And the Winner Is...

The race continues--a race that's been

On the track for a number of years

To see who can be the most obnoxious

And earn the loudest misapplied cheers.

 

For the longest time we've seen

Donald Trump taking the lead,

But Ron DeSantis° and George Santos°°

Without a doubt are picking up speed.

 

Who can tell more lies than the others,

Pour more salt in the nation's sores,

Support the most exclusive laws,

Or perpetrate more culture wars?

 

Being on the right side

Of history should be a goal.

Each of the three men mentioned above

Sadly, though, has sold his soul.

 

Other runners aren't far behind.

They are almost as loathsome, as loud.

None of the racers realize

That winning this race should not make them proud.

 

For the moment, DeSantis and Santos

Are trailing Trump, but by and by,

Will one of the them pull ahead and win,

Or will it be a three-way tie?

-by Bob B (1-20-23)

°Governor of Florida

°°U.S. representative for New York's 3rd congressional district

Religious Abuse

It’s fine to be religious,

But let’s be realistic.

When folks misuse religion,

It makes me go ballistic--

 

Especially when they assert

That God uses forms

Of punishment, such as

Earthquakes, floods, and storms

 

To make transgressors pay

For "evil" things they've done.

They must get under His sin.

(How's that for a pun?)

 

But in all seriousness,

Nature acts alone--

Without divine interference--

And has a "mind" of its own.

 

Nature doesn't distinguish

Between the sinful and pious.

Humans are the ones

Who have a definite bias,

 

Such as cherry pickers

Who like to concentrate

On finding quotes in scriptures

To justify their hate.

 

Moral judgments are NOT

One of Nature's features.

Frankly, that is more

The realm of certain preachers.

 

Many people believe

In God and sin, and yet

They don't tend to use

Religion as a threat.

 

Whatever your beliefs,

Put them to proper use.

Don't cave in to nonsense,

For that's religious abuse.

-by Bob B (1-16-23)

Second Anniversary

This is January 6.

Just two years ago today

Mobs of insurrectionists

Made an ugly, brutal display:

 

They stormed the U.S. Capitol

All because of a president's lie--

An EX-president now, that is,

Who hasn't stopped his attempts to deny

 

Election results from 2020.

Oh, and his supporters still

Travel south to kiss his ring,

Sing his praises, and bend to his will.

 

He doesn't care whose life he threatens

When making scathing, untruthful remarks.

He doesn't care what kind of damage

One of his dangerous comments sparks.

 

So how far have we come since then--

Since the day of the insurrection?

There has been an investigation,

And there has been a midterm election.

 

Still too many election deniers

Have seats in Congress and fan the flames

Of discontent, by pushing falsehoods

And making truly obnoxious claims.

 

The main culprit lives in his mansion,

Entertaining extremists and kooks

And thinking that he is above the law.

His foes still get his constant rebukes.

 

People have come forth to speak.

Folks have been convicted of crimes.

Democracy, when under attack,

Must strive to survive such scary times.

 

Praise to those who have spoken out,

Undaunted by threats, unafraid.

When ALL have been held accountable,

Then REAL progress will have been made.

-by Bob B (1-6-23)

My Memories Give Me a Great Deal of Comfort

My memories give me a great deal of comfort,

And every single one of them mends

My heart, which suffers from the loss

Of family, relatives, and friends.

 

Ah, those glorious days we spent

Together as we journeyed through life,

Sharing love, laughter, and cheer,

And sometimes struggles through storm and strife.

 

Lifetimes have varied--some were cut short

Long before we'd ever expected.

They are considered short stories

Among life's stories that we've collected.

 

Others have been more fortunate.

Their lives are Russian novels, I'd say.

They lived through multiple generations--

Their skin grew wrinkled; their hair turned gray.

 

Some folks plan to reunite

With loved ones for all eternity.

Others are more inclined to believe

The idea: whatever will be, will be.

 

Of course, we'd rather have the departed

With us, and in a way they are.

The light of their being shines on us

As does the light of a distant star.

 

Therefore, take comfort in memories--

A gentle balm that after a while

Will ease your anguish, lessen your pain,

Dry your tears, and make you smile.

-by Bob B (1-4-23)

New Year's Resolutions

I think a lot of progress could be made

If certain people were not so afraid

To come up with what COULD be a solution

And say it is a New Year's resolution.

 

The January 6 investigation

Explored how mobs of misfits shook this nation.

Trump's indictment for his contribution

Should be someone's New Year's resolution.

 

Politicians when they're making laws

Have donors who give money for a cause.

That's equivalent to prostitution.

Make fixing that a New Year's resolution.

 

House Republicans are out to get

Anyone whom they see as a threat.

When THEY'RE in charge, they threaten prosecution.

Vote them out: a New Year's resolution!

 

Some states make it hard for us to vote.

To stop that we must find an antidote.

Such a task will not be Lilliputian.

But that could make a New Year's resolution.

 

Climate change is getting worse each day.

If we don't act, we're going to have to pay.

We should want to see its diminution.

Let's make that a New Year's resolution.

 

So think of all the things that we could do

To make conditions great for me and you.

It all boils down to finding good solutions

And making them our New Year's resolutions.

-by Bob B (12-31-22)