Wealthy,
by dint of lucky birth
lavish,
by way of early learning,
the boy's body grows,
but his mind does not, and
with all things merely
given
he himself is
given
to taking
all desired things
without
a second thought

Profligate
in action, manner, and style
his brash displays of excess
appear to him
congenial acts of
tempered moderation

his slavish hedonism,
blinds him to the
folly of his ways,
like a child with an
insatiable sweet tooth
and the keys to a candy shop

he peruses the town
in ritualistic fashion
night after night,
sowing seeds of  
licentious desire
which bloom
into Devil's Trumpets
of debauched
indulgence

one drink
then another
one line
then another
one pill
then another
one conquest
then another

attained in
rapid succession
pursued with
reckless abandon

awakening
in a different bed
each afternoon
sun beams
piercing the blinds
stinging his weary eyes

his temples throbbing
his vision spinning
his stomach churning
his desire remaining
the void within him imploring:
“ENDURE”

but soon

he discovers his
well of fortune
has finally run dry
the repressed knowledge
of this inevitability
descends upon him
like a Biblical plague

his cards decline
his key refuses to
open its door and
the doors of his conquests
slam in his face

and so

the destitute rake
stumbles pitifully
without aim

with body aching
with knees weakened
with ears ringing
with hands trembling
with vision blurred
with fear and doubt
mocking his every step

the concrete corridors
once so exuberant
now appear to him as
moribund and desolate
graveyards for the senses

the neon banshees
which once broadcast their
sultry siren songs
like choirs of cherubs
heavenly and divine
now sound to him
like the tortured screams
of the ******
rising up
to haunt his dreams

the emptiness remains
echoing his every
tortured thought:

"who am I?"
"what have I become?"
"why am I here?"
"what was it all for?"

awash in the tumult
of the dark night of the soul,
the handsome stranger's limbs
give out from beneath him, and
his mind collapses into deep
and dreamless sleep
whose
countenance mimics
the final embrace
of death

For him,
they are one in the same,
and of deaths,
this will be the first
of many
for he has
but yet begun
to learn.

One reads of emerging writers
But from what do they emerge?

Wombs?
Tombs?
Rooms?

Cells?
Wells?
Shells?

Sins?
Bins?­
Tins?

Canada?

So go ahead; emerge away
Then tell us what you have to say

In the Presidential Palace, the steaks are served up seared.
There’s an excellent wine cellar for meals expertly prepared.
The Palace is cool in summer; in winter it's toasty warm,
And Maduro and his spouse are always safe and free from harm.

In the streets of Venezuela there is anger and despair.
Inflation is the problem but why should Maduro care.
The store shelves are nearly empty; most people live in fear
There is ****** done in daylight and the sense that chaos nears.

This was once a beautiful, Prosperous land, the envy of the South.
Then a populist Socialist came to drive investors out.
Now a nation, resource rich, has been importing oil,
a nation whose own oil reserves are the greatest in the world.

His critics?- dead or imprisoned; the media is controlled
There’s no term limits on his rule. Voters do as they are told.
Demonstrators, even peaceful, can be shot down in the street
While Maduro sips his wine and decides what next  he’ll have to eat.

Life is a journey. We MUST be receptive
And view our adventures with fond regard.
Take a trip through the symbol-rich Tarot--
The Major Arcana--card by card.

0-The Fool
We, the seekers of knowledge and wisdom,
Set out on our journey at birth.
May we be open to all the wonders
And opportunities offered on Earth.

1-The Magician
Within and without are all the tools
Necessary to find our way.
Find the Magician within to guide you
To say what you mean and mean what you say.

2-The High Priestess
Know that universal truths
May or may not remain concealed.
Open your heart to be receptive
To what is yet to be revealed.

3-The Empress
Fecundity of imagination
Adorns the earth and nurtures the heart.
Compassion and kindness are gentle offspring,
As are glorious music and art.

4-The Emperor
Stability and power thrive
When reason's lovingly applied.
Greatness gains both awe and respect
When honor and truth walk side by side.

5-The Hierophant
Know when to follow what's tried and true
And tends to be more orthodox,
And know what to do when your inner guide says
It's time to think out of the box.

6-The Lovers
Love yourself or you will find
It's hard to love other people, indeed.
Choices, yes, have consequences.
A great oak grows from a tiny seed.

7-The Chariot
Maintain your balance; gather your forces.
Past experience plays a role.
Take control of your life, but hark!:
There's ONLY so much you can control.

8-Strength
Now you can focus on inner strength,
The wise application of which
Gives you greatness of character.
Even with little, you'll still be rich.

9-The Hermit
Take the time to look inside you;
Calmly reflect on all you've learned.
Mindfulness in actions brings
Inner peace to all concerned.

10-Wheel of Fortune
Know when it's time for you to act;
Know when it's time for you to bend.
Cause and effect and impermanence
Are necessary to comprehend.

11-Justice
Things turn out the way they do
For many reasons, so we must
Do our best to always try
To aim for what is fair and just.

12-The Hanged Man
Life's not always black and white.
A smile is just the reverse of a frown.
If your point of view is stagnant,
Then look at things from upside down.

13-Death
Embrace the new, let go of the old;
Don't become attached to duration.
Failure to go with the flow impedes
Any hopes of transformation.

14-Temperance
Lack of moderation and self-
Indulgence mustn't be ignored.
Find the right combinations
To let your balance be restored.

15-The Devil
We indulge in addictions, desires,
And pettiness, and take great pains
To hide from the truth: that we have the power
To free ourselves from our bonds and chains.

16-The Tower
If we fail to heed the warnings
That show the corruptive nature of power,
We will learn the hard way as we're
Struck down from our ivory tower.

17-The Star
But healing exists all around us.
Hitch your wagon to a star.
Let the wonders of hope and insight
Help you discover who you are.

18-The Moon
Reflecting the light of the sun, the moon
Shows us that EVERYTHING is fleeting.
Things aren't always what they seem.
"Trust yourself!" is worth repeating.

19-The Sun
Life and the sun walk hand in hand.
Light is awareness; awareness is light.
Appreciate the rays of the sun
That chase away the darkness of night.

20-Judgment
Judgment's a type of wake-up call.
You'll find strength in the aftermath
Of inner shake-ups. You'll be fine,
Just as long as you stay on your path.

21-The World
You're making progress. Congratulations!
If self-discovery is your objective,
Start again; the cycle continues.
Observe the world from a new perspective.

-by Bob B (1-15-19)

(can be sung to "Over the Rainbow" from the film THE WIZARD OF OZ)

"Down on our southern border
There's my wall.
Even though you can't see it,
I see it standing tall.

"Some say it doesn't need to
Be in place.
But I've worked very hard to
Dupe my believing base.

"Congress might not give me cash,
But I've got ways to find the stash
To fund it.
I've declared--as you can see!--
A national emergency.
***** those who shunned it.

"I will get what I want; I
Always do.
My great wall is going to
Make all my dreams come true.

"If Putin gets his way, then why
Can't Donald Trump? Yes,
Why the hell can't I?"

-by Bob B (2-19-19)

Kanye West visited Trump
At the White House, and man, what a scene!
His words were bouncing off all the walls,
Just like a ball in a pinball machine.

His disjointed rantings and ravings
Made little if any sense.
He ****** up to the president
More than even Michael Pence.

Rambling about the 13th Amendment,
The Unabomber, and then trap doors,
He ended the strange concoction of thoughts
With a weird reference to thirteen floors.

To him, Trump is a father figure.
To prove how much he is fan,
Whenever he wears his MAGA cap,
It makes him feel like Superman.

Illegal guns, tasting fine wines,
And liberals controlling blacks
Through racism? You wanted to say,
Calm down, Kanye. Try to relax.

One thing is certain: We can see
From trying to follow his monologue threads,
That Kanye needs some serious help.
Kanye, please get back on your meds!

-by Bob B (10-14-18)

Though graying
Head and brow,
He developed not
Gray matter
To every one's sorrow!

Simple enough, big print but no big words
Simple enough for me, few words in me
I love the silences, they speak to me
In the ridges and fens among my crops

Simple enough, a pipe down at the pub
Simple enough for me - Guinness or Pimms
I love a pint in the evenings with the lads
In the corner, well armed with pints and darts

Simple enough, big print but no big words
For a penny catechism kind of man

For Young Artists, Musicians, Scientists, Poets, and Philosophers

Be strong in your Pixies, for some will say
That you are wasting your time on fantasy
When you should be laboring hard all day
As servant to some old master’s machinery

Be strong in your Pixies, yes, even when
You are all grown up, and have a great career
Dream still again each magic forest and glen
And keep your Pixie-knowledge close and clear

Be strong in your Pixies, and sometimes glance
Back to that moonlit realm, where Pixies dance