When I Kick the Bucket

When I kick the bucket and if you see my family,

Please don’t be tempted to say,

“It was quick; he didn’t suffer long”

Or “Be happy that he’s no longer in pain”

Or “He’s now in Heaven or in the Pure Land”

Or “He lived a good life.”

Just hug them and say,

“I’m sorry” (if you are)

Or “I acknowledge your grief” (if you do)

Or “We will all miss him” (if you will)

Or “I’m surprised the SOB lived as long as he did” (if that’s how you feel).

No, maybe you won’t want to say that--not if you are talking to my family at least.

Then smile

And reflect….

Reflect on the fleeting nature of life,

On what it takes to live life fully,

On the inexplicable mysteries of life,

On the persevering and miraculous aspects of Nature,

And on the amazing interconnectedness of all things.

Grieve if you must,

But not for too long a period.

Don’t let it cause you to miss a game

Or a party

Or a dinner

Or a show.

Just continue being the special person you are,

And live!

Live!

Live!

Live!

-by Bob B (6-26-22)

Astonished

So God, the Supreme Being, Creator--

Whatever you want to call Him--sat

And looked down upon the planet

That was the Earthlings' habitat.

 

"My, oh, my!" He said to himself.

"What I've done is truly insane:

I gave people a way to think,

But some aren't able use their brain.

 

"Terminating pregnancies

Isn't an issue that's black or white.

But I gave people the means to do it;

Each must decide to do what's right.

"I gave people excellent doctors,

Safe methods, facilities,

And people who offer expert advice

In keeping with their abilities.

 

"What I can see occurring right now

Is SOME want to choose what's "right" for OTHERS.

Whether to carry a child to term

Should be entirely up to the mothers.

 

"My God--oops, I said it again--

It really frustrates me when I find

That people down there claim to know

What is happening in my mind.

 

"This is my goal for everybody:

It's incumbent on you to look

Inside your heart and do not base

All your decisions on any one book.

 

"Extremist ideologies!

They are disgusting to me, and yet

People love to involve me in them.

We need a sit-down--a tête-à-tête.

 

"But right now I have other problems.

I've been watching two nations collide.

Ridiculously, each of the countries

Thinks that I am on its side."

-by Bob B (6-25-22)

Here to Stay

It really seems that COVID's here to stay.

A virus isn’t easy to contain.

Vaccinations help keep it at bay,

But battles with its variants remain.

 

Trying to avoid it is a chore,

But certainly it's worth it in the end.

Sometimes it's a daily tug-o-war:

Reminding folks that COVID's not their friend.

 

People act as though it's disappeared,

And many folks have thus let down their guard.

What they're doing is that which should be feared:

Believing what is plainly a canard.

 

Because of strict precautions, lives were saved.

But there were far too many that were lost.

Unfortunately, many people caved,

And when we do, we do so at great cost.

 

For countless reasons we are who we are.

I still wonder what makes people tick

When they cavalierly choose to spar

With those who try to keep them from being sick.

 

So COVID's here to stay for now at least.

How much longer? Well, that's hard to tell.

Don't give up the fight till it has ceased

To threaten you and other folks as well.

-by Bob B (6-18-22)

Lucky to Be Alive

Uvalde, Texas. Miah Cerrillo,

A child only eleven years old,

Will never forget a day in May

As she watched a horrible scene unfold.

 

She was in class when a shooter entered

And massacred kids before her eyes.

The weapon that he used was the type

That spews bullets that pulverize.

 

To save herself, Miah thought fast.

To trick the killer, she tried to pretend

That she was dead, and that she did

By smearing herself with the blood of a friend.

 

Perhaps her decision saved her life.

She is lucky to still be alive.

But nineteen other children and two

Teachers sadly didn't survive.

 

What are lawmakers going to do?

Will they be among the ones

Who truly believe deep down in their hearts

That kids are more important than guns?

-by Bob B (6-10-22)

Technology!

Technology is a blessing at times,

And yet it's also a curse.

Hackers and scammers glom onto it with

A glee that's sick and perverse.

 

You always have to take precautions

And be on your guard in case

A demon is out there lurking behind

A corner in cyberspace.

 

That's a hassle, or course, but frankly,

It's also a hassle when

Programs and apps keep being updated

Over and over again!

 

I just get used to how one works,

Which takes me a while to do,

When all of a sudden an update occurs,

And I have to start anew.

 

Sometimes the features I used to like

On both my computer and phone

No longer exist. Why can't they leave

Well enough alone?

 

I'm not a Luddite, by any means,

And change one can't dismiss;

But, app designers, please have pity;

I'm getting too old for this!

-by Bob B (6-7-22)

Truth or Rumor?

Stories abound that Putin is ill.

The Kremlin, of course, denies it.

You could go over and check for yourself,

But, frankly, I wouldn't advise it.

 

You could find yourself sitting in prison

Or even be poisoned like some

Who spoke the truth about Putin, who wants

To keep you under his thumb.

 

Consider all the people who've died

Because of his current war.

The pain and suffering that he has caused

Are truly hard to ignore.

 

Could it be cancer that's spread through his body?

Perhaps a malignant tumor?

I'm sure there are many folks in the world

Who hope it's not merely a rumor.

-by Bob B (6-1-22)