What is this thing that we have about a wall?
For centuries humans have had occasion
To build structures in hopes to forestall
Any threat of attack or invasion.
 
The Great Wall of China is very well known,
Requiring effort to be built through the ages.
A structure of such immensity requires
That it be designed and completed in stages.
 
Thick walls of castles and fortresses abound
To protect against plunder and pillage.
Protective walls also surround
Many a quaint Medieval village.
 
As you traverse America you’ll see
Walls and fences throughout the land.
DO NOT ENTER signs naturally will be—
Along with NO TRESPASSING—in great demand.
 
Around many homes is a wall or a fence—
Usually, that is, around the back yards.
Some people go to greater expense
And live in a gated community with guards.
 
Sometimes I wonder if they’re worth the labor—
All of these fences built at great cost.
But some say a good fence makes a good neighbor,
Referring to the line in a poem by Frost.
 
There are reasons for walls, no doubt.
In East Germany and East Berlin,
Instead of trying to keep people out,
Walls were constructed to keep people in.
 
Walls around prisons also deter
The inmates from fleeing before they’re released.
When seeing school walls, we can infer
How much school violence has increased.
 
The wall that Israel has built—we can see—
Winds in and out of the West Bank location.
It’s there for defense, we are told, although we
Can also see that it’s for separation.
 
Some want a wall on our southern border.
That will solve our problems, they say.
Frankly, that would be a tall order
Who has the money to fritter away?
 
Some walls are the intangible kinds—
The ones around us that are invisible
And prevent us from truly opening our minds.
To deny their existence would be risible.

I wonder: will it ever end--
This building of barriers to keep us apart?
It seems as though we're trying to extend
The wall surrounding the human heart.

- by Bob B

"We’d like you to join our amazing group.
Though some might call us a cult, we're not.
We don't resort to brainwashing. No,
We don't try to control each thought.
 
"We just teach you the right way to think;
We teach you how to "choose" your words,
How to act, and how to feel.
Critical thinking is for the birds.
 
"Therefore, you won't have to wonder
What is right and what is wrong here.
Since questioning, doubting, and dissenting confuse you,
Let's just say that they don't belong here.
 
"Our way, you'll find, is the ONLY path
To free you from a world of grief.
Once you cut ties with skeptics, your
Zealous commitment will give you relief.
 
"People out there curse and belittle us.
That doesn’t faze us, for they don’t see
That we are right and they are lost.
It’s all so clear. Don’t you agree?
 
"The blessed teachings that we employ
Have nothing at all to do with guilt.
Instead, we call it 'forming your conscience.'
Obey and we’ll back you to the hilt.
 
"Fear is a focus for cults out there.
Their tactics frighten, coerce, and demean.
With us you will find safety and security--
At least if you can prove you've come clean.
 
"If your friends and family don't join you,
Don't worry: you've got family with us.
Forget the others; you don't need them.
Lamenting their loss is not worth the fuss.
 
"Imagine how much honor you'll have
Recruiting new members to join our community.
You'll jump at the chance to share your path
To salvation at every opportunity.
 
"Your total allegiance, of course, is expected.
We can't imagine you'd try to deceive us.
One thing we can guarantee:
You'll never--EVER--want to leave us."

- by Bob B

They sit on their comfy couches
In their stuffy suits and ties
Or their stylish sleeveless dresses,
Expounding pernicious lies.

Promoting "purposeful ignorance"
As well as "aggressive stupidity,"
They inadvertently show
Their frightful lack of lucidity.

Facts are unimportant.
(The same for credibility?)
Expert manipulators,
They manage with great facility

To lead a gullible public
Into their intricate maze
Of wildly spurious claims
And specious reporting malaise.

Carefully selected "experts"
Throw in their two cents
While fawning interviewers
Come to their defense.

Masters of hypnosis,
They put thinkers to sleep--
The ones caught in their spell
Are led around like sheep.

And they have the audacity
To refer to themselves as "news."
That must be part of their strategy--
Their well-crafted ruse.

Control the minds of the people
And you will secure great power
To sustain them with propaganda
Hour after hour after hour….

- by Bob B

Freedom of speech is a wonderful right--
A right that all Americans cherish.
It's a right that not all countries enjoy,
And one that we wouldn't want to see perish.
 
People have the right to express
Their opinion in public; yes, that is true.
One thing about it is when they speak out,
Their venomous ignorance often comes through.
 
Isn't there a saying about
Thinking before expressing a thought?
Many people ignore that advice;
What's more, those people ignore it a lot.
 
Publicly expressing rancor and bigotry
Might sound appropriate to those who feel
That they have the right to deny other people
Their rights, which they do with great zeal.
 
Extremist ideas and irrational thinking
Are surely part of the human condition.
People whose speech condemns other people
Are on a destructive, hateful mission.
 
A malicious message spoken in public--
A far-out attack or outlandish expression--
Allows us to see the foolishness in
The speaker's illogic and lack of discretion.
 
An astutely aware and compassionate public
Will let malice fall on deaf ears.
And those who employ such invective,
Instead of our anger, deserve our tears.
 
When we hear people spewing inanities
Powered by ignorance and hatred, we should
Consider the source and counter the poison
So it doesn't taint all that is good.

- by Bob B

Fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes--
Nature can be quite…demanding.
We're just a speck in the grand scheme;
At least that's my understanding.

Our relationship with nature
Should be one of respect and awe.
But in the guise of progress we've found
That mankind has a fatal flaw:

Our love affair with material things.
You wonder: That can't hurt, can it?
Ah, but just think about
Unlimited growth on a finite planet.

From caves to computers, we've come a long way.
But some resources are irreplaceable.
When they're depleted, their loss will leave
A mark behind that's unerasable.

Population times consumption--
It's really just a simple equation--
Equals environmental impact
And NOT merely on occasion.

Constant growth of both the economy
And population smacks of futility
And gives our world a recipe for
A bleak unsustainability.

As we add to our atmosphere
Carbon dioxide and methane gas
And destroy what it takes to sustain us,
Who knows what will come to pass?

Our world is such an incredible place!
I hate being the prophet of doom,
But let's not ignore reality:
There's only so much for us to consume.

Reasonable consumption now:
Is there such a thing as that?
If so, let's investigate
Our options. Jumping Jehoshaphat!

Avoiding economic collapse
While putting less stress on things
And controlling population growth
Perhaps could soften the future's zings.

Think about our children’s future.
Think what we’re doing? Think what we’ve done?
Why would we turn this beautiful planet
Into an uninhabitable one?

- by Bob B

"You want to make money? If that's true,
Have I got a proposition for you!
Sign up for my investment school.
Hesitating would be uncool.

"All my instructors will bestow
The best education on you. I know;
I picked them myself. They're tremendous.
My courses without a doubt are stupendous.

"What, you don't have money for food?
You won't get far with that attitude.
You can increase--it's not very hard--
The credit limit on your credit card!

"In fact, in order for you to buy
More seminars, we'll show you why
Obtaining and using more credit cards will
Build your self-worth. How's that for a thrill?

"To satisfy your innermost cravings
For elite courses, don't you have savings?
If courses require too large an amount
Of money, use your retirement account.

"For 35,000 dollars, behold:
A seminar-package that shines like gold.
Can't afford it? Come on, don't tarry.
Those words aren't part of my vocabulary.

"The bottom line is I will for sure
Make you a wealthy entrepreneur.
This is a pathway to wealth and success.
What we want from you is a "yes."

"I guarantee your life will be greater.
You know the drill: buy now, pay later.
All you have to do is sign
Right here on the dotted line."

- by Bob B

He came home from the Middle East
A depressed and very different man,
After having served a tour
In Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

At one time an athlete with a hopeful future
And mentor to his cheering peers,
He struggled now to balance his memories
With the dismal, heavy weight of tears.

Tears that suddenly came from nowhere
Drenched his pillow. A panic would sweep
Through his body making him dread
The nights and the thought of falling asleep.

The outbursts of anger frightened him more;
They frightened his wife and children as well.
Avoidance and withdrawal only seemed
To aggravate his daily hell.

People and places constantly triggered
Painful memories of war and death.
Loud noises would send him through
The roof and make him gasp for breath.

Walking down a city street,
He'd have a flashback and quickly duck.
His heart would race until he gained
Control of his fears that had run amok.

The doctors diagnosed his condition:
Battle fatigue, or PTSD.
They had a list of remedies.
Of course, there was no guarantee.

Serotonin reuptake
Inhibitors failed to do the trick.
And tricyclic antidepressants
Made him feel listless and sick.

Tranquilizers and neuroleptics
Caused him to be more confused.
Prazosin and propranolol
Prescriptions both remained unused.

When the pills failed to help him,
Alcohol became his friend.
At least temporarily;
The haunting nightmares wouldn't end.

His family suffered along with him.
His friends slowly drifted away.
Who had time to spend with someone
Whose life was in such disarray?

His plaques and medals on his walls
Made his pain more acute.
His isolation made him feel
Emotionally destitute.

Cognitive behavior therapy!
That's what a doctor recommended.
The desperate man acquiesced.
He said he'd go, but just pretended.

He dropped the kids off at the sitter's,
Drove back home, texted his wife,
Held his pistol to his head,
Squeezed the trigger, and ended his life.

You don’t have to wave your country’s flag;
Nor do you have to boast and brag
That yours is the best country on earth—
Whether or not it’s the land of your birth—
To be a patriot.

There’s no need to brandish your weapons to show
That you have your rights that you’ll never forgo;
Nor do you have to copy the ones
Who feel the need for an arsenal of guns
To be a patriot.

You don’t have to heed everything you are told,
Fear seeking truths that your leaders withhold,
Or forget that in your laws there’s a reason
That public dissent’s not the same thing as treason
To be a patriot.

You don’t have to feel that the government is right
To force young men and women to fight
In wars that profit the War Machine--
And which you in your heart know are obscene--
To be a patriot.

There’s no need to always bewail and prate
On the separation of church and state
Or let the troublemakers upset you
By saying the government’s out to get you
To prove you’re a patriot.

But caring about the poor and the needy;
Wanting to have, without being greedy;
Feeling concern for the rights of ALL;
And helping others up when they fall:
That's being a patriot!

- by Bob B

Sing out, nation of IMMIGRANTS!
Sing your glorious song
Of how this country was built—
Of what made this nation strong.
 
Sing about all the challenges
And hardships our ancestors found
When trying to build their lives
And get their feet on the ground.
 
Sing of the PERSECUTION
That drove them out of fear
To abandon their native homelands
And often haunted them here.
 
Sing of the Native Americans—
Of the proud and varied nations—
Displaced from their territories,
And forced into reservations.
 
Sing of our fellow Americans
Originally brought here by force;
Let the melody echo
Kindness and REMORSE.
 
Sing of the jobless, the homeless,
Whose families suffered the bane
Of a harsh, cruel existence
And here sought relief from their pain.
 
Sing of the countless refugees
Who fled from war-torn places,
Hoping to live in PEACE
In a land of welcoming embraces.
 
Sing of the life of the immigrant
Who faced prejudice and jeers—
Whose struggles for rights and acceptance
Sometimes lasted for years.
 
Sing of the factory workers
Who worked under hellish conditions—
Whose voices were long unheard
By the deaf ears of politicians.
 
Sing of the plight of the miners
Who extracted the underground coal—
Of the dangers that they encountered
As they worked in that dark, dusty hole.
 
Sing of the laborers from Asia,
Who helped lay our tracks—that’s a fact—
And to whom we showed our thanks
With the Chinese Exclusion Act.
 
Think of the German, Norwegian...
All farmers who tilled the soil
To feed a nation that took
For granted their sweat and toil.
 
Sing of those working in fields,
Because of whose work you are able
To place with minimum effort
Fresh strawberries on your table.
 
Sing about all of the workers—
Such as the ones that you
Hire to do the work
That you refuse to do.
 
Sing of the great DIVERSITY
That people brought to this land,
Lest we forget who we are
And how to understand.
 
Sing of our immigrant nation
Before our memories fade
And we lose our self-identity,
And our actions become a charade.
 
Sing of the "huddled masses
Yearning to breathe free,”
And may others expect
KINDNESS from you and from me!
 
Sing of our generous nature
And let us try to fashion
A nation full of heart,
Built on love and compassion.

- by Bob B

"Obstructionism...obstructionism:
It has to be my favorite -ism.
So what if we have a schism.
Three cheers for obstructionism!
 
"Who cares if it’s wrong or right?
The important thing is fight, fight, fight.
I don’t care what others say;
But I'll be ****** if they get their way!
 
"You have your cause, I have mine;
But still I have to draw the line:
I don’t believe in compromise—
That’s a word that I despise.
 
"My constituents voted for me.
I am sure they’ll all agree
That I’m the one who knows the best
When any issue is addressed.
 
"So we shut the government down.
There’s a jewel in the crown:
Knowing you can always guide
The folks to blame the other side.
 
"I know there’s a golden rule,
But let me tell you: I’m no fool.
It does not apply to you
When YOU'VE got wealth and status, too.
 
"I let lobbyists speak their mind
And with their cause I’ll be aligned.
(That depends on the amount
That ends up in my bank account.)
 
"How I love to filibuster
With ALL the effort I can muster!
Also, stalling—it’s worth noting—
Is good for keeping us from voting.
 
"It’s political suicide
To let yourself forget to hide
Your real feelings on a matter
And not to indulge in senseless chatter.
 
"Please don’t think we are inept.
Actually, we’re quite adept
At killing proposals one by one
(And getting very little done).
 
"Obstructionism...obstructionism--
The next best thing to favoritism.
We have an ideological schism,
So three cheers for obstructionism!"

- by Bob B

"In case you're wondering who we are,
We're your friendly NRA.
Put your worries behind you now;
We are here to save the day.

"Feeling lost and insecure?
Feeling hopeless or dejected?
Come on down and buy your gun.
Your spirits will be resurrected.

"What? You want a handgun? Pshaw!
A handgun is just a toy.
An assault weapon is what you need
To make you feel like a really big boy.

“The thought of guns everywhere
Titillates us to the core.
We can’t describe the ecstasy
Of having more and more and more!

"Your Congressmen love to stick
Their hands into our bulging pockets.
Call it a little *** for tat--
Just keep us off your legal dockets.

"One of our leaders is Wayne LaPierre.
With every gun sale he's elated.
Some say he prevaricates;
We say truth is overrated.

"Gun manufacturers,
You scratch our backs, we'll scratch yours.
We'll make sure that all can access
Weapons that are made for wars.

"Certainly our Founding Fathers
Knew what they were doing when
They envisioned assault weapons
In the hands of all brave men.
 
"Join our 'well regulated
Militia' here in the United States.
We don’t like our beloved Second
Amendment to undergo debates.

"We are doing all we can
To weaken all gun safety laws.
Please don't mention violence;
Every system has its flaws.

"We subscribe to firearm freedom--
A genuine right that's everyone's.
Here's one way to look at it:
Religious liberty for your guns.

"'Life, liberty, and the pursuit of guns'--
That's our motto, simple and clear.
Gun grabbers had best beware:
The NRA will persevere.

"So now you know who we are:
We're your friendly NRA.
You can put your worries behind you;
We are here to save the day."

- by Bob B

What are you trying to hide, Mr. T?
What do you fear we will find
In your secret tax returns?
Let's see…. What springs to mind?

Are there more illegal dealings
With Cuba? Maybe so.
Or maybe more deals with Russia
Than we want to know?

Regarding charitable causes, perhaps
You don't want us to see
That you are not as charitable
As you let on to be?

Or maybe you don't want us to know--
And thus prefer to stall--
That while we pay our federal taxes,
You pay none at all?

You talk of reasons for nondisclosure;
The reasons are falling apart.
You smugly say that not paying taxes
Shows that you are smart.

Could there be something going on
That's even creepier yet?
When the topic comes up you seem
To break out in a sweat.

You expect transparency
From others. Isn't that true?
But heaven forbid if others expect
Transparency from you!

(9-30-16) By Bob B