(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Onward, Christian Soldiers.")

Forward, Trumpian warriors!
Off to war you go--
Off to fight a virus,
Marching row by row.
Trump, the royal leader,
From a White House room,
Calls for you to fight for him though
It could mean your doom.
Forward, Trumpian warriors!
Off to war you go--
Off to fight a virus,
Marching row by row.

When a deadly virus
Moves across a land,
We know gear to fight it
Has to be on hand.
Trump wants states to battle
Fully on their own.
He sends warriors to the front lines
Tweeting from his phone:
Forward, Trumpian warriors!
Off to war you go--
Off to fight a virus,
Marching row by row.

Trump says be a hero;
Make a sacrifice.
To keep money flowing
All must pay a price.
Your life for your country.
How's that for a deal?
To hear his priorities just
Listen to his spiel.
Forward, Trumpian warriors!
Off to war you go--
Off to fight a virus,
Marching row by row.

Trump says many experts
Have mistaken views.
He gets his advice from
His friends on Fox News.
While the people suffer,
Trump has fans like Mitch.
They will make for certain that the
Rich will still stay rich.
Forward, Trumpian warriors!
Off to war you go--
Off to fight a virus,
Dropping row by row.

-by Bob B (5-6-20)

Recently, four seniors
Didn't don their caps and gowns
And walk down the aisle as did
Seniors in other cities and towns.

These four seniors' lives were cut short
In the city of Parkland in February.
While their classmates reveled, they
Slept somewhere in a cemetery.

These are just four who have died
In shootings across the country this year.
And though there's been talk of change,
Definite action remains unclear.

Sure, some lawmakers
Have said, "Look! We're getting tough,"
And passed some minor legislation.
But baby steps are NOT enough.

At least more candidates
Now are NOT afraid to say
In campaign ads in many states,
"I'll stand up to the NRA."

Meanwhile the NRA hopes
That memory loss supersedes
People's desire for action. We lose
When complacency succeeds.

Remember that we need more
Than just a prayer and a simple "Amen."
We need to unite, to act, to vote.
Never again means never again!

-by Bob B (6-18-18)

Meet Francisco, an 18-year-old,
Born right here in the good ol' U.S.
Police held him in custody
For twenty-six days nevertheless.

Detention centers are certainly not
Five-star hotels in any form.
Frigid and crowded cages or rooms
And inhumane treatment are more the norm.

Francisco had his social security
Card and ID in order to prove
That he was really a U.S. citizen.
Border police still made their move.

Although someone spends many years
Elsewhere, our legal apparatus
Has to know that doing that
Doesn't change one's citizenship status.

They claimed that Francisco's identification
Information all was fake.
Of course, they have to find excuses
To cover up their big mistake.

Such "mistakes" are fairly common
When we have a president who
Says that what is true is false;
What is false, he claims is true.

Most people see through his dangerous lies,
But there are many who want to believe
Every word he says that offers
Support to ideas to which they cleave.

Stop atrocities at our border!
Stop treating people in ways
That NO human being should be treated!
Stop the processing delays!

Stop family separation
And caging asylum seekers as well,
As though to get even with them
Their lives are made a living hell!

How many more "Franciscos" are there
Who don't even make the news?
Whom will the president now attack?
Who is next on his list to abuse?

-by Bob B (7-28-19)

Frankie, the devil-cat, was always
The infamous focus of blame.
Folks said Lucifer would have been
A more appropriate name.

Always in trouble he was! You couldn't
Find a more wicked cat.
If you can name one more evil than Frankie,
I will eat my hat.

Sometimes he would want your attention.
Bah! Attention indeed.
If you pet him, he'd bite your arm
And scratch it and make it bleed.

You couldn't walk across the floor
Barefoot, for if you tried,
Frankie would attack your foot
And bite it until you cried.

He had a strange design on his forehead
Which frightened the local priest.
"Beware!" the priest told Frankie's owners.
"The cat has the mark of the beast."

You might wake up from a peaceful sleep
In the darkness of the night.
Two yellow eyes would be staring at you,
And make you jump up in fright.

"****, **** cat!" you'd yell at Frankie,
And he would yowl and hiss.
When you got up in the morning, you'd sense
That something was amiss.

Your favorite knick-knack would be lying
In pieces on the floor,
And Frankie would stay hidden until
You were no longer sore.

When he was hungry, you wouldn't have
A single moment of peace
Until you filled his bowl with food.
THEN the racket would cease.

When Frankie's owners would leave the house,
It was as though he would boast
That now he could use their luxury couch
As his favorite scratching post.

They never caught him in the act.
A scary thing happened when
A guest who said Frankie should be declawed
Was never heard from again.

Frankie would sit by the window and wait
For other cats to come near,
Then he would scream so loudly that he
Would fill them all with fear.

One day out of meanness Frankie
Started to chew on a wire.
Zap! He was electrocuted.
What a way to expire!

The owners say he's in kitty heaven,
But people who knew him well
Roll their eyes and under their breath
Say, "More like kitty hell."

"Frankie, aka Lucifer:
The meanest cat around!"
Should be Frankie's epitaph
Now that he's underground.

-by Bob B (3-2-24)

COVID-19 continues to spread.
We know that for a fact.
And yet it took the feds such
A long time to act.

Trump's denial at first didn't
Help the matter at all.
There are obvious consequences
When nations' leaders stall.

Trump supporters on TV report,
"People die every day
In swimming pools and accidents."
Obnoxious things to say!

One thing that makes their arguments
So utterly outrageous
Is that auto accidents
And pools are NOT contagious!

To save the economy, let people die?
That is what they're implying.
Their callousness and thoughtlessness
Are truly horrifying.

Trump's approach flip-flops daily,
From what we can see.
He wants ultimate power but no
Responsibility.

When state governors implement
Guidelines on his list,
He stupidly tells fanatic fans
To publicly resist.

He tells the country's governors
It's all in their hands.
Inept and lacking empathy,
He's tired of their demands.

By making them all fend for themselves,
He can later claim
That if the situation worsens,
They'll be the ones to blame.

It's all about the election to him--
That his power survives.
He hopes that no one sees how he's playing
Politics with our lives.

We can't move forward if we do not
Implement widespread testing.
Test, isolate, treat, and trace
Are what we should be requesting.

As one governor succinctly says--
Not wanting to blunder--
That it's much better to be six feet
Apart than six feet under.

-by Bob B (4-18-20)

Curses; devils; magic wands;
Talking donkeys; talking snakes;
References to sorcerers;
Angels helping with prison breaks;

Bizarre prophets predicting the future;
Flaming chariots in the sky;
Fratricide and patricide;
The dangers of an evil eye;

Talking bushes; teleportation;
Exorcisms; magical cures;
The sun and moon both "standing still";
Visits to heaven through visual tours;

Soothsayers; seers and wizards;
Giants causing fear on Earth;
Dead folks coming back to life;
A super-miraculous ****** birth;

The strangest beasts you've ever heard of;
Divine intervention in wars;
Curious dreams predicting the future;
A lot of talk of harlots and ******;

Food that feeds some wandering folks
And falls from the skies for forty years;
An angry god with little patience
Causing lamentation and tears;

Violence and genocide
Commanded that jealous god;
Incestuous relationships;
A man parts waters by lifting a rod;

Angels that **** and fight with humans;
Evil spirits possessing swine;
Miracle workers; deadly plagues;
Water turning into wine;

Mysterious hands that write on walls;
A star that makes a guiding trail;
A prophet who's cast from a ship and then
Allegedly spends three days in a whale;

Voices from clouds; someone who
Can walk on water and talk to devils--
A storytelling itinerant preacher
Whose lessons work on many levels.

What's all this? A horror story
Or fantasy novel fit for all ages?
A book by Stephen King? Well, no.
It ALL can be found on the Bible's pages.

-by Bob B (6-14-25)

The White House game of musical chairs continues.
Trump has once again a change of taste.
Rex Tillerson, who has been serving as his
Secretary of State, is being replaced.
The new appointee will be Mike Pompeo--
A sycophantic yes-man through and through.
Trump will soon have the cabinet he wants,
He says--in short, his loyal retinue.
Why always this constant change of heart?
Why not pick the right ones from the start?

The personal assistant to the president
Was walked off White House grounds without his jacket.
He must have done something pretty outrageous.
Take THAT political nut and try to crack it!
Serious financial crimes appeared
To be the cause of McEntee's removal.
But he now has a job on Trump's campaign;
So much he has the president's approval!
Such a move: could you call it smart,
Knowing what we know from the start?

House Republicans investigating
The Russia connection say the case is closed
Without having conducted a thorough query.
Their true motivations have been exposed.
How sad when our legislators' desires
To seek out truth and clarity are sparse,
And favoring Party over the American people,
They turn an investigation into a farce!
Republicans on the committee did their part
To sabotage the process from the start.

-by Bob B (3-14-18)

Dear Donald,

Congratulations. I really like
How you have muddied the waters, my friend.
You keep stressing my talking points
And give new meaning to the word “pretend.”

Not only have you duped your base,
You have your friends in Congress wrapped
Around your little finger, for you
Can lie whenever you feel trapped.

You have worshipers pushing your stories,
Conspiracy theories--the whole shebang.
Just try to polish your storytelling
So that your lies don’t boomerang.

Heaping all the blame on Ukraine
For having meddled in twenty sixteen
In your election helps us both
Advance our propaganda machine.

A weaker Ukraine is good for Russia;
What’s good for Russia is good for you.
Think of all the power we’ll have.
That would be my dream come true.

To me it is a great honor
How you place your trust in me
When your intel agencies
And I happen to disagree.

The way that you obstruct justice
And Congress pleases me as well.
It's right out of my own playbook:
Just tell them all to go to hell.

When you, like me, have total control
Over the media, you're on your way
To being a leader who makes the people
Do what you do and say what you say.

People suspect that I have dirt
On you, but you can rest assured
That all you have to do is follow
My suggestions, and mum’s the word.

Your friend, Vlad

-by Bob B (12-3-19)

Technology's changing so very fast 
That trying to keep up is a pain. 
I'd hardly call myself a Luddite, 
But sometimes I feel left out in the rain. 
 
They come out with Windows 10
When you've barely learned Windows 8. 
Every time I open a program
It seems as though there's a new update. 
 
Then you're back to square one again. 
Good luck learning the fancy new features. 
If you get stuck, don't hesitate  
To find some kids to serve as your teachers. 
 
It’s amazing how kids at such a young age 
Are already showing familiarity 
With swiping, sliding, and tapping their fingers 
On touch screens AND with great dexterity. 
 
You can't just have a phone these days; 
It has to be a smart phone, you see. 
How we ever survived in the past 
With our not-so-smart phones is way beyond me. 
 
With smart phones you can lock your doors, 
Turn on the air or adjust the heat. 
Having a phone just to make calls 
In this day and age would be obsolete. 
 
Try to find a simple clock radio 
Or a simple phone without any frills. 
Young people don't know what it's like 
To need postage stamps to pay their bills. 
 
Practically everything needs recharging-- 
Laptops, tablets, cameras, phones. 
Our cars now operate by computers; 
Without technology we wouldn't have drones. 
 
Recharging batteries all the time
Is NOT as handy as it looks.
That's why I usually prefer
My good old-fashioned paper books.
 
- by Bob B

After President Biden gave
His annual state of the union address,
Alabama's Senator Britt
Had some people to try to impress.

There she sat in the kitchen where
She gave her corny rebuttal speech,
Or maybe we should say that THAT's
The place from which she chose to preach.

She wanted Christian nationalists
To have a reason to rejoice,
And so she used what people call
Her sappy, "fundie° baby voice."

People who watched were flabbergasted.
There were Republicans as well
Who listened in disbelief and asked
One another "What the hell?"

Blaming all the nation's struggles
On President Biden, she showed her fixation
With following Trump's playbook regarding
Inflaming fears about immigration.

We later discover that some of her comments
Were really nothing but nasty lies.
Perhaps that's par for the course when there's
Someone or something to demonize.

Not to bear false witness is
One of the Ten Commandments. Aha!
Doesn't that mean that Senator Britt
Basically broke a religious law?

Oh, well! Hypocrisy
Is fine, I guess, for those who believe
That THEIR path is the ONLY path
And there are millions of folks to deceive.

-by Bob B (3-10-24)

°from "fundamentalist"

Languages constantly change.
English has, and how!
If not, we would still
Be saying "thee" and "thou."

Sometimes advertising
And the media create a shift
In the way we use certain words
That's annoying. Get my drift?

Businesses, for example,
Have a "free gift" for you.
You think, "A free gift--oh, boy!"
?I like getting gifts, too.

But think about it a moment:
Aren't gifts ALWAYS free?
So "Come in for your free gift"
Is a redundancy.

We hear that someone "went missing,"
Which to me sounds weird.
The expression sounds so clunky.
What's wrong with "disappeared"?

To say "to graduate high school"
Actually makes no sense.
(The number of people who say that
Has grown rather immense.)

Schools graduate students.
How hard does that sound?
We graduate from college--
Not the other way around.

And then there's "close proximity."
That's redundant because
"Proximity" itself means "closeness."
We should all know that it does.

So "close proximity" means
"Close closeness," though you might
Say, "That's what I meant."
I would respond, "Yeah, right."

Language changes aren't
Evil or reprehensible.
Grammarians just wonder why
The changes aren't more sensible.

- by Bob B

Galileo Galilei--
Physicist, mathematician,
Astronomer, philosopher--
You angered the Roman Inquisition
 
And later the Pope and Jesuits as well.
Your scientific observation
That the earth moves around the sun
Was deemed a heretical revelation!
 
Spreading ideas "contrary to scripture"--
A risky endeavor and path to take--
Guaranteed life imprisonment
Or a gruesome burning at the stake.
 
Under pressure you recanted:
"The earth doesn't move around the sun."
They say that under your breath you muttered,
"And yet it moves." You lost, yet won.
 
Though you lived under house arrest
For years until the day you died,
Your scientific contributions
To benefit mankind cannot be denied.
 
It's sad when dogma and ignorance attempt
To force dissenters into compliance.
It's sadder yet that in this century
Too many people still ignore science.
 
Our thoughts aren't shaped from cookie cutters;
Beliefs don't all fit the same mold.
Praise to the thinkers who soar to great heights
And break authority's stranglehold.
 
Praise to those who dare to defy
Petrified positions or views--
Who challenge our mind-set and open our eyes
To truth and awareness, despite jeers and boos.

- by Bob B

A second term of Donald Trump
Would be a nightmare, to say the least.
Here are potential team members
Now that he's unleashed the beast:

Stephen Miller

A policy adviser to Trump…
Crafted border separation…
A white nationalist at heart…
Massive voter fraud his fixation…

RFK Jr.

Blamed Bill Gates for tracking chips…
Bioweapons from DNA?...
Vaccine conspiracy theorist…
Total nutjob! What more can I say?

Kash Patel

Trump loyalist par excellence…
Foot soldier for Donald Trump…
Threatens revenge against Trump's critics…
Trump commands, Patel will jump!

Russell Vought

Architect of the terrifying
Project 2025…
Withheld aid from Ukraine…
Keeps MAGA nonsense alive…

Founder of think tanks for Donald Trump…
Is fine with Christian nationalism
And presidential power over
The courts…. That's called despotism.

Richard Grenell

Part of the "Stop the Steal" effort…
Super MAGA through and through…
Wants government offices
Filled with MAGA loyalists, too…

Flirted while in Germany
With the ascendant German far right…
Looks for authoritarian leaders
With whom Trump can closely unite…

Steve Bannon

Believes you completely destroy opponents…
Strongly in favor of mass deportations…
Our institutions must be destroyed:
Another one of his recommendations…

Vivek Ramaswamy

Believes the "Great Replacement" conspiracy
And other crazy theories as well…
A son of immigrants, he also pushes
Nativist bigotry. What the hell?

Jeffrey Clark

Thinks the president should have
Power over prosecutions…
Election-related racketeering:
One more of his contributions…

__

This is only a partial list
Of dangerous people lining up
To bow down to Donald Trump,
Kiss his ring, and drink from his cup.

-by Bob B (10-10-24)

Gaslighting: creating a false
Narrative in order to make
People question reality--
To change what's true into what's fake.

Trump, for example, has perfected
The art of gaslighting to a T
When he wants us to believe
That what's really there is NOT what we see.

Take January 6,
The day of the Capitol insurrection,
When thugs violently rejected
The results of the 2020 election.

Trump and his supporters are saying,
Oh, it really wasn't that bad.
It was merely some patriots
Expressing themselves because they were mad.

Or look at all the lies being spread
That our elections are not reliable.
Faulty machines…election fraud…
All of that is unjustifiable.

Gaslighters deny wrongdoing
And love the tactic of shifting the blame.
Immigrants are responsible for
Spreading COVID, gaslighters claim.

Lying, distracting: those are their tactics.
Erasing the past is their major goal.
They'll wear us down with their lies and do
Whatever they can to stay in control.

-by Bob B (10-8-21)

"Mommy says that Santa won't be visiting this year.
She says it is because I have been bad.
She always seems so angry and upset 'bout everything.
She always says, 'I'm going to tell your dad.'
 
"Just because I broke my sister's iPad yesterday:
I only wished to see if it could float.
And then I blew it once again when we all horsed around
And I spilled grape juice on her favorite coat.
 
"Last week I broke Mommy's Royal Copenhagen plates.
She said to me, 'That really takes the cake!'
But I don't understand because she didn't even use them.
It's stupid to collect things that can break!
 
"A month ago my daddy bought a brand new fancy car--
The old one, he said, was 'obsolete.'
Boy he really blew his stack one day when he found
My chocolate candy melting on the seat.
 
"My brother had a new flat-screen TV in his room.
He proudly called it 'state of the art.'
I kind of knocked it over, though, while playing with my friend.
Yeah, I know:  I wasn't being smart.
 
"If Santa has been watching me my chances will be slim
Of getting that expensive baseball glove.
But if you ask me, I think that it really ***** that Santa
Does NOT believe in unconditional love!
 
"I'm the victim here, you see. That is what I am.
I try to my best year after year.
If Santa wants to play that way I hope he gets my message:
Tell him he can stick it in his ear!
Yep!
Tell him he can stick it in his ear."

- by Bob B

He walks in the footsteps that few can tread.
His gentle voice is commanding--
Not in a commandeering manner,
But full of understanding,

Kindness, compassion, patience, and peace.
There's no way to measure
The love that permeates his being.
His words: a priceless treasure.

While others with judgmental views
Tear the world apart,
This man has not one speck
Of hatred in his heart.

Deep humility guides his steps
And isn't a mere abstraction.
Passion for humanity
Governs his every action.

You mean Christ, you say to me
With words one could defend.
Christ? No, I mean George,°
My school chum and my friend.

-by Bob B (6-28-17)

°The Eleventh Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey

During the election campaign, Trump        
Railed against Cruz and Clinton for
Their connections to Goldman Sachs--
Something we were supposed to abhor.

This week Donald Trump announced
His FIFTH high-profile hire
From Goldman Sachs to join his team.
Hypocrites are hard to admire.

If Trump's Goldman Sachs complaints
About the others helped you decide
To vote for him, well, sucker,
You were taken for a ride.

- by Bob B (1-13-17)

Ghosts often haunt us--
Ghosts of the past--
Bearing down upon us
Like a winter blast,

Or steadily prodding us
As a constant threat
To see if our response is
Insouciance or regret.

Lurking around a corner,
They're there lying in wait
To test our ability
To circumnavigate.

Appearing out of nowhere
When we least expect them,
They dare us to try
To avoid or reject them.

Though we thought that they
Were buried long ago,
Their recurring visits
Cause more grief and woe.

Sometimes causing panic,
Sometimes causing dread,
They reappear as though
They've come back from the dead.

They take away our breath
Or chill us to the bone
Whether we're in public
Or at home alone.

Sometimes in a nightmare
Or in a crazy dream
We recognize their presence
With a stifled scream.

Running makes no difference.
They're always close behind us,
Or even up ahead;
Somehow they will find us.

Once we stop running
And stand in one place
And grab each phantom
And stare it in the face,

Then and only then
The ghosts disappear,
And we regain our power
And conquer our deep fear.

- by Bob B (12-19-16)

Our spirits hover over the rubble--
Here and there a school or dwelling,
An abandoned camp or a hospital--
Targets of constant Israeli shelling.

We see our bodies within the debris--
Along with our siblings, our fathers and mothers,
Doctors, teachers, journalists, medics,
Aid-workers and many others.

We see the doctors desperately
Treating the injured with few supplies.
Cries of anguish and pain fill the night
As rockets carry more bombs through the skies.

While Palestinians are under attack
And tens of thousands of people have died,
The world wastes its time debating
"IS it or ISN'T it genocide?"

"Ethnic cleansing"--whatever you call it--
Is ****** on a scale that is grand.
It's Netanyahu's excuse to commit
Atrocities in the "holy land."

A fantasy of the "chosen people"?
Thousands of years of tribal strife,
Blood, ******, vengeance, violence…
Lies in the scriptures come to life.

Countries supplying Netanyahu
With deadly weapons, have you no shame?
Have you lost your sense of compassion?
In what he's doing, you share the blame.

Our spirits hover; our sadness lingers.
We yearn for the madness and killing to cease.
We yearn for an amicable resolution.
Will we be able to rest in peace?

-by Bob B (4-16-25)

(Try to imagine Donald Trump on a stage in a
tuxedo with a top hat and a cane.)*

(1)
"I've spent many years
On a stage of sorts.
Including all the times
I've spent in the courts.
But now I'm on the biggest
And grandest stage of all
And on a constant high,
Though not from alcohol.
Since being president
Is not an easy task,
To help me run this country,
There's ONE thing that I ask:

"Please…
Can…
You…
Give me a break?
Come on and
Give me a break.
They say to take it on the chin,
But hey! I never thought I'd win.
So give me a break.
Yes, give me a break.
For Pete's sake
Give me a break!

(2)
"People say they want
To see my tax returns.
Every time I hear that,
Oh, my stomach churns.
Buh-lieve me: no one's being
Taken for a ride.
But my financial matters
Are…um…classified.
There was no collusion
With Putin. Can't you see?
We JUST exploited his
Dislike for Hillary.

"So…
Come…
On…
Give me a break--
A beautiful break!
I will fix this world. And how!
You know I'm the cat's meow.
Just give me a break.
Yes, give me a break.
For goodness' sake
Give me a break!

(3)
"If Congress pats my back,
I'll give theirs a pat.
If Dems did, too, then I
Would hug a Democrat.
Loyalty’s important,
So if I get the urge,
I might just have to give
The FBI a purge.
I wish the prying media
Would try to be my friend
And write what pleases me.
Of course that would depend.

"If…
They…
Would…
Give me a break--
A big giant break!
I've the right to ridicule
Anyone I think a fool.
So give me a break.
Yes, give me a break.
For God's sake
Give me a break!

(4)
"So what if Flynn's a liar
And Spicer is a ****
And Bannon is a racist
And Sessions is a rube?
Ivanka and Trump Junior
Will pick up any slack.
I've got Kelly whipped,
And Sarah has my back.
I even have the white
Supremacists at my feet.
To stir up all my base,
All I do is tweet.

"ONE…
MORE…
TIME…
Give me a break--
A fabulous break.
Kim Jong Un has got to go.
Call me Mr. Dynamo!
Just give me a break--
A HUGE, gorgeous break.
Come on! Just
Give me a break!"

-by Bob B (1-2-18)

(Can be sung to the tune of "King Herod's Song" from JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR)

Oh, I feel a duty to my donors and my base.
If I don't act, Rush and Ann will say I'm a disgrace.
I pass laws…to titillate my fans.
I hate it when dissenters disagree with all my plans.

So give me my wall, my huge, giant wall.
It's a promise that I made.
Join me in my wall crusade.
Come, hear my plea.
Come on and do it for me.
Be nice and give me my wall.

You don't know how hard it is to work with people who
Don't appreciate all the terrific things you do.
My great wall…will be a tour de force.
And little Stevie Miller will be satisfied, of course.

So give me my wall, my huge, giant wall.
If people starve, well, Uncle Sam,
I don't really give a ****.
It feels so nice
To snuggle with ICE.
Come on and give me my wall.

Some say that my wall is useless; they don't understand
How its usefulness will help us keep out contraband,
Druggies and rapists, and all those other sorts.
I will get my way if I keep stacking all the courts.

So give me my wall, a huge, giant wall,
That stretches along our southern border.
Don’t say it's too tall an order.
I'll go to town and shut the government down
Unless you give me my wall.

Oh…yes…please…
Give my me wall, my huge, giant wall.
Five billion bucks should do it.
You say that's too much? Aw, ***** it!
Putin agrees, and so I beg on my knees:
Give me my beautiful wall!

-by Bob B (12-22-18)

LET'S all give three cheers for evolution.
Everybody, shout “Hip, hip, hooray!”
Because if it were not for evolution,
You and I would not be here today.

History-deniers keep on harping
About an argument called missing links.
Our fossil records clear that up, I tell them.
They're afraid to hear the truth methinks.

They don't like to hear that we are cousins
To other mammals in the world. The wimps
Cannot handle knowing that among
Our dearest, closest relatives are chimps.

"It's merely JUST a theory," they will say,
And make a face and grossly overreact.
"Because of all the evidence," I tell them,
"It's NOT a theory; it's, instead, a fact."

Around four hundred million years ago
Is when our ancestors so boldly crept
Out of the sea and made the land their home.
Is that so hard for people to accept?

We give ourselves a lot of self-importance
As **** sapiens, and that's absurd.
Just because our brains have gotten bigger,
We're not evolution's final word.

Molecular genetics is a wonder--
Something that we all should take to heart.
It can give us helpful information,
Such as when two species broke apart.

IF all living creatures are descended
From a single ancestor, then we
Share a close relationship with all.
The striking DNA code will agree.

We know the code itself is not what varies.
What varies is what's written in the code.
That's the actual genetic sequence.
I hope this doesn't make your head explode.

IF you think a god was the designer,
That's your business if that floats your boat.
"Intelligent" design is what they call it.
But that is not a view that I promote.

Preachers from their pulpits often challenge
Scientific facts and explanations.
They do not like natural selection
Because it doesn’t meet their expectations.

Although we're learning more and more each day,
Certain mysteries remain unsolved.
But look at all the beautiful and wondrous
Forms including us that have evolved.

So ONE more time: three cheers for evolution!
ONE more time let's shout "Hip, hip, hooray!"
If natural selection had not happened,
You and I would not be here today.

-by Bob B (3-8-25)

A couple with eyes swollen from grief
Sits at the Thanksgiving table,
Wanting to let the sadness depart,
But at the moment they aren't able.

You see, the husband and wife just lost
Their son in a shooting two weeks prior.
An angry gunman entered a club,
Took out his gun, and opened fire.

The topic of being thankful arises.
The couple wonders, should they be
Thankful that their country permits
Shootings to happen to such a degree?

Should they also be thankful that
So many lawmakers have been unwilling
To tackle a problem that's out of control--
To stop or curtail the senseless killing?

Likewise, should they be thankful that
Hypocrisy and greed exist?
They--along with callousness--
Allow such nightmares to persist.

That far too many members of Congress
And the highest court in all the land
Are out of step with most of the people,
Whose wishes they fail to understand:

Should the couple be thankful for that?
Will anything change when they're less distraught?
Deciding what to be thankful for
At the moment would take a lot of thought.

No, it's better not to ask them
While their hearts are rent from sorrow.
What they need right now is hope
That there could be a brighter tomorrow.

-by Bob B (11-23-18)

Breathtaking coastlines, towering pines,
Hills and valleys with grapes on vines
From which we produce our exquisite wines…
Glorious California!

Majestic forests, volcanic peaks,
Beachside towns with their quaint boutiques,
Silicon Valley and its techno-geeks…
Glorious California!

Golden hills with their sprawling oaks,
Expansive fields of artichokes…
There's magic that your name invokes.
Glorious California!

Miles and miles of fine desert sand,
Sometimes a language we don't understand,
But that helps to make this state so grand…
Glorious California!

Poppy-lined roads, gardens and flowers,
Varied landscapes as you drive for hours,
Yosemite's grandeur after spring showers…
Glorious California!

I have been elsewhere
And seen wondrous places--
Mountainous regions
And vast open spaces.
But when I'm away,
I find that I yearn
For home and can't wait
Until I return.

Though crowded at times and in traffic we wait,
No place is perfect; still you're first-rate.
So much beauty in this golden state!
Glorious California!

Some say your taxes are far too high,
Affordable housing's in short supply,
But I plan to stay here until I die.
Glorious California!

-by Bob B (11-29-21)

Gods, guns, and gerrymandering.
That's the Republican Party today--
At least a large, vociferous group
That keeps progressive ideas at bay.

White evangelicals,
Tightly knit and fortified
By the perception that God hates the Dems,
Think that they have God on their side.

Claiming to know the mind of God,
They use their dogma to legislate
And ignore the fundamental idea
Of the separation of church and state.

Ah, their weapons. They love their firearms,
Of which they have collected tons.
Instead of beating their swords into plowshares,
They've beaten their plowshares into guns.

And gerrymandering has, of course,
Become their crafty survival tool.
They plan to manipulate future elections
By strengthening minority rule.

Through God, guns, and gerrymandering,
They hope to keep their momentum going
By building their power and also keeping
Their piles of ammunition growing.

-by Bob B (12-13-21)

It's such a disruption to my peace of mind
To witness the plunge of our great humankind.
Amazing potential is what we possess,
But **** it if we are not making a mess!

The human attention span's clearly decreasing,
And humankind's selfish demands are unceasing.
Conspiracy theories are way out of whack,
And good education is under attack.

Our probing, inquiring, sharp journalism
Is no longer trusted and faces a schism.
Reason is too often stopped in its tracks,
For too many people are falling for quacks.

And what about people who don't have a clue
Of being accountable for what they do?
They WILL not admit that they're wrong, and they claim
That other folks ought to be taking the blame.

So many people don't listen to reason--
That their form of patriotism is treason,
That storming the Capitol is a real crime
And that those who do it might have to serve time.

It also amazes me how an adult
Can fall for a weird personality cult.
Are people so desperate that they'll believe
The lies that their precious cult leader will weave?

A lot of folks don't trust the experts who say,
"Tomorrow depends on our actions today."
Such folks don't mind if we keep burning coal;
Renewable energy isn't their goal.

And then there are those who will NOT bid good-bye
To Trump's undeniably wacky Big Lie.
It really astounds me how some folks can't see
How dangerous their careless actions can be.

They'll trust information that's propagandistic,
And many of them have become nativistic.
Critical thinking has gone down the drain.
Is half of the country now going insane?

What--I'll keep asking--will be the solution
For stopping what seems like reverse evolution?
The thought has me feeling a bit ill at ease
That once again we might be swinging from trees.

-by Bob B (4-12-24)

Sometimes it seems that gone are the days
When people valued the wise--
When education wasn't suspect
And something to demonize;

When knowledge, awareness, and understanding
Provided a safety net
And were not frowned upon and thought
To be a dangerous threat;

When facts and the truth were highly regarded
And clarity desired;
When people trusted reason and critical
Thinking was admired.

When people didn't think that foolish
Hearsay was worth believing;
When having an open mind was considered
A goal worth achieving;

When misinformation didn't spread
Like wildfires raging;
When honesty was highly praised,
And virtue was engaging.

But, alas, perhaps I was
Hopelessly deceived
To think that's what the majority
Of people truly believed.

Is there a possibility that
All the things I've listed,
Widespread and across the board,
Never really existed?

-by Bob B (7-8-21)

(This poem can be sung to the tune of Jerry Herman's song "Hello, Dolly!")

Good-bye, Donald!
Yes, good-bye, Donald.
You are going to have to leave the White House soon.
And when you leave, Donald,
Do not grieve, Donald.
For you all right, the timing might
Be inopportune.
We always knew, Donald.
It's so true, Donald.
You were never qualified to lead this land.
You made a mess, Donald--
Caused nothing but distress, Donald.
That is one thing we'll never understand.

Good-bye, Donald!
Time is nigh, Donald.
Will you now return to what you did before?
Whom will you scam, Donald,
As you scram, Donald?
Perhaps you think you're in the pink,
But we're keeping score.
Hey, outside your gate there,
Agents now wait there.
So what happens next there's no way to foretell.
One thing we know, Donald:
You have now got to go, Donald.
Will you be tweeting from a prison cell?

-by Bob B (11-7-20)

(This poem can be sung to the tune of the 1922 song "Toot…Toot…Tootsie, Good-bye.")

Good-bye, Santos,° good-bye!
Wipe that tear from your eye.
The fraud you have committed
And other crimes from which you clearly benefited
Have caught up with you now.
That's why Congress said, "Ciao!"
Which means "so long."
I could be wrong,
But you won't find much favor if you sing your sad song.
Just you try to deny
What you did. So good-bye!

Good-bye, Santos, good-bye!
You think you're quite a guy!
How could your fans give you a nod
With all your lies and money laundering and fraud.
Are you really for real?
You have lost your appeal.
What will you do
Now that you're through?
Prosecutors probably are looking for you.
Will you eat humble pie?
Hope so, Santos. Good-bye!

-by Bob B (12-1-23)

°George Santos: former U.S. representative from New York's 3rd congressional district

(Can be sung to the tune of the 1922 song "Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Good-bye")

Good-bye, Sarah,° good-bye!
Good-bye, Sarah. Nice try.
The press won't have to fight you.
We hope you learned that lying will come back to bite you.
Maybe, Sarah, you'll see
Most will have to agree:
It can be grim out on a limb
When Donald Trump expects you to keep lying for him.
Good-bye, Sarah. Say why.
Good-bye, Sarah, good-bye!

Good-bye, Sarah, good-bye!
Good-bye, Sarah. Don’t sigh.
No more briefings start the day.
But when you led them, they were useless anyway.
When you're gone will you know
How low you had to go?
Hey, what the hell:
Trump thinks you're swell.
Those "countless FBI agents" will bid you farewell.
Sarah, keep a dry eye.
Good-bye, Sarah, good-bye!

-by Bob B (6-14-19)

°Sarah Huckabee Sanders, press secretary to Donald Trump

(This poem can be sung to the tune of the 1922 song "Toot…Toot…Tootsie, Good-bye.")

Good-bye, Tucker,° good-bye!
How did things go awry?
I CAN'T say we will miss you.
For years we hoped that your producers would dismiss you.
How so could you not know
How low you tried to go?
Did you not see
How it would be
If you kept on lying through your teeth on TV?
And so, Tucker, nice try!
Good-bye, Tucker, good-bye!

Good-bye, Tucker, good-bye!
No, we're NOT going to cry.
We are glad that you're going away,
And we won't say to come again some other day.
Tell us, Tucker, why you
Did what you tried to do.
When they all rant,
Hypocrites can't
Care about the ones out there whom they disenchant.
I'll say with a dry eye,
"Good-bye, Tucker, good-bye!"

-by Bob B (4-25-23)

°Tucker Carlson: political talk show host fired from Fox News

(This poem can be sung to the tune of the 1922 song "Toot…Toot…Tootsie, Good-bye.")

Tucker,° can't you say when?
You have done it again.
What IS your fascination
With someone who's a real threat to our free nation?
Giving Putin free rein
Is nothing short of insane!
How could you not
Be overwrought
When you let the Russian tyrant bolster his plot?
Therefore, fingers are crossed
That you'll somehow get lost!

Letting Putin spread lies,
Tucker, isn't so wise.
You, of course, are guilty of that,
And when you do you cater to the autocrat.
You think Moscow's so nice.
So, I won't tell you twice.
Surely you could
Do what you should:
Pack your bags, get on a plane, and move there for good.
When your jet's in the sky,
Tucker, we’ll wave good-bye!

-by Bob B (2-14-24)

°Tucker Carlson: political talk show host fired from Fox News in 2023

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Go Go Go, Joseph" from JOSEPH AND HIS AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tze325xsYd4

(Narrator)
Nancy P. was looking to
Investigate what happened here
Back on a fateful winter day--
On January 6 this year.

(The People)
Hey, Nancy, you're doing what you must.
We want a probe that is robust.

Good going, Nancy, do not shy away.
Get to the cause of what happened that day.
Please don't stop, Nancy. You should find out
What the insurgence was really about.

(Narrator)
A group that was bipartisan
Was Nancy's goal--was Nancy's plan.
But she found resistance from
Kevin M.--the hatchet man.

(The People)
Hey, Nancy, he wants to derail
Everything, for he wants you to fail.

So she received from McCarthy some names.
He was intent on still playing his games.
One was Jim Jordan, the worst of the lot;
Another Jim Banks, to spoil the ***.

(Nancy P.)
Sorry, guys, but you have proved
That you're not worthy of this task.
I want people willing to
Be serious. That's all I ask.

(Narrator)
First, Jim Jordan hoped that he could prove
That Nancy here had made an unfair move.

(Jim Jordan)
Investigations like this are a sham.
If you don't want me, I don't give a ****.
If you ask me, I have known all along
That having this probe is both outrageous and wrong.

(Nancy P.)
Sorry that you feel that way,
So go back to what you were doing.
But studying attacks on our
Democracy is worth pursuing.

(Narrator)
Then Jim Banks stood up to speak his mind.
He and Jordan had been closely aligned.

(Jim Banks)
You have made this a partisan mess.
You're doing nothing but causing distress.
Forget all the riots; why can't we move on?
For me it is all just one giant yawn.

(Nancy P.)
How bizarre that you both live
In alternate realities.
Too bad that the two of you
Can't see the forest for the trees.

You are dangerous; it's clear to see.
I think that most people would agree.

(The People)
Don't worry, Nancy, you've done what is right.
Stick to your guns and don't give up the fight.
What those two men have done is quite clear:
Each one of them has his head up his rear.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Nancy, you've done what is right.
Stick to your guns and don't give up the fight.
What those two men have done is quite clear:
Each one of them has his head up his rear.
His head up his rear…
His head up his rear…
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

-by Bob B (7-25-21)

Think back to a year ago
When we had the chance
To slow a deadly virus down,
But some folks looked askance.
The issue grew political
And then we saw instead
That due to lack of leadership
The virus spread and spread.

I received my vaccination.
Now I feel relief.
We have watched the COVID virus
Cause a lot of grief.
As we all get vaccinated
We will start to see
The benefits around the world
Of herd immunity.

As the virus spreads we notice
Variants arise.
But that is how they work, and so
It should be no surprise.
If we don't act quickly now
The variants might start
Resisting vaccines that we have.
But for now take heart.

I received my vaccination.
Now I feel relief.
We have watched the COVID virus
Cause a lot of grief.
As we all get vaccinated
We will start to see
The benefits around the world
Of herd immunity.

So get your vaccination.
Don't give up the fight.
Make the virus go away
By doing what is right.
A little side effect or two
And maybe a sore arm
Might well lie in store for you,
But no cause for alarm.

I received my vaccination.
Now I feel relief.
We have watched the COVID virus
Cause a lot of grief.
As we all get vaccinated
We will start to see
The benefits around the world
Of herd immunity.

-by Bob B (2-28-19)

As the day was drawing to a close,
The late afternoon was turning cold.
A goatherd summoned all his goats together
In order to return them to the fold.

Suddenly, one goat chose to stray
And didn't want to join up with the rest.
The goatherd knew that if they didn't hurry,
They would not get home till dusk at best.

He shouted, but the goat ignored his orders.
Furious, he threw a heavy stone
And hit the goat, breaking one of its horns.
The goatherd then let out a fearful moan.

"Oh, no! I'm in trouble now!" he cried.
"For me, this is going to mean disaster."
Distraught, he begged the poor goat not to say
A word about his actions to their master.

"Don't be stupid," said the rebellious goat.
"My broken horn would stand out in the herd
As if to cry out, 'Hey there, look at me!'
Even if I didn't say a word.

"So here is some advice for you, my friend:
Hiding certain things is not forbidden,
But you will come off looking like a fool
If you try to hide what can't be hidden."

-by Bob B (8-13-21)

°An Aesop fable, "The Goatherd and the Goat," retold here in verse

Get your vaccination.
Set your fears aside.
Do not count on others
To give you a free ride.

We're in this together.
Everyone take heart.
All can benefit
If we do our part.

Don't buy into tactics
That people out there use
To push a false agenda
And spread untruthful news.

Protect yourself and others,
And we will likely see
The vaccine help us reach
Herd immunity.

But STILL be on your guard--
Vaccinated or not.
Variants could pop up
For which we have no shot.

It behooves us all
To put this virus behind us.
Conspiracy theories only
Hurt, confuse, and blind us.

So get your vaccination
If you haven't yet.
Don't let your inaction
Be something you regret.

-by Bob B (6-20-21)

Remember: schools graduate students;
It's NOT the other way around.
Students do NOT graduate schools
But FROM schools. And yet I've found

That many speakers confuse the expression,
Turning it around, and hence,
When they say they graduated
A school, it ends up making no sense.

Therefore, say you graduated
FROM a high school or college, please.
To say it correctly doesn't take
A great deal of expertise.

Schools that graduate many students
Ought to clearly and directly
Teach their students to say which school
They graduated FROM correctly.

-by Bob B (5-9-22)

We--YOU and I--both know
That rain will make the flowers grow.
It also makes your windows blur;
MARISOL and I concur.

SHE and I have never seen
A dog whose fur was emerald green.
But if you see one here or there,
Please make HER and ME aware.

When SHE and WILLIAM went to swim,
The lifeguard rescued HER and HIM.
“Please don’t tell a soul!” said he.
"Keep it between YOU and ME."

William and I play soccer each day.
That’s the only sport we play.
Give both HIM and ME a break,
For winning’s not a piece of cake.

HE and I will sometimes win.
When not, we take it on the chin.
The other team is good, and thus,
It’s perfect for both THEM and US.

When THEY and WE play soccer games,
We don’t lose sight of our clear aims:
To do our best and have great fun.
But fun’s priority number one.

William, Marisol, and I,
Instead of aiming low, aim high.
Folks like THEM and ME profess
To always seek out happiness.

"You must dream big," we always say,
"And keep your doubts and fears at bay."
HE, SHE, and I will strive
To keep our goals and dreams alive.

But always, always be on guard.
For YOU and ME that can’t be hard.
If YOU and I both concentrate,
We can keep our pronouns straight.

-by Bob B (7-10-22)

We are on a slippery *****
When people push the envelope
When speaking English. Look below,
And you'll see what I mean to show.

"Who has ever seen an elf?"
"Luna, Richard, and myself."
Hearing that, I wonder why
"Myself" is used instead of "I."

When "myself" is used that way,
People, much to my dismay,
Forget that "I" will do the trick
And think the word "myself" sounds slick.

"I SEE myself" makes perfect sense.
And "I MYSELF can do it." Hence,
Here's a thought that should be stressed:
Use "myself" where it's used best.

"Please inform my office aide
OR myself." Well, I'm afraid
That when I see or hear that, it
Causes me to have a fit.

Please replace "myself" with "me."
"Myself" does not belong there. See?
ONLY I am able to
Inform MYSELF--not they, not you.

"Please inform…me" is what's meant.
Again, some folks circumvent
What's right with that which I suspect
They feel is perfectly correct.

"Tom and myself were asked to lead."
That sounds very odd indeed,
For doesn't "myself" sound awkward to you
When a simple "I" would do?

When speakers are a bit confused,
Words can sometimes be misused.
The following examples might
Provide a sense of what sounds right:

"Help yourselves to lunch," we hear.
And "Do not let yourself show fear."
"She bought herself a brand new fan."
"He himself designed the plan."

Reflexive pronouns they are called--
Intensive, too, and I'm enthralled
When English speakers are aware
Of using pronouns with great care.

-by Bob B (7-13-22)

It certainly will not spell your doom
If you can't decide when to use "whom."
I always stay calm and never lose it
When folks aren't sure about how to use it.

I will attempt--for the duration--
To avoid a grammatical explanation.°
That will be hard--I must admit--
And if it gets too tricky, I'll quit.

"To whom it may concern" is easy
(Although to some the phrase sounds cheesy.)
Substitute "him"°° for "whom" and see
That "whom" is correct; we DON'T say "to he."

"He is a person who I believe
Will never, ever get a reprieve."
"Whom" here wouldn't fit the bill
Because the word "who" is the subject of "will."

"Whom did you see at the park today?"
If "I saw him" is the answer, okay,
Then "whom" is good, even though you
And others might STILL prefer to use "who."

“For whom did you bake the bread?” I ask.
“For him,” you answer. Easy task?
So, in that sentence, “whom” toes the line.
And if you make “for” the last word, fine.

“Who do you think deserves to win?”
"Whom" would be a problem therein,
For "who" must go with the verb "deserves."
A little knowledge can calm your nerves.

But how about "Whom did you see at the gym?"
If the answer is "I saw him,"
Then "whom" it is. But if you're confused,
Know that "who" is more often used.

"The guy whom I saw at the meeting last week
Spoke English, German, French, and Greek."
"I saw HIM at the meeting…" Voilà!
So "whom" works there. Got it? Hurrah!

Once you’ve got it, your next endeavor
Will be practicing who- and whomever.
It's up to you, but I'll say directly,
If we use "whom," let's use it correctly.

-by Bob B (7-24-22)

°I could talk about subjective and objective pronouns, but I'll leave that for later.
°°Of course, we could use "she/her" to test the pronouns, but "he/him" works well because of the final "m."

Caught out in a deadly blizzard,
We thought the end was near.
Experiencing zero percent visibility
And insurmountable fear,
We pictured our helpless, frozen bodies--
Icicles à la mode--
When rescue vehicles finally found us
Next to a country road.
Having lost all sense of direction--
In total disorientation--
We considered all of our options
With mounting trepidation.
Suddenly two lights appeared
In our rear-view mirror.
What a sigh of relief we breathed
As a truck got nearer!

Try to stay calm. Do not panic.
Land sakes alive!
There she was to save the day:
Granny in her four-wheel drive.
 
Hank and June were expecting a child
During a storm one spring.
To make matters worse, Hank had been injured--
His arm was in a sling.
June said, "Oh, oh. Baby's comin',"
And Hank started to panic.
"The roads are flooded and the bridges are down!"
Cried the desperate mechanic.
"Besides, I couldn't drive the stick
In my current condition
Even if the roads were good.
What's that? An apparition?"
Through the rain-streaked window Hank
Could see some flashing lights.
Granny was there in her trusty truck,
Repeatedly flashing her brights.
 
Try to stay calm. Do not panic.
Land sakes alive!
There she was to save the day:
Granny in her four-wheel drive.
 
There's a legend on the prairie.
You hear it far and wide.
You can believe the story or not.
Whatever. You decide.
As a monster storm approached
A small Midwestern town,
Swirling clouds indicated
A tornado had touched down.
Granny jumped into her truck
Without a shred of concern,
And driving toward the twister past
The point of no return,
She raced into the monster dead on--
Talk about courage and pluck!--
And knocked the twister to smithereens
With hardly a scratch on her truck!
 
Try to stay calm. Do not panic.
Land sakes alive!
There she was to save the day:
Granny in her four-wheel drive.
 
Whenever you find yourself es in a bind
And wonder how you'll survive,
Think about Granny coming to the rescue
In her four-wheel drive.

- by Bob B

Prancing along a jungle path,
A monkey found a curious box.
Not to investigate the contraption
Would be for him unorthodox.

A number of small holes had been drilled
Into the side of the box, so he
Could see inside to satisfy
His boundless curiosity.

The box contained a tempting nut.
If he could only reach inside
And pull it out! How marvelous!
If not, he'd be dissatisfied.

He put his tiny, searching hand
Through a small hole, grabbed the nut,
And tried to pull it through the hole.
The nut was way too big. "What?"

The monkey exclaimed. "It won't fit!"
What was the poor guy to do?
He sat with his hand in the hole for hours,
Frantically trying to pull the nut through.

Soon a trapper came strolling by
And found the monkey next to the trap.
He tossed the monkey--along with some others--
Into a bag and tightened a strap.

Off he went with his catch for the day,
Happy that he had taken great pains
To make good traps so he could supply
The restaurateur with monkey brains.

How much like the monkey are we!
We grasp onto possessions, views,
Our pride, our ego, our sense of self…
And though we suffer, we refuse

To let things go--to gently release
That which ultimately constrains us,
Closes our minds, hardens our hearts,
Blinds our eyes, or firmly enchains us.

-by Bob B (11-25-17)

Afghanistan: Graveyard of Empires.
What a fitting name!
Countries that try to conquer it
End up leaving in shame.

THREE TIMES the British tried
To tame the unruly land,
And THREE TIMES they left it because
Things didn't go as planned.

In fact, 1919 is considered
Independence Day.
That was the THIRD time that the British
Invaders walked away.

In 1979 the Russians
Tried to make it their own,
Which eventually became
Another cause to bemoan.

The U.S. helped insurgent fighters
Called the mujahideen
Fight the Russians. Maybe it wasn't
Wise to intervene.

The Russians left in '89.
Their goals had dissolved.
After the 9-11 attack,
The U.S. got involved.

In just a few months, the Taliban
Were brought to their knees,
But U.S. foreign relations are often
Lacking in expertise.

The U.S. devoted ninety percent
Of its efforts to Iraq.
Soon in Afghanistan, voilà!:
The Taliban were back.

We heard about Russian bounties
On U.S. soldiers, no?
Payback for what the U.S. had done
Forty years ago.

And so the story goes on and on:
For 20 years we fought
An ongoing war in Afghanistan,
Which finally came to naught.

Four presidents can share
The blame for what occurred.
To put all the blame on one of them
Would be completely absurd.

And so, regarding the Graveyard of Empires,
The world remains perplexed.
Will other countries make the same
Mistake? Who'll be next?

-by Bob B (9-24-21)

How often greed dictates policy
And governs the base and loathsome actions
Of lawmakers making decisions
While fooling the public with clever distractions!

How greed greases the giant wheel
That turns--constantly in motion--
While powers that guide the mechanism
Boldly expect unhindered devotion!

How often greed in the guise of good
Fills the pockets to overflowing
Of crafty manipulators while
The poor struggle, never knowing!

How greed fills the callous hearts
Of those who fail to see the disparity
Between their growing accounts and their
Expenditures that they call "charity"!

How often greed displaces well-
Intentioned efforts to help humanity
In those whose lack of compassion is nurtured
By boundless egoistical vanity!

Watch them bow to the god of greed;
Watch them sing and dance on his altar,
Hoping that he will strengthen their
Resolve should they ever falter.

-by Bob B (7-19-17)

DJT:
I want to buy Greenland.
Hey, this is fun!
I will turn the island into
State fifty-one.
They say ice is melting.
Bah! That’s okay.
When you mine and drill on the land,
Ice gets in the way.

I am going to buy Greenland.
You just wait and see.
I dare anybody
To say "NO!" to me.
I can’t wait to get my
Hands on all that gold,
Oil, copper, lead, and zinc.
I WON’T be undersold.

I plan to buy Greenland
With all its wolves and seals
And polar bears and penguins.
I’m so good at deals.
Polar bears will make terrific
Rugs. I don't care!
What? You say there are no penguins?
I will bring some there.

So I want to buy Greenland.
Is THAT unorthodox?
It should be so easy;
You know money talks.
Tell me: how could there be
Objections to my plan?
The whole world loves me;
I’m their favorite man.

I am buying Greenland.
I'm sure you've heard reports.
I'll construct my tower AND
I'll build some big resorts.
Greenlanders will love being
Part of my domain.
If anybody loses here,
Their loss will be my gain.

I can’t wait to buy Greenland.
This is not a ruse.
I’ll give them an offer--
One they can’t refuse.
If the Danes say "No," I'll
Do what I've done before:
I'll just have to start another
Blasted tariff war.

I want to buy Greenland,
Greenland,
Greenland….

-by Bob (8-24-19)

When a loved one dies,
Our lives take a sudden turn.
It’s something we often forget--
Something we have to relearn.

Reasons and explanations
Remain beyond our ken.
We learn our lives will never
Be the same again.

Our heart, laden with sorrow
And pushed to the point of breaking,
Becomes overwhelmed
With painful, relentless aching.

Memories might console us
And give us some relief,
But nothing can prevent
Another visit from Grief.

When he pays a visit,
He tells us he's our friend,
Although his true intentions
Are hard to comprehend.

Quietly, he approaches
And whispers in our ear,
"Know that in the future
I will always be near."

-by Bob B (2-7-20)

Powerful grief can overwhelm us.
It doesn't merely make us feel blue.
At times it's more insidious,
For it is able to **** us, too.

Joe and Irma García had been
Married for twenty-four years until
A killer with an assault weapon had
A deadly mission to fulfill.

Nineteen elementary students
And two teachers were gunned down
Senselessly, brutally,
In what was a quiet Texan town.

Irma was one of the teachers killed.
Two days after his wife had been slain,
Joe dropped dead from a heart attack
Brought about by unbearable pain.

Their four kids are orphans now.
May we hold in our hearts today
The memory of Joe and Irma,
Who never should have died this way.

-by Bob B (5-29-22)

Growing old probably has
Advantages. Yes? Perhaps.
Although it makes me a little nervous
When I have a memory lapse.

We should grow wiser, shouldn't we?
Wisdom comes with age, they say.
Tomorrow then I hope to be
Much wiser than I am today.

One thing that's certain is these days
I spend more time than I did in the past
At doctor appointments and funerals.
And NOW time passes by so fast!

Though I'm able to read in English,
German, French, Italian, Spanish,
And also a little Norwegian, how much
Longer until my synapses vanish?

It's said that playing an instrument
And learning languages helps the brain.
I hope so, yet it seems that I
Forget much more than I retain!

If in October you ask me about
A book I finished in September,
I can say I read it, but that's
About all that I can remember.

But reading itself is such a pleasure
That when I read a book and then
Forget the details completely, I know
That I can always read it again.

Was it that long ago that I
Was trim and I could jog and dance?
My jogging/dancing days are over,
And now my tummy hangs over my pants.

But walking's something I can do.
I can walk for miles at a time,
Even though I'd hardly say
That currently I'm in my prime.

Every day should be an adventure,
For life's marvels are manifold.
Don't let anything stop you--not even
A little thing like growing old.

-by Bob B (3-6-20)

The day starts out like any day--
A Saturday morning just like most others.
The diner is buzzing with customers:
Grandparents, kids, fathers, mothers.

Breakfast specials, waitresses dashing
To and fro--no time for slacking.
Each waitress proudly displays her handgun.
(This is a state where everyone's packing.)

Somebody hears a man complain
To the waitress, saying his eggs aren't done.
He doesn't like how she responds,
So he kills her with one shot from his gun.

Suddenly all hell breaks loose.
Bullets go flying; people are screaming.
Covered with blood, a survivor says later,
"It happened so fast, I thought I was dreaming."

Shrieking at seeing the waitress fall,
A young mother aims at the shooter,
Missing him and instead sending
A bullet into the town's prosecutor,

Whose wife shoots at the impulsive mother,
Hitting the woman smack in the head.
Meanwhile, the husband points his gun
At his wife's killer, shooting her dead.

Customers everywhere dive for cover,
Aiming their guns in the air and firing.
Popping noises drown out the screams
And moans of people hit and expiring.

Running out of the kitchen a cook
Shoots his gun in all directions,
Missing his targets and yet hitting someone
And displaying his shooting imperfections.

Someone else has better aim--
Or a random bullet plays its part--
For Henry, the cook, falls to the floor
When a bullet pierces his heart.

The busboy--having been grazed in the face--
Shoots into the chaotic river
Of mayhem and bullets. He is killed
When he is shot through the stomach and liver.

Pockmarked with holes, the once-cheerful joint
Is now streaked and splattered with blood.
Survivors will never forget hearing
Each bang and scream, followed by a thud.

Everybody gets caught in the crossfire.
The rounds spare neither adult nor child.
(Fifteen people lose their lives
By the time all the reports are compiled.)

When the police arrive at the diner,
In horror they observe the slaughter.
The sheriff suddenly screams out in agony
When he notices his blood-covered daughter.

On the wall, a TV is playing.
Somehow it has managed to survive.
On the news an NRA
Spokesman is being interviewed live,

Saying that America needs more guns
And that gun regulation is obscene.
Aiming his gun at the TV, the sheriff
Pulls the trigger and blows out the screen

- by Bob B

Every time a shooting occurs,
We shake our heads in disbelief.
Subsequent dialogues reach
An impasse that further deepens our grief.

Democrats insist that current
Gun laws are not strict enough--
An idea that many Republican
Lawmakers firmly rebuff.

Those same Republicans
Choose to exercise their might
In protecting what they consider
Americans' Second Amendment right.

Democrats, in disagreement,
Counter with increasing frustration
That aspects of the Second Amendment
Leave much room for interpretation.

"This is not the time," some say,
"For lengthy discussions on gun control."
And once again we find ourselves
Going down the rabbit hole.

Gun violence here is inter-
Nationally unparalleled.
A vicious circle perpetuates
A tragedy that's unexcelled.

Guns in the wrong hands we know
Will have violent repercussions.
The only way to solve the problem
Will come from having healthy discussions.

If we maintain the status quo,
Read the writing on the wall:
Death and violence will increase
If no action is taken at all.

-by Bob B (6-15-17)