The Martial Arts Master and His Student*

The teacher calmly sat in the dojo,

Waiting for his class to begin.

Seated on his cushion, he silently

Focused on the center within.

A student rushed into the building,

Stopped and gave a cursory bow,

And said, "Teacher, my goal has not

Been very clear to me until now.

"I want to master the martial arts.

What can I do to get there faster?

How many years does it take

A person like me to become a master?"

"Ten years," replied the teacher.

"Ten years? That can't be!"

The student exclaimed. "But I'll work hard--

Ten long hours a day! You'll see.

"If I practice and read and study

And work harder than all my peers,

How long then?" After a moment

The teacher replied, "Twenty years."

(2-28-17) By Bob B

*An old tale retold here in verse

The Other Side*

One day a monk near the end of a journey

Encountered a wide, rushing river.

Standing on the bank, he fretted,

"But I have messages to deliver."

For hours he stood there considering his options,

Unable to figure out a good plan.

All at once he noticed that

On the other bank there stood a man.

Elated, the monk waved and yelled,

"Oh, great teacher, good day to you!

To get to the other side of this flowing

River, tell me, what do I do?"

The teacher pondered for a few moments,

Looked up and down the river so wide,

And then yelled back to the fretful monk,

"My son, you ARE on the other side."

(2-27-17) By Bob B

*An old tale retold here in verse

How to Destroy a Democracy: A Twelve-Step Plan

If you would like to run a country

And run it with an iron fist

While thumbing your nose at democracy,

Then keep in mind the following list:

One. Once you're in office,

Defy the voters that you'd been wooing

By doing some of the things that you

Criticized your opponent for doing.

Two. Demonize the media.

Accuse them of grossly distorting

The truth. Call them the enemy,

And give no credence to what they're reporting.

Three. When matters don't go your way,

Resort to alternative facts and choose

Disinformation as the best way

To strengthen your base with far-fetched views.

Four. Give alt-right nationalists

Top positions on your team

And then belittle those who say

That your advisers are too extreme.

Five. Meet with the FBI

To clarify your expectations.

Tell them that they should knock down stories

And change ongoing investigations.

Six. Pressure heads of intelligence

Investigative committees to call

Reporters to tell them to alter reports.

Tell them "To hell with protocol!"

Seven. Downplay the roles of foreign

Countries in helping you win the race.

Discourage further investigations

By saying they're totally out of place.

Eight. Follow the expert advice

Of Vladimir Lenin, who would say,

"A lie told often enough

Becomes the truth." That works today.

Nine. Belittle judges and courts;

Belittle even allies and friends.

Stick your foot in your mouth even more

When you try to make amends.

Ten. It helps to criticize

The CIA and FBI.

Intimidate and discredit them,

And hang the agencies out to dry.

Eleven. Chip away at people's

Rights. Try to make them believe

That what you are doing is for their own good.
Remind them that the press can deceive.

Twelve. Continue campaign rallies

To stroke your ego; to prove you're liked.

Cover up the fact that your

Disapproval ratings have spiked.

A master con artist will know

How to take information and spin it.

He needs to find a gullible mind,

And "There's a sucker born every minute."

(2-26-17) By Bob B

A Ballad of a Dreamer (Un Corrido de un Dreamer)

This is the song of a Dreamer.

You would be hard-pressed to find

A more likable person.

He is one of a kind.

He moved to California;

From south of the border he came--

A four-year-old with his family.

Futuro, we'll say, was his name.

Futuro's father and mother

Worked very hard to provide

A good life for their children--

Something that they'd been denied.

Schooling was very important.

Futuro strove to excel.

He wanted his parents to see him

And his three siblings do well.

His college graduation

Made his parents so proud.

The smiles on their faces were something--

The biggest smiles in the crowd.

Futuro landed employment.

Later things went awry

When a cop pulled him over

And gave him a DUI.

That's when the nightmare started

Futuro was able to see

What it was like to be treated

Like a detainee.

Belongings were confiscated.

His hands and feet were chained,

As if he were a convict

Who had to be restrained.

They gave him no information

And moved him from place to place.

Each detention center

Was an utter disgrace.

Conditions were atrocious.

The rooms were damp and cold.

The food was barely edible

After you scraped off the mold.

Thanks to our heartless leaders.

Thanks to the CCA.°

We have detention centers

Where people are treated this way.

Such centers often become

A two- or three-year address

For many detainees caught in

A bureaucratic mess.

These for-profit prisons,

Based on what we know,

Are an assault on our freedom.

Let's face it: they've got to go.

When we civilized people

Treat human beings like this--

Worse than we treat an animal--

There is something amiss.

Futuro, well, he was lucky.

He was released on bail.

Now his fate is in limbo.

At least he's no longer in jail.

Must he hide in the shadows?

Must he be on the run?

What will it take for Futuro

To walk in the light of the sun?

Give Futuro your blessings.

Give the hopeful your praise.

May our eyes be opened.

May we see brighter days.

(2-24-17) By Bob B

°Corrections Corporation of America

Sonnets for the Invisible Ones

When hardened hearts ignore the plaintive tears

Of those who are invisible yet present,

They disregard the strugglers' hopes and fears

And make a situation more unpleasant.

Many suffer hazardous conditions

And work that earns a pittance but still brings

A lifestyle that won't kill their true ambitions.

How dare we think they live like wealthy kings!

Imagine living daily with the terror

Or harsh presentiment--with stress and pain--

Of knowing that despite abuse or error,

Your hands are tied, for you cannot complain.

Your life becomes a sad catch-22.

To keep on going is all that you can do.

Imagine fleeing poverty and war

And frightful acts of cruel persecution.

Your life at least is better than before,

But you await a permanent solution.

Your kids are now American at heart,

But jobs and college cause much consternation.

You work two jobs; you try to do your part;

Yet there's the constant threat of deportation.

When people turn their heads and look away,

A blaze of cruel injustice wildly rages.

The ones affected most can have no say
In how to fix what's NOT worked well for ages.

Solutions lacking heart are cold and numbing

And show an ugliness that's unbecoming.

(2-23-17) By Bob B

A Timeless Tale*

A farmer working in a field

Felt compassion for his horse--

A tired, overworked jade.

He let it go with no remorse.

When villagers discovered that

The farmer's horse had been set free,

They wondered how the man would prosper.

The farmer succinctly said, "We'll see."

Days later the farmer's horse

Returned to the poor man's piece of land,

Bringing along several others,

Eager to give a helping hand.

The villagers heard the wonderful news

And rushed to share the farmer's glee.

"How fortunate you are!" they said.

The farmer merely replied, "We'll see."

The next day the villagers

Watched with ghastly fear in their faces

The son fall while training the horses

And break his leg in numerous places.

Lamenting the farmer's sad misfortune,

They asked how he would ever be

Able to work the land on his own.

The farmer again replied, "We'll see."

Soon a terrible war broke out.

The emperor needed able young men.

Because of his broken leg, the farmer's

Son was excused from duty. Again

The villagers went to the farmer, saying

"Your son escaped the emperor's decree.

How lucky for both of you!" The farmer

Responded by only saying, "We'll see."

Even though the son's leg healed,

The son walked with a definite limp.

Village children viciously teased him,

Calling him a klutz and a gimp.

The villagers came to see the farmer,

Their words of pity staggeringly

Effusive. "Aren't you sad?" they asked.

The farmer smiled and said, "We'll see."

The sons of the villagers died in the war.

The farmer, along with his only son,

Worked the land, grew quite wealthy,

And never complained to anyone.

Once in a while he'd meet his friends

And chat over a cup of tea.

"How lucky you are!" they'd say to him.

He'd shrug his shoulders and say, "We'll see."

(2-21-17) By Bob B

*An old Chinese tale retold in verse

More Than We Had Ever Imagined

Sometimes we've known that something was going to be scary.

We could picture the outcome with growing ennui.

But once that something happened, it was more frightening

Than we had ever imagined it would be.

Sometimes we've known a storm would cause destruction.

At least that's what the forecasters could foresee.

The storm, however, turned out to be more disastrous

Than we had ever imagined it would be.

Sometimes we've known a disease was going to be deadly.

Hopes of survival brought no guarantee.

Struggling to survive was so much harder

Than we had ever imagined it would be.

Sometimes we've known a person was unstable,

But we couldn't perceive to what degree.

Later we learned that person was more deranged

Than we'd imagined him or her to be.

Sometimes we've known that fighting for our rights

And fighting to preserve democracy

Was going to be a battle more important

Than we had ever imagined it would be.

(2-20-17) By Bob B

If Your Birth Sign Is Pisces...

Your approach to spirituality

And your ideals keep you afloat.

Fulfilling your needs by helping others

Is one more thing that floats your boat.

Being close to water clearly

Inspires you and stimulates you.

Your notion of perfection is

A strong factor that motivates you.

Dealing with people and situations

That don't live up to your ideals

Is hard for you, and you know how

Being exploited by others feels.

Balance is important so that

Others don't take advantage of you.

Ignoring your sense of compassion is one

Of the worst things you could do.

You have a remarkable

Imagination. It's on fire!

The downside is that it could also

Make you a pathological liar.

But that is usually not the case.

Pisceans can be kind and gentle.

It's when they feel victimized

That they start feeling temperamental.

You--the dreamer of the zodiac--

Can oddly come off as vague and elusive.

To maintain your equilibrium,

You sometimes need to be reclusive.

You can easily grasp the abstract,

But you probably don't recall

The times you've seemed so out of touch

That you made no sense at all.

Empathetic and sensitive,

Usually, you couldn't be sweeter.

But watch out! Insecurity

Can make you a compulsive eater.

Since you have an addictive nature,

It's crucial for you to avoid temptations.

You must show caution when you're around

Alcohol and medications.

A healthy sense of self is important,

For when your wanting to give exceeds

Your own capacity for giving,

You start to neglect your very own needs.

Don't succumb to escapism

Or over-sensitivity.

Your flexible nature is

A natural proclivity.

The environment strongly affects

Your emotional reactions.

The better organized you are,

The better you can handle distractions.

Some people think that you lack

Self-confidence, but not

Those who know you well, for you

Are able to accomplish quite a lot.

Continue to be an inspiration

To others. Do not slacken your pace.

Keep a positive outlook and you'll

Help make the world a better place.

(2-19-17) By Bob B

Whistleblowers, Blow Your Whistles!

Whistleblowers, blow your whistles;

Expose deceitful corruption and fraud.

Reveal the ghastly, vile and unethical

Doings that hide behind each façade.

Muckrakers, rake through the muck;

Bring wrongdoing and cover-ups to light.

Denounce guile and chicanery.

Raise our awareness; do what is right.

Investigative journalists,

Unveil lies and hypocrisy.

Disclose injustice wherever it is.

Protect our democracy.

People of conscience, raise your voices.

Loudly drown out the messages of hate.

Don't be bullied; don't be afraid

To express what you won't tolerate.

When your hard-earned freedoms are threatened,

Don't let your resolve give way.

"The press is the enemy of the people"

Is something only a tyrant would say.

(2-18-17) By Bob B

Yikes!

Regarding the Trump administration…

Trump says his administration

Runs just like a "fine-tuned machine."

He's got to be kidding! This is the most

Dysfunctional one we've ever seen!

Yikes!

Regarding General Flynn…

Regarding Flynn's resignation,

Trump refuses to give up the fight.

He says that Flynn did nothing wrong;

"If anything, he did something right."

Yikes!

Regarding the Electoral College…

Trump insists that since Ronald Reagan,

He received the most votes.

Bush one, Bill Clinton, and Obama got more.

Who the heck is writing Trump's notes?

Yikes!

Regarding the media…

Trump's still calling the questioning press

Dishonest, and he cannot understand

Why there's so much negativity.

He lives in a definite fantasy land!
Yikes!

Regarding TV…

Trump considers "Fox & Friends"

The most "honest morning show."

That is downright scary to hear.

Fatuity's reached a new plateau.

Yikes!

Regarding bigotry and respect…

Trump says he's the least racist

Person that you'll ever see.

And last fall he said that no one

Respects women more than he!

Yikes!

(2-16-17) By Bob B

Credibility and Trust

The Trump administration continues

To sing the dour voter fraud song.

Hoping to weaken voting rights,

Many Republicans sing along.

Multiple-state registration:

One case in point, they state.

Let's see what kind of evidence

They'll be able to create.

Tiffany Trump, Jared Kushner,

Bannon and Spicer, it's vital to note,

Were registered in multiple states--

Yes, registered to vote!

White House adviser Stephen Miller

Speaks in defense of the president's claims

By raising more foundationless doubts--

By building a fire and fanning the flames.

"The president's authority

Will NOT be questioned," Miller declares.

When our leaders talk like that,

It's a sorry state of affairs.

Toning down such dictatorial

Language is going to be a must

If the current administration

Expects to be credible and wants our trust.

(2-16-17) By Bob B

Beyond Question

I keep hearing

People say

That facts often

Get in the way.

Bombarded by

The constant chatter,

I'll merely say,

"Facts matter."

(2-15-17) By Bob B

Bubble of Denial

Russia-gate is loudly exploding

As more information emerges.

Now that General Flynn has resigned,

I wonder: Will there be more purges?

During the election campaign

General Flynn had made a big squawk

That Clinton was a security threat.

Wasn't HE one to talk?

Many questions come to mind--

Ones that will plague us again and again.

More people want to know

Who knew what, how much, and when?

Trump says he's very concerned

About information leaks,

Despite his lackadaisical

Behavior for the past few weeks.

Does HE conduct official business

On a NONsecured mobile phone?

Does discussing national security

In a public venue set the right tone?

To be in a bubble of denial

Might provide some comfort at first.

But keep in mind that at some point,

That comfy bubble is going to burst.

(2-14-17) By Bob B

Oh, How the Emperor Loves His New Clothes!

Oh, how the emperor loves his new clothes!

He loves the flash, the glitz, the show.

The presentation is all that matters--

The garish, ostentatious tableau.

His lackeys and sycophants grovel before him,

Currying his favor and kissing his…arse.

Loving all the attention, he can't

Distinguish between substance and farce.

The emperor has the best people--

The best tailors, the best spinners--

Who say that the ruler's fancy new clothes

Can separate losers from winners.

Fawning subjects praise their leader.

Mesmerized by his tales,

The people fail to see the danger

When facts are ignored and fiction prevails.

Whether from pride, thirst for power,

Or ego, the emperor--walking on air--

Doesn't see that underneath

The pageantry there's nothing there.

Who can break the news to the emperor?

Who can put an end to the lies?

What will bring about true awareness?

What will it take to open his eyes?

(2-13-17) By Bob B

When Fringe Groups Have the Leader's Ear

Pseudo-scientific writings

Of two men named Strauss and Howe°

Talk about an existential

War that we are in right now.

It's called a war of the Fourth Turning,

And here's one thing the writings mention:

By aggravating societal pressures,

Leaders control the nation's attention.

Leadership will take measures

To assert public authority. (How nice!)

Then they will apply pressure

To demand public sacrifice.

An unexpected leader called

The Grey Champion will emerge--

A messianic strongman who'll

Lead the nation as allies merge.

It ought not to be so difficult

To see through this fiction, ought it?

However, the president's right hand man,

(Gulp!) Steve Bannon, bought it.

This is the "birth of a new political

Order," Bannon has said. What' more,

We're "in the top of the first inning."

He puts it this way: "We're at war!"

Expansionist China and radical Islam

Will bring about our defeat

Because the Judeo-Christian West,

Bannon adds, is in retreat.

He talks of dark days ahead.

Part of the apocalyptic plan

Has to do with being "reborn"

Or having to face the end of man.

Bannon has the president's ear!

It's really scary when buffoons

Are given top positions and power.

THIS GUY is LOONEY TUNES!

(2-11-17) By Bob B

°William Strauss and Neil Howe

Definitions

According to the dictionary,

A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR would be

Someone who with great compulsion

Stretches the truth habitually.

A NARCISSIST would be a person

Showing an excessive preoccupation

With him- or herself and also displaying

Overwhelming self-admiration.

An exaggerated sense of self-

Importance also plays a part

In how the NARCISSIST behaves.

The person has very little heart.

Abnormally egotistical

And overly self-absorbed and conceited,

The EGOMANIAC can cause

A lot of damage if left untreated.

Being even one of the above

Would make people think you're a jerk.

But if you were all THREE of them,

You'd be a real piece of work.

(2-10-17) By Bob B

Impressions of Sessions

Trump's recent nominee--

Jefferson Beauregard Sessions--

Has been confirmed by the Senate,

Despite the man's horrid impressions.

Rejected in 1986

To serve as a federal judge for being

Racist, Sessions is now AG!°

It's hard to believe what we are seeing.

Having been a loyal promoter

Of Trump's agenda all along,

Sessions is now in a perfect position

To add more verses to Trump's song.

Good-by to police accountability;

Good-by to voting rights as well.

Compassionate immigration reform

Will probably be shot to hell.

LGBT rights and protections

Will also continue to dwindle away,

For Sessions' reputation leans

Toward being anti-gay.

His strong stance against civil

And equal rights is revealing.

It will be sad to watch America

Deepen wounds that should be healing.

(2-9-17) By Bob B

°Attorney General

Bad Betsy

The Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos

As Secretary of Education--

A real slap in the face to the public

School system in this nation.

DeVos's desire to "advance God's kingdom"

Through education sounds a bit scary.

That should make anybody

Who knows the Constitution wary.

Her vague and incoherent replies

To Senators' questions were dull and drizzly.

Her thoughts regarding guns in schools:

You never know; there might be a grizzly.

Her reputation for school reform

In Michigan isn't stellar.

To weaken the public school system

Is NOT a solution. Would someone tell her?

(2-8-17) By Bob B

Hearing the Voice of Reason

From an enormous ocean of voices

Loudly emerges the voice of reason,

Telling you that fighting injustice

Has nothing to do with disloyalty or treason.

When a veil of confusion covers

Truth, depriving it of clarity,

The veil must be lifted so that

Honesty vanquishes insincerity.

When a foggy mist of deception

Completely obscures the seeker's view,

Doubt and uncertainty linger on

Until the light of truth breaks through.

A word that seems innocuous

At first, can--based on its source--

Manifest repercussions

With damaging, destructive force.

Don't be deceived by cunning distractions--

By sirens luring you to your doom.

Don't be afraid to stay the course

When clouds of intimidation loom.

Allowing you to see more clearly,

The true voice of reason will guide you--

Whether it calls you from the distance,

Or whether it comes from deep inside you.

(2-8-17) By Bob B

Alternative Facts, et cetera...

Alternative facts, fallacious assumptions,

And false equivalency are stunning

As Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conjob,

And Sean Spicer hit the ground running.

Regarding the Bowling Green Massacre, Conjob

Said she'd misspoken. Not a crime.

However, the last time she said it, she'd

Misspoken her "fact" for the third time.

What about Spicer's outlandish statement

That recent marchers were paid? What's FUNNY is

No one paid me a cent to march.

I want to know where my MONEY is.

Trump said the "dishonest" press

Once again has been refusing

To publish reports of recent attacks

By terrorists here. Very amusing!

Imagine our press NOT covering

Most attacks here and abroad!

Another of Trump's alternative facts

Like the one on voter fraud.

This disconnection from the truth--

This constant need to fictionalize--

Doesn't bode well for this country.

When are they going to dispense with these lies?

(2-7-17) By Bob B

On the Verge of Extinction

When humankind is out of control,

The world suffers a giant loss.

Threats of mass extinctions aren't

Difficult to come across.

More than half of the world's primates

Are on the verge of extinction due

To agriculture, logging, mining,

And hunting. Where's the hullabaloo?

Lemurs, chimps, orangutans,

And lowland gorillas are under threat.

When we endanger others, we also

Endanger ourselves, don't forget.

Habitat loss, climate change,

Wildlife trade…. Scientists fear

That if these are not halted, many

Primates will sadly disappear.

We're talking about numerous species--

A couple hundred, not just dozens.

What is wrong with Homo sapiens?

How could we do that to our cousins?

(2-6-17) By Bob B

We See the World Through Different Eyes

Through different eyes we see the world.

I see the poor, struggling alone,

Limited by their circumstances,

Held back through no fault of their own.

You, however, are convinced

That laziness is the cause of their plight.

Help to the less fortunate ones?

The thought makes you feel uptight.

I see climate change as a threat,

Affecting us now, but mainly hereafter.

Considering the whole matter a hoax,

You respond with derisive laughter.

I see people in desperate need

Of medical care that they can afford--

Care that's not a privilege but

A right leaving no one ignored.

You, too, believe in health care

But not as a right that people deserve.

With you it seems as though the idea

Of helping others strikes a nerve.

I acknowledge the importance of

Necessary regulations.

You see the government having

Too much control over corporations.

I see the need for high standards

For clean water and clean air.

To you such regulations are

Burdensome and also unfair.

People who make large amounts

Of money can therefore afford to pay

Higher taxes than the poor.

To me it just makes sense that way.

You are more concerned that the wealthy

Keep more of their money, which

Is a common refrain that we hear

Coming from the lips of the rich.

America's diversity

To me is beautiful, and yet

To you it seems as though our great

Diversity is a threat.

I want to strengthen our public schools.

When saying that, I see your hostility.

You want to strengthen the private ones

With little or no accountability.

Another giant issue that comes

From seeing the world through different eyes

Is the notion that what I call facts

Are to you nothing but lies.

It's not a matter of good or bad;

It's just a matter of point of view.

Based on all our experiences,

We see the world the way we do.

(2-5-17) By Bob B