Mixed Messages

Word is out that while Pope Francis

Visited the U.S. he secretly met

With the infamous county clerk Kim Davis.

How more awkward can this story get?

In playing the role of persecuted martyr,

Davis is not just splitting hairs;

She insists on preserving her RIGHT

To deny other people THEIRS.

The pope, indeed, has addressed world problems.

His concern for the poor is good, I would say.

But what EVER possessed him to give

The miscreant Davis the time of day?

Various theories attempt to explain

The reason for the bizarre meeting.

It is believed that he was set up.

We do know that the encounter was fleeting.

We hear now, too, of other visits--
Other names on the visitors' roll.
Let's hope that the explanations
Are sincere and not merely damage control.

The pope must deal with contemporary issues.

Ossified dogma endangers us all.

An intolerant world has always had

Dire consequences, if you recall.

In addressing important causes Pope Francis

Has often gone out on a limb;

I hope that he doesn't cave in to pressure

And lose the respect many have for him.

Bigger problems still overshadow

The ones that the pope mentioned while here.

Failure to deal with those key issues

Won't make them disappear.

(9-30-15) By Bob B

On National Coffee Day 2015

Did you happen to know, by the way,

That it's National Coffee Day?

Would you stand in a queue for

Your favorite brew or

Espresso or café au lait?

Are you strung out on caffeine?

Do you find decaf obscene?

Have you barely survived

When you've been deprived

Of your coffee? Admit it! Come clean!

As much as we try to expound

That the merits of coffee abound,

It still makes us nervous

When people serve us

Instant and not freshly ground.

I admit I'm a coffee fanatic.

But let me not be too dogmatic.

Though sometimes it's true

That tea time will do,

It's coffee that makes me ecstatic.

How different our world would be

Without the dear coffee tree!

We'd be in a bind,

For then we would find

We'd ALL be stuck drinking tea!

(9-29-15) By Bob B

If You Could See Through Dorothy's Eyes

Longing is a part of human nature.

Seeking worlds beyond a fixed star

Pushes us to seek adventures--

Helps us discover who we are.

Stumbling on a golden path

Might change your heart and your demeanor;

Discontent could spur you on

To seek a place where the grass is greener.

But if you could see through Dorothy's eyes--

See the world with awe and wonder--

You could fly above the clouds

And see the rainbow from over and under.

Though your journeys take you far,

Remember no matter how far you roam,

Deep inside your heart for certain

You'll know there is no place like home.

When dark clouds and stormy times

Take you to strange and distant places,

Sometimes you ignore the signs

And misread the looks on people's faces.

Love and friendship are all around us.

The path to realization wends

Through encounters that show us that we

Must love ourselves to love our friends.

So if you could see through Dorothy's eyes--

See the world with awe and wonder--

You could fly above the clouds

And see the rainbow from over and under.

Though your journeys take you far,

Remember no matter how far you roam,

Deep inside your heart for certain

You'll know there is no place like home.

(9-28-15) By Bob B

The Mystery of the Roses

Every morning when she awoke

From her nightly repose,

There upon her doorstep lay

A single, crimson rose--

A rose as fresh and as fragrant as any

She'd ever smelled or seen.

She put it in a vase each day,

Wondering, "What could this mean?

Is it a secret admirer? Or could it

Be a secret gawker?"

Then a thought occurred to her:

"I hope it's not a stalker!"

She tried waiting up all night;

Her vigilance was in vain.

Every morning a new rose appeared

Despite wind or rain.

She figured that a surveillance camera

Would clarify everything surely.

"But maybe it's better left unsolved,"

She said to herself demurely.

So on and on the mystery

Continued year after year.

She was curious as to how long her secret

Admirer could persevere.

One day her neighbors noticed a pile

Of roses at her door.

Something wasn't right, for that

Had never happened before.

They entered her home and what they found

Caused them all to start:

Their lifeless neighbor lay on her bed

With a red rose over her heart.

(9-26-15) By Bob B

But What About...?

Addressing a joint session of Congress,

Pope Francis touched on many a topic--

Some that people overlook,

Which shows the extent to which they're myopic.

Religious freedom, climate change,

And poverty were topics mentioned.

The topic of income inequality

Showed that the pontiff was well-intentioned.

The embracing of immigrants and the death penalty:

Additional topics that the pope addressed.

Human dignity and the common good:

Two points that he heavily stressed.

But ONE key issue that didn't come up

In Pope Francis' lengthy oration

Was an issue that affects all the others:

That of the world's overpopulation.

It doesn't matter how many saints

He canonizes or people he anoints,

A world population out of control

Makes most of his concerns moot points.

(9-25-15) By Bob B

The Curse on Ham*

When we last saw Noah,

He was about to embark

On a long, stormy journey

Aboard his mighty ark.

For forty days and nights

The heavens constantly drained

Their waters upon the earth,

For it rained and rained and rained--

Covering the towering Mt. Everest,

And the great Kilimanjaro.

Noah exclaimed, "It's raining

Like there's no tomorrow!"

Ham and Shem said, "Dad,

With our small, measly crew,

Feeding one million species

Is kind of hard to do."

Noah pointed outside

And looked at his sons and said,

"I suppose instead of in HERE,

You'd rather be out there--dead!"

That shut up the boys

Who attended to their tasks,

Saying, "We're feeding the lions

In case anyone asks."

Shem whispered to Ham,

"I like that lion, but she

Is always licking her chops

Whenever SHE sees ME!"

Ham said, "That kangaroo,

Who looks so calm and mellow,

Has a nasty kick.

He's not a very nice fellow."

After many days,

The waters receded; then Yay!

They were back on dry land;

All could go their own way.

The Bengal tigers went east;

The penguins headed south;

The skunks and beavers went west--

According to word of mouth.

Noah grabbed an animal

For a sacrifice quick and succinct,

And turned to his sons saying, "Oops!

I JUST made one species extinct."

Ham, Shem, and Japheth,

Had little time for mirth,

For now it was up to them

To repopulate the earth.

Growing grapes for wine

To Noah was time well spent,

Until he got drunk and naked--

All sprawled out in his tent.

Walking in on his father,

Ham saw a sight not so splendid

And ended up with a bum deal--

(Silly pun intended)--

For Noah cursed poor Ham

For having walked in on him.

So what if a guy saw him naked;

Hadn't he been to a gym?

Actually, the curse

Was more on Canaan, Ham's son.

How had poor Canaan managed

To be the guilty one?

I guess that's the nature of curses:

They don't always make much sense.

There also wasn't a lawyer

To come to Canaan's defense.

To live to be 950

Requires a very strong ticker.

But Noah had a weakness:

Trouble holding his liquor.

(9-24-15) By Bob B

*Sequel to "Noah's Dilemma" (7-24-14)

Scandal at the Aquarium

Shock, I say--total shock--

What occurred at the aquarium in recent years.

Some call it the type of scandal

That violently shakes two hemispheres.

Henry and Roxy had been an item.

Much older than she, Henry was bound

To guard and protect his little lady.

A more loyal penguin was hard to be found.

How they loved to sing together!

He would belt out and she would intone.

The happy couple frolicked and preened--

Happy not to be alone.

Molting season came and Roxy

Experienced her catastrophic molt.

Henry stood by and guarded his sweetheart.

Of attentiveness he lacked not a jolt.

Roxy's feathers soon returned

And there she was in all her glory.

Then poor Henry started his molt.

That's when Floyd entered the story.

While Henry hid from penguin view,

Floyd caught Roxy's eyes.

His feathers were back in abundance.

What happened next? You can surmise.

When Henry's feathers finally returned,

Floyd had become Roxy's new mate.

They did what penguin couples do

While Henry sadly accepted his fate.

The new family soon multiplied

And Henry eventually found a new friend.

What started out as an outrageous scandal

Wasn't so horrible in the end.

Scandals come and scandals go.

But some of them are hard to avoid.

Aren't you glad that you don't molt

Like our friends Henry and Roxy and Floyd?

(9-23-15) By Bob B

Walker Exits

Another GOP casualty--

And this one's not a shocker--

In the current race for president:

It happens to be Scott Walker.

The poor brothers Koch

Must be terribly sad.

Could they possibly be wondering

What it was that went bad?

To serve as a governor, Walker

Might be qualified enough,

But the presidency requires

A person of mightier stuff.

Comparing protesting teachers

With terrorists is off the mark.

In fact, most of his statements

Show that he’s in the dark.

When asked about qualifications,

He expressed the following belief:

His Boy Scout experience prepared him

To serve as commander in chief.

(No offense to the Scouts

Across the wide USA;

It's just that Walker's comments

Show great naïveté.)

Stay in Wisconsin, Walker;

You've done enough damage there.

Among the potential candidates

There's already too much hot air.

(9-22-15) By Bob B

What Are You Holding, My Son?

"What are you holding, son?

It has a familiar glow."

"It's just a gun--a toy

You gave me years ago."

"What are you doing, son?

Where are your old toy guns?"

"I grew quite bored with them.

I wanted more powerful ones."

"Why are you smiling, son?

Has something caught your eye?"

"I've found more challenging targets:

Those wild birds passing by."

"Where are you going, son?

I hear your laughter no more."

"You shouldn’t have to ask;

I'm off to fight your war."

"Why are you sighing, son?

Why do you feel so bad?"

"I've seen humanity's flaws;

The knowledge makes me sad."

"Where are you lying, son?--

In a place that's safe and concealed?"

"Safe? Bah! I'm lying

In a war-torn, barren field.

"Why are you crying, father?

Couldn't you foresee

That the fate that befell others

Could also happen to me?"

(9-21-15) By Bob B

Radical Whatevers

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.

(9-20-15) By Bob B

A Tale of Two Countries

Once upon a time,

There was a Distant Land--

In the north were hills and valleys,

In the south desert sand.

Once a powerful empire,

This land faced a threat

From outside intervention

That many would regret.

It welcomed a Mighty Country's

Involvement from far away--

Not fully aware

Of the role that it would play.

A group from the Mighty Country

Helped out with a coup,

Destabilizing the other

And setting things askew.

A new regime replaced

The one that had been deposed.

However, the regime's tyranny

Soon became disclosed.

Discontentment grew;

The leader fled for his life

And begged the Mighty Country

For refuge for him and his wife.

The people in the Distant land--

Angry and abused--

Wanted their leader returned;

The Mighty Country refused.

So, the people took

Matters into their own hands,

Taking fifty-two hostages

For negotiating demands.

For 444 days

Conditions remained very tense

Until the release of the captives.

The damage was immense.

"Be careful what you ask for"

Is a common phrase.

The Distant Land would now

Suffer in other ways.

The new religious leader

Ruled with an iron fist

And added more names

To his enemy list.

Later the Distant Country

Was attacked by its Neighbor,

Which received outside assistance

To help it sharpen its saber.

Help--for example--

From the Mighty Nation consisted

Of poisonous chemicals,

Which, of course, sounds twisted.

Imagine the horrible suffering

From a war that went on and on--

Ending eight long years after

Battle lines had been drawn.

Both nations--the Mighty

And Distant one have maintained

Their strained relationship

From which nothing is gained.

Each accuses the other

Of harboring evil intentions;

Both countries resist

Workable interventions.

Adding to the strain
Are sanctions from the West,
And nuclear weapons issues
Have needed to be addressed.

From dis- and misinformation,

Its the people who lose.

They're always caught in the middle,

Between opposing views.

Unless the two countries can
Aim for a higher ideal
Of peace and harmony,
Their wounds will never heal.

(9-19-15; 10-5-18) By Bob B

GOP Debate #2--Response in Limericks

While debaters attempted to woo

The viewers to their points of view,

They regurgitated

What had been stated.

Did we learn anything new?

  

Fiorina joined the debate

And showed that she had the trait

Of being a swift talker,

Which isn't a shocker.

Her swipe at Trump was first rate.

Trump behaved fairly well

And bragged about the groundswell

Of public support.

Still he falls short

Of substance and is a hard sell.

It seemed that the mood in the room

Was all about doom and gloom.

Nothing is right;

So they must fight

To make America bloom!

Now, all joking aside,

Ben Carson managed to hide

His wild and crazy views

That we've seen in the news.

For president he's unqualified.

Huckabee, Cruz, Rand Paul,

Walker, and Christie--yes, all--

Though try as they may,

They have LITTLE to say.

It appears that they've all hit the wall.

John Kasich makes more sense than some;

And Rubio is basically "ho hum."

To avoid banality

He needs personality,

As does Bush--his Florida chum.

We hate to burst their bubble,

But they must shape up on the double.

If what they are showing

Is the best they've got going,

The GOP’s in big trouble!

(9-17-15) By Bob B

Suddenly a Light

Trump decided to share

His views on national defense

With the USS Iowa as his venue

To throw in his two cents.

Of course, he rambled on

With his usual blah, blah, blah.

His cheering supporters labeled

Each moment a stunning AHA!

Suddenly the clouds parted,

And a light shone down from above--

Light, which some of Trump's critics

Say he is destitute of.

Could it have been a miracle

To clarify doubt and rumor?

Or did Mother Nature

Have a weird sense of humor?

What about a sign--

A direct blessing from God?

Or was it more likely a light

Exposing Trump as a fraud?

However you want to see it,

One thing is certainly true:

Although the light shone on Trump,

It shone on his protesters, too.

(9-16-15) By Bob B

Ding Dong! She's Gone to Jail!

DING DONG! SHE'S GONE TO JAIL!

Ding dong! She's gone to jail--
The county clerk has gone to jail.
Ding dong! The clerk has gone to jail.
No cause to weep or wail;
Don't be sad; don't be pale.
Ding dong! The clerk has gone to jail.
She's going where lawbreakers go.
We know, we know, we know.
It's so!...She's getting what she asked for.
Ding dong! Don't feel sad.
That's what comes from being bad.
Let them know the clerk has gone to jail.

(Thursday, September 3, 2015)

*********

DING DONG! SHE'S OUT OF JAIL!

Ding dong! She's out of jail!
The county clerk is out of jail.
Ding dong! Who let her out of jail?
Oh, what a crazy tale!
Yes, that hits it on the nail.
Ding dong! Who let her out of jail?
It's just a dog and pony show.
You know…you know…you know…
Although…it reeks of self-indulgence.
Ding dong! Now of course
Hate-filled groups are out in force
Since their county clerk is out of jail.

Ding dong! Don't things stink?
The county clerk has left the clink.
Ding dong! The clerk has left the clink.
Who knows what to think?
Who can say how low she'll sink?
Ding dong! She's walked out of the clink.
Her lawyers are craving fame.
The game…the game…the game…
Oh, shame!…The bigotry and nonsense!
Ding dong! Here we go!
Watch the clowns prance to and fro.
Will the clerk end up back in the clink?

(Wednesday, September 9, 2015)

*********

DING DONG! SHE'S BACK TO WORK!

Ding dong! She's back to work.
The country clerk is back to work.
Ding dong! The clerk is back to work.
Now we can watch her shirk--
Shirk her duties at her work.
Ding dong! The clerk is back to work.
She won't follow through.
It's true…it's true…it's true…
She'll do…whatever she feels like.
Ding dong! She'll insist
God allows her to resist
Doing her duties while she's back at work.

Ding dong! She plans to fight--
To cash in on the religious right.
Ding dong! She still plans to fight.
Maybe she should try
Removing the log from her eye.
Ding dong! Maybe she should try.
There is no martyr here.
It's clear…it's clear…it's clear…
Her fear…is strictly manufactured.
Ding dong! Stop the show!
This persecution complex--oh!--
Prevents her from doing her job at work.

(Tuesday, September 15, 2015)

The charade continues...

Where Are Conservatives Like Reagan?

Where are conservatives like Reagan,

Whom many people proclaim

A conservative king? And they all sing

Praises to his name.

To three million illegal immigrants

Amnesty was granted. Let's say

It wasn't hard; they got their card--

Thanks to dear Ronnie Rea.

The government grew under Reagan.

Taxes increased just four times.

Sadly, we found that what trickled down

Amounted to nickels and dimes.

One thing we'll say about Reagan:

What you see, that's what you get.

While others would be more miserly he

Tripled our national debt.

Another thing about Reagan:

To many, he was "the man."

The Brady Bill received his goodwill

As did an assault weapons ban.

His support of Afghan rebels

To fight against Russian troops

Sounded quite good. Who knew it would

Backfire on America? Oops!

Arms to Iranian mullahs?

What was he thinking there?

When all came to light, Reagan sat tight--

Answering with his blank stare.

Reagan received expert guidance

From advisers and planets and stars.

When there was doubt, Nancy sought out

The effects--say--of Jupiter and Mars.

Where are conservatives like Reagan?

It's hard to find them these days.

Conservatives now tend to kowtow

To donors, fame, and praise.

Conservatives now tend to kowtow
To donors, fame, and praise.

(6-14-15) By Bob B

Discrepancy

We have walked on the moon

And zoomed into outer space.

Messages travel the world

At a breath-taking pace.

We've landed rovers on Mars

And scoured the depths of the sea,

Snapped close-ups of Saturn

And explored to the nth degree.

We've studied the changing climate,

Prevented many a disease,

And invented artificial

Limbs and hips and knees.

We've made great strides fighting cancer;

New studies are taking root

In the area of quantum physics

And molecular biology to boot.

With all this amazing progress

We're still miles behind

When it comes to opening

The human heart and mind.

Misinformation takes precedence

Over rational thought;

Forgetfulness erases

The lessons we were taught.

Awareness, compassion, empathy…

Where have they gone?

Distrust, fear, and hatred

Ruthlessly live on.

It's almost as though some governments

Are insidiously in sync

At being flagrantly negligent

Of encouraging people to think.

More than ever it's crucial

To distinguish truth from lies.

It's incumbent on us

To open resistant eyes.

How do we treat other people?

Our human actions show,

That despite our advancements,

We have a long way to go.

(9-13-15) By Bob B 

The Race in Limericks (9-12-15)

Rick Perry Bows Out…

Rick Perry dropped out of the race.

He's trying his best to save face.

But that's hard to brave.

(There's little to save.)

Wasn't he close to last place?

Defying Sense…

It's strange to see Trump on a roll--

To watch the man rise in each poll.

It's so hard to admire

A man so full of ire--

Whose mouth is so out of control.

Defying Reason…

Ben Carson and poor Ted Cruz

Have risen in polls as they schmooze

All their promoters.

Do all their voters

Want the Republicans to lose?

Both Paul and Jindal Tank…

I'm sure you’ve seen Rand Paul's stance

And Jindal’s strange song and dance.

Both men are going nowhere;

And so both will go where

All losers go when there's no chance.

Jeb Who?...

If Jeb wants to gain more momentum

And bring up his measly per centum,

His closest adviser

Has to get wiser

And think how he might reinvent'm.

(9-12-15) By Bob B

Remembering 9/11 on Its 14th Anniversary

Fourteen years have passed since

Our lives were shaken to the core.

Images will forever haunt us--

The effects impossible to ignore.

The day brought unfathomable suffering;

The attacks so brutal, cruel, and unkind

Caused the world to sympathize

With us, until…well, never mind.

How the world has changed since then!

It continues to change with exceeding speed.

Instability, insecurity,

Vengeance and rancor flourish indeed.

In memory of those who lost their lives

And in recognition of family and friends

Whose lives were shattered on that day

And whose anguish never ends,

A reasoned and humane approach

To learn from the past and to look ahead

To solve world problems is the best way

To honor the living and remember the dead.

If that is our goal, then make it happen.

Positive and peaceful solutions will find us

Trusting our heart when it says

That vengeance and hatred only blind us.

(9-11-15) By Bob B

Revisiting Caitlyn

Let's check in on Caitlyn.

A number of months have passed

Since her "coming out"

To the public at long last.

Still at the "giddy" stage

Of discovering her femininity,

She's searching for anything out there

For which she has an affinity.

Her closet is now jam-packed

With gowns and blouses and skirts.

Hello to heels and nylons!

Good-by to lumberjack shirts!

Having a personal stylist

Has helped her in her transition.

Very few transgender people

Share Cait's privileged position.

She seems to spend so much time

Doing her face and her hair

And trying to figure out

The best outfit to wear.

I think her whole transition

Would be a challenge to take up.

I mean, do women like

The idea of wearing make-up?

And yet, I'm sure there are people

Who struggle without fail

To understand why anyone

Would ever want to be male.

Her goal, if it's to generate

Compassion and respect

For the transgender community,

Could have a positive effect.

She's meeting transgender people

Whose struggles have been immense--

Whose stories have opened our eyes;

Whose lives have been intense.

But tell me, am I mistaken--

Am I on the wrong page--

If I ask whether Caitlyn

Looks and dresses her age?...

We all must find who we are--

If we don’t already know it.

Life on Earth is precious;

We certainly don't want to blow it!

(9-10-15) By Bob B

Have Pity on the Poor Refugees

Have pity on the poor refugees

As thousands flee the horrors of war.

Their struggles to find peace and safety

Are something the world should not ignore.

Caught in the crossfire between two extremes

Of conflicting principles, the refugees strive

To keep their families out of harm's way--

To expend their efforts to stay alive.

When heartless purveyors of pointless discord

Perpetrate violent, criminal acts,

There's untold suffering and tremendous loss

Of lives. It's tragic, and those are the facts.

When the body of a refugee boy

Washes up on the shore one morning,

The image should strike at the heart of the world

As if to say: "People, take warning!

"Don't let your kindness and love for humanity

Bow to your ego and your ignorant pride!

Look for peaceful resolutions

When your hopes and ideals collide!"

The powerful, wealthy nations on Earth,

When contemplating how to face

The issue of the plight of the refugees,

Ought to try putting themselves in their place.

Have pity on the poor refugees

As they flee the horrors of war.

May reason and compassion prevail!

May heartless atrocities happen no more!

(9-7-15) By Bob B

Have You Ever Seen a Trumpalaprank?

Have you ever seen a Trumpalaprank

With its piercing, beady eyes

And its HUGE plume or fiery crest

That reaches to the skies?

It viciously spews both fire and venom

In every known direction.

When it lashes out, its victims

Must scurry for protection.

It's known to inhabit lofty places

To better its chances for attack.

When it strikes with relentless force,

You'll hear a resounding thwack.

It feasts on ignorance, anger, and fear

With gluttonous desire.

Then it belches with pompous pride

A potent, hellish fire.

To stir up support, it uses tactics

To hypnotize the unwary,

Who then become its fawning slaves

In a speed and manner that's scary.

Routing out the vulnerable ones--

Which it does with devious delight--

It stirs up annoyance, distrust and enmity

And watches heads spin with fright.

It fraternizes with Palinofarces,

Which makes it all the more frightening.

They drown each other out with their chatter--

A far cry from enlightening.

Two heroes can help subdue

The merciless Trumpalaprank:

Education and Compassionate Thought

Can counter its smugness and swank.

Seek out those heroes now,

For danger and destruction are rife.

If you encounter the Trumpalaprank

In the meantime, run for your life!

(9-5-15) By Bob B

Traditions

Just because something's a tradition

Doesn't mean it's appropriate today.

As times change, so do traditions.

It's good that some are now passé.

Duels--for example--to "defend one's honor"

Were commonly practiced in the olden days.

In modern times people get

"Satisfaction" in other ways.

At one time eunuchs were numerous in China,

And many were employed in the Imperial Service.

Would you do that for a government job?

Yikes, the thought of it makes me nervous.

Castrati, too, were praised in the past

For childlike voices that were second to none.

But those whose voices deteriorated

Sadly lost out in more ways than one.

Years ago a widow in India

Threw herself on the funeral pyre

Of her dead husband. That practice is one

That people--thank goodness--no longer require.

Some cultures practiced animal sacrifice--

Let's hope it remains a thing of the past.

People should try a less harmful substitute:

Cut out chocolate; go on a fast.

Some wedding traditions are simple and harmless;

Brides wear something borrowed or blue.

Customs that don't deny us our rights

Or cause harm to others are ones to pursue.

The list of traditions could go on forever;

People feel they're a way to maintain

Our culture. But clearly certain customs

Are now outmoded or inhumane.

As long as we move with the times, we grow.

We learn from the past, but move ahead.

Moldy traditions that don't embrace

Love and compassion are better off dead.

(9-4-15) By Bob B