Turkey Trauma

I ran into Tom Turkey again,

Who quietly sat alone in a bar.

It had been a while, so I said,

"Hey, tell me how things are."

"Life for turkeys isn't easy.

You know each day could be our last.

Tomorrow I could end up being

A part of someone's sumptuous repast,"

He said, taking a sip of his brandy

And wiping a tiny tear from his eye.

"But," he added, "I guess you also

Never know when you might die.

"But a giant difference is

That though today you're strong and able,

If something happened to you, you wouldn't

End up on someone's dining room table."

Then he said, "Tell me something;

My reasoning here is kind of murky.

If someone is foolish, weak or inept,

Why do you call that person a turkey?"

"Sorry," I said, "but do understand:

The term wasn't created by me.

Nonetheless, I will attempt

To be more sensitive--more PC."

"Oh," he said, "one more thing.

It's a disgrace to us turkeys and NOT

Pleasing to see the people dance

A dance known as the turkey trot."

"That," I said, "is now obsolete.

The silly dance has faded away.

A turkey trot is now a race

Often occurring on Thanksgiving Day."

"That's a big relief," he said,

And then with a look of consternation,

He glanced at the clock, put on his hat,

And said he was going to a demonstration.

He picked up his placard and left the bar,

Making me feel slightly barbarian.

Across the sign that poor Tom carried

Were scribbled the words: GO VEGETARIAN!

-by Bob B (11-26-19)

Perry's Chosen One

Rick Perry° has joined the cult

That calls Trump the Chosen One.

Sorry, but that's a game that should be

One with no trumps. Pardon the pun.

To give Trump such an undeserved

Title can only underscore

How much a person has to question

Perry's sanity all the more.

I can think of better titles:

Wannabe Strongman, Liar in Chief,

Security Threat, Hypocrite,

King of Corruption, or Causer of Grief.

But Chosen One? Let's be serious.

Could God really be so daft

To let the Chosen One be Trump?

If so, we've been given the shaft.

-by Bob B (11-25-19)

°Secretary of Energy for Donald Trump

Pass the Sugar, Please

I like to think that I eat well.

But eating well to me doesn't mean

That I intend to completely remove

Sugar from my daily routine.

I know that protein and grains and fruits

And veggies are vital; I like them a lot.

But sometimes a hunk of chicken or steak

Or a carrot doesn't hit the spot.

We are what we eat, people say.

I am not saying that I am a prig,

But I would rather be seen as a cream puff

Than seen as a chicken, a cow, or a pig.

"Moderation" sounds judicious,

Though it's a word that's hard to define.

Your idea of moderation

Might be completely different from mine.

If somebody said, "Add ten years

To your life by avoiding sugary treats,"

With no hesitation, I would reply,

"YOU take the years; I'LL take the sweets."

-by Bob B (11-24-19)

Well Done, Adam!

Well done, Adam!°

Let the truth be told.

Obstruction, lies, and abuse of power

All are getting old.

Don't falter, Adam.

Some of your colleagues' actions

Are meant to confuse and stir up doubt.

They are mere distractions.

Show what happens, Adam,

When a leader places

His own interests above the nation's

And even above his base's.

Don't stop, Adam,

Doing what is right.

Don't let far-right fantasies

Obstruct your line of sight.

Open the eyes, Adam,

Of those who live in denial.

Show the dangers of cultish clinging

To those across the aisle.

The president, Adam,

Has to know that his

Corrupt behavior shows the world

What he truly is.

Whatever happens, Adam,

Put your mind at rest.

If people fail to see the light,

At least you've done your best.

-by Bob B (11-23-19)

°Adam Schiff, Chair of the House Intelligence Committee

And That Makes Putin Very Happy°

It's hard to watch as Republicans

In Congress parrot Putin's words.

In spouting Putin's talking points,

What they're doing is polishing turds.

°И это делает Путина очень счастливым.

Brandishing conspiracy theories

And fantasies that have been debunked,

They are showing the world how their

Integrity is now defunct.

И это делает Путина очень счастливым.

Bending the truth with the Putin/Russian

Intelligence narrative flies in the face

Of all that we have done for years

To keep democracy in place.

И это делает Путина очень счастливым.

Putin loves to see Americans

Attack one another by going for the throat.

After stirring up discord here,

He can then sit back and gloat.

И это делает Путина очень счастливым.

Putin's friends in the White House, too,

Bolster the leader's insidious plot

And say that Putin is innocent

While the country Ukraine is not.

И это делает Путина очень счастливым.

What has happened to America--

The land of the free, the home of the brave?

George Washington must be

Turning over in his grave.

И это делает Путина очень счастливым.

-by Bob B (11-22-19)

°I eto delajet putina otchen shastliwim.

What a Gas!

The Internet was abuzz this week;

It had to do with a possible slip.

They say that during an interview,

Eric Swalwell° let one rip.

The sound was caused, Swalwell says,

By a mug scraping across a desk.

The big hullabaloo has made

The incident rather Chauceresque.

Even if there happened to be

A breaking of wind, not so mute,

Tell me: what on earth could be

More natural than a little toot?

But Swalwell wants to make it clear

To anyone who might be a doubter:

The sound picked up by the mics was most

Assuredly NOT a slipper-outer.

-by Bob B (11-20-19)

°U.S. Representative for California's 15th Congressional District

All Roads Lead Clearly to Putin

(If you don’t know the song from GYPSY, "Everything's Coming Up Roses,” by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim, listen to Bette Midler’s version on YouTube. Then try singing this poem to the melody.)

We can all see…

The truth is so clear, people.

It's not just a smear, people.

It's what we should fear. Oh, people,

Like two peas

In a pod

Such a friendship might seem rather odd.

As for us,

We can see,

People, all roads lead clearly to Putin.

Business deals

Or pee tapes?

Microphones hidden in drapes?

So bizarre…

We can see,

People, all roads lead clearly to Putin.

They're going strong now.

What could be their desire?

Putin knows how

He'll make the president kowtow.

Will Trump lift

Sanctions soon?

Will both keep on singing in tune?

Just you wait

And you’ll see

Who is whose

Devotee.

It's strange to watch the two talk crook to crook.

People, all roads lead clearly to Putin wherever we look.

They contrive this

Situation at hand.

We'll survive this;

Maybe we'd better archive this.

Putin wants

In Ukraine

To make it part of Russia's domain.

Where this goes,

Who can tell?

Doesn't this

Ring a bell?

'Cause they know every trick that's in the book.

People, all roads will lead us to true Russian meddling;

All roads will lead to the White House’s cover-ups;

All roads lead Trump to just one place without a doubt;

ALL ROADS LEAD CLEARLY TO PUTIN WHEREVER WE LOOK!

-by Bob B (11-19-19)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm6Vi7WdK-k

Welcome to the New America

Welcome to the new America.

Two hundred forty-some years, and wow!:

A few years of Donald Trump,

And look at what we have here now:

Republicans who once held

American values in high esteem

Parrot Kremlin propaganda,

Giving shape to Putin’s dream.

The president, boldly abusing

The power of pardon multiple times,

Pardons servicemen who

Have been convicted of war crimes.

Though bribery’s a crime by law,

Believe it or not, Republicans say

That when the president commits it,

Breaking the law is--yikes!--okay.

By frequently abusing his power,

The president, who acts like a king,

Plots White House cover-ups

And lies about almost everything.

An adversary becomes our ally;

Former allies become estranged.

The nation is more vulnerable

As priorities are rearranged.

Be a part of the “Me Too” movement,

But be aware of the current dictum:

Accuse someone of sexual assault,

And the perpetrator will be the victim.

Taking advantage of his position,

The president is free to loot

The country for his own enrichment,

And many people don’t give a hoot.

If you are seeking asylum, forget it.

The country now will let you in

If you pass a major requirement:

It all depends on the color of your skin.

Climate change is called a hoax

And regulations are rolled back.

Criticize the president

And find yourself under attack.

White nationalists who are close

To the president help him make

Intolerant policies

That put our rights and freedom at stake.

Now congressional oversight

Is called a witch hunt, a lynching, a coup.

To understand the president's motives,

Just ask, "What would Putin do?"

So welcome…I mean…welcome maybe.

America seems to have a new face--

One to be changed mainly by thoughtful

Attention at the polling place.

-by Bob B (11-19-19)

Hats Off to the Patriots

Hats off to the patriots

Who aren't afraid to testify

In Congress during impeachment hearings.

No one needs to ask them why

They are willing to sit before Congress

And put their reputation on line,

Knowing that they'll be under attack

By people trying to undermine

Their character, virtue, honor,

And solid credibility.

As patriots, they stand tall,

But do so with humility.

Sadly, their words fall on deaf ears

Of many who do not care to hear

The truth about the man at the top--

The self-serving puppeteer.

The patriots have honored subpoenas

And NOT caved in to intimidation,

Despite being the subjects of threats,

Damaging tweets, and condemnation.

They're being grilled to expose something

About which we shouldn't be glad:

The most corrupt administration

The U.S. has ever had.

-by Bob B (11-17-19)

Sleeping with Dogs

As of now, six of Trump's

Associates are paying for crimes

That they committed during these

Unprecedented times.

The crimes range from tax evasion,

Telling lies to the FBI,

Bank fraud, witness tampering

(Anything to protect their guy!),

Campaign finance violations,

Conspiracy against the U.S.,

Obstruction of Congress, lying to Congress…

All a part of the president's mess.

Let's see: Papadopoulos,

Manafort, Cohen, Gates, and Flynn,

And now Roger Stone--all

Tried to save the president's skin.

Do they ever ask themselves

How much they have benefited

From having worked for Donald Trump?

What misdeeds has HE committed?

Will Giuliani be the next?

How many more have hopped on board?

Will more break the law to protect

Their mob boss, their crime lord?

There's an important message here

When we see such crimes as these:

Lie down with flea-ridden dogs,

And surely you'll wake up with fleas.

-by Bob B (11-16-19)

The Oath

All of us vets once took an oath--

One that clearly demonstrates

That we will protect and defend the Con-

Stitution of the United States.

Members of Congress take the same oath

When sworn into office. This adjuration

Shows that they will do their duty

To honor, protect, and defend this nation.

This vow, this pledge, when we're sworn in

Is serious business--NOT a game.

Just as we made good on the oath,

The president should do the same!

-by Bob B (11-12-19)

Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward. Or Vice Versa?

Humankind is young when you

Consider the grand scheme of things.

It's going to be interesting

To see what changes the future brings.

Though some people still have doubts

And find their questions unresolved,

Others are in awe at how

We human beings have evolved.

In certain ways we have seen

Humanity make great strides.

But then again, progress itself

Is questionable. Who decides?

At times it's flabbergasting to see

How little progress we seem to have made.

Are we really advancing when

So many people retrograde?

We take so much for granted about

This precious globe that gave us birth.

Despite the extensive knowledge we have,

We cannot stop destroying the earth.

Our planet has limited resources,

But people behave as though they've never

Been made aware of that and act

As though everything lasts forever.

Too many people reject reason

And place their trust in falsehoods and fiction.

They choose to substitute myth for fact

And fail to see the contradiction.

It's funny…no, it's scary to see

That while we have advanced in stages,

At the same time, many people

Continue to live in the Dark Ages.

-by Bob B (11-11-19)

Mayday! Mayday!

While the huge Donald Trump

Propaganda machine keeps turning,

It's amazing how much ludicrous

Information we keep learning.

Despite proof to the contrary,

The Trump admin strives to maintain

That Russia DIDN'T meddle in our

Elections. The REAL culprit: Ukraine.

Here is what's so laughable

About the conspiracy theory they've peddled:

That helping Hilary Clinton was

Ukraine's reason for having meddled!

Trump's love affair with Putin

Astounds people worldwide.

How much power do they want?

How much are both of them trying to hide?

After receiving an invitation,

Trump remains undismayed

About the possibility of

Attending next year's May Day Parade.

So he'd sit next to Vladimir Putin--

The powerful Russian tyrant--plus,

Putin would proudly parade the weapons

He'd use against our allies and us.

-by Bob B (11-9-19)

The R Game

They love to distract us out of anger and spite--

Those members of Congress on the far right.

Sometimes one wonders: Have they no shame?

For they keep on playing the Republican game.

The House keeps on passing bill after bill.

Then Moscow Mitch goes in for the kill.

Nothing gets passed, and the Senate's to blame.

For they keep on playing the Republican game.

They keep on saying how much they care

About their kids' future and how they will fare.

If they're so caring, then why do they claim:

No global warming? A Republican game.

They give huge tax breaks to those at the top

And don't care that others suffer nonstop

With high costs of drugs and health care that's lame.

That must be part of the Republican game.

They say they value justice and rules.

Yet they don't mind if they're played for fools

By giving support to a leader whose name

Will haunt us forever. The Republican game.

That they trust in Party over people is clear.

It's NOT hard to see beneath their veneer.

Do you ever wonder when they became

So fully enmeshed in the Republican game?

Republicans out there, your GOP

Members of Congress screw you and me.

They're more controlled by their lobbyists' aim:

To profit by playing the Republican game.

-by Bob B (11-8-19)

Quid Pro Quo

(This can be sung to the tune of the old ballad "Sweet Betsy from Pike.")

Every day it seems there's a new story to tell.

Trump and his cronies aren't doing very well.

They've lied to cover up what we all know

Is truly an instance of Trump's quid pro quo.

At first they said, "Oh, no, that's what it can't be.

If you look closely, then you all will see

That what Trump had said in his telephone chat

Was certainly not quid pro quo, tit for tat."

Sing too-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-ay!

The info we gather from witnesses lends

Credence to how Giuliani and friends

Went to Ukraine to push forth their plan.

Rudy's Trump's fixer--his new handyman.

If asked to conspire and if you resist

Helping the president, you'll be dismissed.

The stories we're hearing now help to explain

All that occurred overseas in Ukraine.

Sing too-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-ay!

Republican stories then started to change.

Of course, we are used to that; that's not so strange.

First, they cried, "False accusation! A slur!"

Now they're saying, yes, quid pro quo did occur.

But that's not a problem, Republicans say.

Whatever Trump did, well, that is okay.

Everyone's making a hullabaloo

Over something that clearly all presidents do.

Sing too-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-ay!
 

Yes, presidents bargain and presidents deal,

And when it occurs it's for our commonweal.

But when his political gain is the goal,

Abusing his power is out of control.

Their strategy now is for them to attack

Witnesses fiercely and not to hold back.

Let us all hope that one day they'll eat crow

For trying to justify Trump's quid pro quo.

Sing too-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-oo-ra-lie-ay!

-by Bob B (11-6-19)

Quietude

The quiet of the early morning

Before the break of dawn…

Glistening nighttime dew captures

Moonlight on the lawn.

The soundless darkness obfuscates…

Tranquility prevails…

Not a chirp is heard, for there

Are no nightingales.

Shadows on the moonlit sidewalk

Cast by the towering palm

Punctuate the serenity

Of the morning calm.

Although the silent inner voices

And noiseless thoughts don't cease,

The stillness fills one's being with

A soothing inner peace.

Taking full advantage of

The still dark morning hours,

Hungry snails quietly

Feast on garden flowers.

Shhh! If you listen intently

Before the snails depart,

You will hear the soft and rhythmic

Beating of your heart.

-by Bob B (11-4-19)

Blessing the Beast

The president invited supporters

To visit him in the White House this week.

Such a display of hypocrisy!

A prayer orgy, so to speak.

With impeachment procedures occurring,

He's trying to bolster part of his base

By meeting with religious fanatics

To pander to them face to face.

Referring to so-called religious freedom,

He wants to remind them how much he's done

To help the country, and doesn't see how

He's screwing it up for everyone.

"Religious freedom" really means

A free rein to discriminate,

A way to deny equal rights,

Another way to perpetuate hate.

Watch them lay their hands on Trump

And pray. They don't care in the least

How it looks to the rest of the world.

Don't they know they're blessing the beast?

-by Bob B (11-1-19)