hard to sever.
If you will let me,
I'll rule forever.

"Since you're standing here,
There is something I am sure that you can all see:
All the talk out there about my super spreaders
In no way worries me."

-by Bob B (10-10-20)