Slow Down!

An article recently published by BUZZFEED--

Damning to Trump--came up short.

A spokesman for the Mueller team

Questioned the accuracy of the report.

Trump thinks it exonerates him;

He thinks he's off the hook. But NO,

Mueller's saying, "Not so fast."

In other words, he's saying, "WHOA!

"Slow down, everybody.

Let me finish my job here."

Trump keeps hoping his inane tweets

Can make the facts all disappear.

BUZZFEED, however, stands by its words.

Reporters want to know just where

Inaccuracies can be found.

And we remain left up in the air.

We don't know as much as Mueller,

And even though we're not omniscient,

What we know about Trump already

That gets him in trouble is sufficient.

Trump's been involved in constant scandals.

I guess that is to be expected

When a country goes berserk,

And someone like him is elected.

-by Bob B (1-19-19)

Doing Things My Way (3)

(Can be sung to the melody of Frank Sinatra's "My Way")

For TWO years now I've been

The mighty leader of this nation,

But I can't stand it when

I don’t receive great adoration.

Believe me when I say

My way's the ALWAYS-best-to-lie way.

And you can do it too

By doing things my way.

Mueller is going strong.

I am sick of his damn query.

But they've all got it wrong.

They can't prove their stupid theory.

My fans KNOW my style is NOT

A JUST-lay-down-and-die way.

I have gotten by

By doing things my way.

My tryst with Stormy and my fling

With that McDougal woman bring

So much grief into my life,

Especially with my wife.

But, nonetheless, I will confess

I love things my way.

And now I want my wall;

If I don't get it some will suffer.

I will shut things down

Just to show I'm not a bluffer.

You can dupe the world

With simply the "M" "Y" way.

So I will not deny

I love things MY way.

I've had to fire more than a few

'Cause they say things that are untrue.

And my toadies on the Hill

All bow down; they know the drill.

They know the ways to get my praise:

Just do things my way.

Yes, do things my way.

-by Bob B (1-16-19)

______________________________

2017 and 2018 VERSIONS:

DOING THINGS MY WAY (1):

(THE INAUGURATION SONG)

(Can be sung to the melody of Frank Sinatra's "My Way")

And so, I'm standing here

To say an oath and pledge allegiance.

Though some will cry and jeer

And accuse me of malfeasance,

The fact that I can stand

Before you now in a tough-guy way

Proves that you can play it through

By doing things my way.

Yes, I've stiffed a few,

But that's my disposition.

That's what you have to do

To carry forth your mission.

I knew what I was doing;

I was acting in a sly way.

Just do what I tell you

And do things my way.

You might not like the things I say

Or what I do, but that's okay.

Celebs like me all have it made.

Just don't drop the masquerade.

It's all the same; just play the game

And do things my way.

I've had three wives. So what!

I've had just two divorces.

The news? Don't watch that smut.

I have found better sources.

I didn't get this far

By choosing the just-get-by way.

Since life is dog eat dog

Just do things my way.

You never know who you can screw

Until you shift your point of view.

Remember: screw, before you're screwed.

At times be crass; at times be lewd.

Make up the rules; treat them like fools

By doing things my way.

Yes, do things my way.

-by Bob B (1-19-17)

______________

DOING THINGS MY WAY (2)

(SEVENTEEN MONTHS AFTER THE INAUGURATION)

(Can be sung to the melody of Frank Sinatra's "My Way")

Despite all that you hear,

I'm doing great; I'm number one now.

My made-up "truths" endear

Me to my base; we're having fun now.

My ranting and my raving

Show that mine's not the small fry way.

You'll win…you'll win much more

By doing things my way.

I wish the FBI

Would stop investigating.

They know too much. That's why

It is all so aggravating.

I never liked a wuss

Who would take the humble pie way.

No, I am much more ruthless

Doing things my way.

I've told some lies, once in a while

Well, every day, but that's my style.

My Congress boobs, have got my back.

At the right time we'll attack.

I plot and scheme for my regime

By doing things my way.

Putin's my friend, oh,

And Kim Jong Un and I are buddies.

Merkel and Trudeau?

My goodness, they're such fuddy-duddies.

All I have to do

Is just display my evil eye way,

And I'll get what I want

'Cause it is my way.

I am the law; that's plain to see.

And very few are smart like me.

I will say what comes to mind,

And I don't care if it's unkind.

A little greed helps you succeed

When doing things my way.

Yes, do things my way.

-by Bob B (6-26-18)

The Gift Not to Give

For over a year it's been said

That our Commander in Chief

Wants to pull the U.S.

Out of NATO! Good grief!

His grasp of history is so

Absent that it's no wonder

Why he keeps committing

Blunder after blunder.

The greatest alliance for peace

The world has ever known--

One that's prevented Europe

From being a combat zone--

Has been a solid presence

Since after World War II.

Our pulling out

Would be a big to-do.

One thing we know:

Putin would be delighted.

Such a foolish action

Would be extremely shortsighted.

In fact, it would cause

A huge power shift

And for Vladimir Putin

Would be the greatest gift.

For reasons yet to be

Discovered, Donald Trump

Does Putin's bidding

And kisses Putin's rump.

We wonder what the president

Owes his Russian friend.

Will his actions come back

To bite him in the end?

Being a target for blackmail

Can't be very fun.

It puts us all in danger

When all is said and done.

If Trump keeps insisting

On pulling out of NATO,

Someone needs to throw

The proverbial tomato.

-by Bob B (1-16-19)

A Journey Through the Tarot: A Path to Self-Realization

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)

An Asset?

The clues have been…let's say,

Preponderant. We've seen

That Trump's reputation

Is far from squeaky clean.

Now he sounds indignant:

"How dare they imply

That I worked with Russia!

Do THEY think I'm a spy?"

Is there evidence

That Trump and certain staff,

Knowingly or not,

Worked on Russia's behalf?

Knowing or not knowing…

Yes, even the latter

Definitely is

A counterintelligence matter.

The FBI will discover

Whether suspicions are true

While Trump sends out a tweetstorm.

Of course, what else is new?

Is he an asset to Russia

At our country's expense?

The accusation really

Makes a lot of sense.

His words and actions are

Often injudicious,

Which makes him sound so utterly

And blatantly suspicious.

Mueller certainly knows

A lot more than we think.

He will put together

The pieces, link by link.

Team Trump will spread

Deep state myths to steer

Us off the path to truth.

They smear whom they can smear.

They will try to hide

The truth without a doubt.

Cooperation with Russia

Is what it’s all about.

Misstating the law,

Giuliani tries

To give Trump his support

By backing the president’s lies.

Trump’s words leave us

With so much to bemoan.

Who knows WHAT goes on

When Putin and he are alone?

He's been parroting Putin's

Talking points. How's that?

Is he a spokesman for

The Russian autocrat?

Undeniably, Trump
Finds himself in a spot,
Which amounts to a case
Of possible kompromat.

Never have we had

A situation so…hairy.

Never have we had

A president so scary.

-by Bob B (1-13-19)

When Will It End?

When will the government shutdown end?

Not till Trump comes to his senses.

Meanwhile, Trump's obsessive behavior

Is having disastrous consequences:

Many government workers are on

Furlough; thus, they're not being paid.

Businesses are also affected;

Services are being delayed.

If Mitch McConnell had a backbone--

If the obstructionist had the will--

Immediately, Congress could send

The president a veto-proof bill.

The Dems truly want border security,

But a wall is NOT a part of the deal,

Whether a structure is made of cement,

Or whether it comes from iron or steel.

Many feel that Trump and his team

Have skillfully manufactured a crisis.

They insist that a wall on our SOUTHERN

Border is going to protect us from ISIS.

Trump says that if he wants

To build his wall, he can declare

A national emergency.

That means he'll get the money from where?

From pillaging disaster funds.

Bound and determined to build his wall,

He will go to any lengths

To rob Peter to pay Paul.

If you think he was being sincere

In his Oval Office speech, he wasn't.

Most of us care that people are hurting.

The trouble is that Trump doesn't.

-by Bob B (1-11-19)

Shutdown

The government shutdown drags on and on.

The president remains fixated

On building his wall on the southern border--

His arguments all fabricated.

Trump's speech--sounding like Stephen Miller--

Interrupted prime-time TV.

In efforts to shore up his base and win

More support, he made his plea.

A litany of Stephen Miller

Scare stories does not move

An audience who's on to their tactics--

Who sees what they're trying to prove--

That we have a humanitarian

Crisis here. No mistaking.

However, the crisis happens to be

A crisis of the president's making!

Using false statistics, the president

Tried to establish his flimsy case.

The con artist hoped to convince

Others beyond his regular base.

Once he said that he would be

Responsible for the shutdown, but that's

Immaterial now, for he

Is blaming the "evil" Democrats.

The Democrats are all for border

Security, to Trump's surprise.

But he is so obsessed with his "wall,"

That he can't see beyond his lies.

To hold the government hostage has been

Trump's tactic to get his way.

What we've seen in the past few weeks

Is a childish tantrum on display.

Hopefully, more people of conscience

Will cut and run from the president's side--

Tired of manufactured crises,

And tired of being taken for a ride.

-by Bob B (1-9-19)

January 3, 2019: O Happy Day!

The Dems have taken back the House!

Hopefully, there now will be

For Donald Trump and his admin team

Some accountability.

For two years, Republicans

Have groveled before the man at the top,

Assisting him in obstructing justice.

The nonsense is going to have to stop.

The president's relationship

With the truth worsens every day.

Normal leaders would watch their step,

But his huge ego gets in his way.

Trump’s talking points, for instance,

At a recent Cabinet meeting

Were right out of Putin’s playbook--

Not worthy of even retweeting.

Well, now it’s about time

That members of Congress voice their concern.

Forget about being obsequious,

Mealy-mouthed or taciturn!

Now the American people will have

A House that really cares about them--

One that will fight for justice and also

Condemn that which it ought to condemn.

Many sworn into office today

Reflect diversity in their faces--

Mainly among the Democrats,

Who won highly competitive races.

Progressive change won’t be easy.

There’s STILL a storm that we have to weather:

Trump’s sycophants in the Senate--

Another story altogether.

The past two years have clearly shown us

What a horrible mess we're in.

Positive change will move us forward.

Let the oversight begin!

-by Bob B (1-3-19)

What Do We See?

When I'm feeling agitated,

Discontented, or unmotivated,

Then I tell myself to hold fast,

For such adverse feelings won't last.

Sometimes the world has a radiant sheen,

And everything seems "peachy keen."

It's fantastic when things are sublime,

But such good feelings will pass with time.

Freezing temps can really get old,

But when I'm hot, I want to be cold.

Though I hate hot weather a lot,

When I'm cold, I want to be hot.

When I'm feeling down in the dumps,

I say, "Oh, well, life has its bumps."

If I tough it out, in a while

I know my frown will turn to a smile.

Aren't we full of contradictions?

We can clash with our own convictions.

With some practice, things will click,

And we can find out what makes us tick.

Look inside yourself and you'll see

In life there is no guarantee.

Is what you're seeing REAL, or do you

See only what you perceive to be true?

-by Bob B (1-2-19)

2018: What a Year!

Twenty eighteen has come and gone,

And all I can say is, What a year!

That twenty nineteen will also be

Just as crazy is crystal clear.

Mass shootings once again

Shook the country, taking a toll

On all of us, and yet very little

Has been done about gun control.

Always the center of controversies,

Trump again tried to assuage

The public by pleading ignorance

When Stormy Daniels took center stage.

Then we learned that Trump had paid

Hush money to flings at least TWICE

In hopes to secure his chances of winning

The twenty sixteen election. How nice!

A lot of Trump's team have left

Through the admin's revolving door,

Always mired in controversy.

There are bound to be many more.

Trump has proved he loves his tyrants

More than he loves our allies and friends.

Ignoring advice from experts, he'll do

Whatever Putin recommends.

Hurricanes caused major flooding;

California was ravaged by fires.

Yet dire warnings go unheeded

By stalwart climate change deniers.

The separation of families seeking

Asylum showed a callous side

Of Trump and his team, whose inhumane

Actions cannot be denied.

Year two of investigations…

Manafort, Gates, Cohen, and Flynn

Are talking more, while the walls

Around Donald Trump are closing in.

Meanwhile Trump continues to lie.

There's no end to his subterfuge.

How many lies? Eight thousand?

And Giuliani plays his stooge.

Kavanagh got a Supreme Court seat

After a sham investigation,

Which shows how Trump maintains the belief:

What's good for Trump is good for the nation.

November saw a welcome blue wave

Sweep through the House. Such a delight!

This should end Nunes' obstruction

Of justice. There will be oversight!

We lost three prominent people:

Barbara and George Bush and McCain.

Very few members of

The old Republican guard remain.

Trump cannot stop harping on

His WALL--a waste of money and time.

With our crumbling infrastructure,

Building his "wall" would be a crime.

What will the New Year bring forth?

Perhaps an indictment? Perhaps an arraignment?

Since Trump loves to be the star,

THAT'S what I'd call entertainment!

-by Bob B (1-1-19)