Mr. Trump, for many years
We've watched you disregard the rules.
But tell us: what do you take us for--
A groveling, ignorant bunch of fools?

Making an early campaign announcement
For you, of course, is apropos,
And surely it is a way for you
To rake in tons and tons of dough.

You love the spotlight. Yes, you do.
But, frankly, that should give you pause,
For don't you realize that what
The spotlight does is point out your flaws?

Because of your lies, the nonsense you spout,
And your general lack of humility,
People see you less as a help
And more as a threat or liability.

We know that you have always carried
A hey!-it's-all-about-ME card,
But running for president doesn't give you
A get-out-of-jail-FREE card.

Investigations will still go on
Despite your bold but feeble attempt
To skirt the laws from which no one--
Not even YOU--should be exempt.

You and your cohorts, such as Bannon,
Will take your donors for a ride.
All we can say is, "Nice try, Trump.
Good luck finding a place to hide."

-by Bob B (11-16-22)

Saturday night, November 19:
A gunman entered a bar
And started shooting at those who were present,
Leaving a somber scar

On many lives, for five were killed;
Their lives can't be replaced.
Such a shooter lives with hatred
And anger interlaced.

Nineteen others were injured there.
Their lives will never be
The same again, for they'll live with
That dreadful memory.

The patrons used to consider the club
A place where they could feel
Safe and secure with being themselves--
A place where they could be real.

No longer will that be the case.
The LGBTQ
Community has once again
Seen malice flourish anew.

Vicious words and violent speech
Have gotten out of hand,
And people lose their humanity when
The fires of rancor are fanned.

Hatred comes in many forms
And leaves a nasty smirch
On all of us, and sadly it
Is often taught in church.

-by Bob B (11-22-22)

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

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

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

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

-by Bob B (6-1-22)

The FBI has a faction
That's bordering on insurrection
As it tries hard to influence
The current presidential election.

One member even reported,
"This is Trumpland." Not very smart.
There clearly are some scoundrels here
Trying to upset the applecart.

Basing their findings on a sham book,
They're leaking "secret" information.
Politics shouldn't eclipse their main
Task, which is investigation.

Members of the FBI
Can vote for anybody they please.
However, they have to be very careful
Not to misuse their expertise.

I guess in any organization
You'll find some who abuse their positions.
An independent agency,
The FBI must heed admonitions.

(11-4-16) By Bob B

I'll be a broken record;
I'll be a pesky fly
And keep asking questions--
Keep asking, "WHY?"

WHY, after thousands of shootings,
Are we still having fights
Interpreting our nebulous
Second Amendment rights?

WHY are we constantly told
That there's simply no way
To loosen the very tight grip
Of the intransigent NRA?

WHY do some believe
That fewer will be harmed
Or killed by a violent miscreant
If MORE Americans are armed?

WHY don't gun owners find
That fine-tuning the laws
To protect ALL Americans
Is a worthy cause?

WHY does it fall on deaf ears
Whenever the public demands
Ways to keep our guns
Out of the wrong hands?

WHY does it seem to be only
In America that we find
This love affair with guns--
Where guns are so enshrined?

Until we see some changes
And answers to questions WHY,
I'll be a broken record;
I'll be a pesky fly.

- by Bob B

Politics, O politics!
In life there is no simple fix.
In everything we do or say
Politics has a role to play.
 
When early man hung out in caves
And used crude tools and dug crude graves,
Someone had to take command
And maintain the upper hand.
Even the Neanderthals
Had cool paintings on their walls.
Who appointed the artiste?
Someone with some clout, at least.
Early humans had to spin
Their politics to get buy-in.
Organization was a necessity
When wild boar was their recipe.
Imagine cave meetings, if you can—
How they communicated man to man.
They’d just grunt and **** and such;
I guess men haven’t changed that much.
 
Under kings’ and emperors’ rule
You had to play politics, or you were a fool.
If you weren’t careful to watch what you said,
You could easily lose your head.
Men making rules had little regard
For the status of women, so it’s been hard
For women to earn their equal rights,
Which means lots of political fights.
That's politics at work; we know it!
If we're not vigilant, we can blow it.
In sports there’s a definite political tune,
And the church—especially—is not immune.
In every relationship, in each interaction,
In every connection, in each attraction,
Like it or not, politics will emerge;
If ideas don’t CON-, then they DIVERGE.
  
Frankly, it doesn’t matter whether
TWO or a MILLION people are together;
There’s no avoiding a political scene.
Human nature has a political mien.
We can talk local, county, state,
National or global politics. But wait!
What about the nature of politics in space?
It’s something to consider, just in case.
Some people have to play second fiddle.
If they're NOT at the top, they're bottom or middle.
Whether in the center, to the right, or to the left,
Hopefully, you don’t feel bereft.
If one side's right and the other side's wrong,
That’s okay; we can still get along.
As long as there are people, politics will never
Disappear; it will last forever.
 
Politics, O politics!
Always expect a bag of tricks.
Try, if you want, to wish it away;
Politics is here to stay.

- by Bob B

Shame, oh shame on you, America!
I swear this is really as low as it gets:
To fail those faithful ones who served you.
How can you do this to our vets?
 
Oh, you who love to send our soldiers
To fight your battles in a distant land,
And bring them home—injured, rattled—
And then deny them a helping hand
 
Because we can’t afford the costs
Of meeting the growing number of cases.
You drop off your kids at their private schools
Then go to your clubs and stuff your faces!
 
Shame, oh shame on you, America,
For ignoring those who’ve sounded the alarm.
Your heedlessness and your thoughtless greed
Have caused our vets irreparable harm.
 
How sad it is when our veteran facilities,
Choosing to avoid some angry looks,
Solve the problem of limited funds
With the simple approach of cooking the books!
 
Some vets languish on wait lists for weeks,
Hoping against hope that assistance arrives
Before their frustrations overwhelm them
And they end up taking their lives.
 
Why aren’t our vets our top priority?
I guess it’s more important that we
Provide huge tax breaks to the wealthy
And subsidize corporations, you see.
 
Shame, oh shame on you, America!
You’re quick to spend your money on wars,
But slow to help our needy veterans
Here on our vast, indifferent shores!

- by Bob B

We've progressed in many ways:
We know the earth's not flat.
But killing in the name of God?
Now how absurd is that?

They say we have a developed brain,
But when you hear the news, it
Is pretty clear that many people
Don't know how to use it!

I know it's wise to try to find
What makes others tick.
But sometimes--****!--it's difficult
To put up with their shtick.

To give the benefit of the doubt
Sounds very fine,
But there's a dangerous point at which
People cross the line:

Killing others just because
They don't think like you
Has to be a blatantly
Stupid thing to do.

All over you can find wise people--
In every nook and cranny.
You'll also find many a fool
Whose head is up his *****.

- by Bob B

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

Many think that the poor have it easy.
Well, let’s see if they really do....
Ah, they must if you carefully consider
What they do NOT have to go though.
 
They DON'T have huge investment dilemmas,
Such as "Is my portfolio complete?"
Or "Will I maintain my financial status?
It's hard keeping up with the elite!"
 
The poor aren’t faced with countless decisions
That make their daily lives so insane:
“Which car should I drive—the Mercedes or Lexus?”
“Armani or Gucci?” “Which pill for pain?"
 
The poor do not have thousands of options
For health care, so for them it’s a breeze.
"Why do they need preventative medicine?
Emergency care should put them at ease."
 
Taking care of a mansion is tough,
So the rich always have a reason to grouse.
"The poor have it easy with just an apartment,
Or if they’re lucky, a ramshackle house."
 
The rich, having to juggle their money,
Are in a quandary, so to speak.
"The poor can live simply, for they get to live
From paycheck to paycheck, from week to week."
 
It’s hard to organize fancy dinners;
To get the best caterers, you have to pull strings.
"It's so much easier for the poor:
On food stamps can’t they still live like kings?"
 
Hiding millions of dollars is a challenge;
The Cayman Islands are so far away.
"For those don’t have the money to hide,
Life’s less hassle for them, you might say."
 
Tax loopholes are also a headache;
It’s hard to determine which ones work best.
"Those with no money don’t have to worry
Because they lack the funds to invest."
 
Just ask the poor: if they had a choice,
Would they be willing to make a switch,
And give up the easy life of the poor
For the complex, difficult life of the rich?

- by Bob B

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

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

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

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

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

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

- by Bob B

The Masters of Illusion perform
Before your very eyes.
Their clever tricks will astound you--
Watch for each surprise.

Their skillful tactics mesmerize
And seem to entertain.
Caught off guard, you overlook
Their verbal legerdemain.

Artists in deception, they
Require a double take.
Upon scrutinizing them,
You see that they are fake.

They love to pull something out of a hat.
Notice as they grab it:
Hey! A corporate tax loophole!
That is NOT a rabbit!

When caught in their own traps they can
Mysteriously disappear
And suddenly show up again
When the coast is clear.

Cutting things in half occurs
Before the curtain call.
You hardly notice that they're robbing
Peter to pay Paul.

There's always something up their sleeve--
Sort of a bait and switch.
A promise might end up being
Tax cuts for the rich.

Be careful when they smile and say
They want to be your friend.
That's just a ploy; you'll see that
They'll ***** you in the end.

Once they pull out their deck of cards,
You see that they've embarked
On a new, crafty deceptive path.
(Their cards are usually marked.)

They never fail to beguile and amaze--
These Masters of Illusion.
Just know you're always being duped;
But that's a foregone conclusion.

- by Bob B