Living

Having survived a heart attack,

I find that I am now inclined

To always have a piercing question

That surfaces from the depths of my mind:

 

Could it--will it--happen again?

The question is a normal one

After such an experience,

Which definitely was NOT very fun.

 

When you had no warning signs,

It makes you even more uncertain.

If life's a stage, will Death decide

To stop the play and close the curtain?

 

Uncertainty is a part of life.

That's just the way it is, and so,

Instead of trying to fight it, I guess,

It's better to merely go with the flow.

 

In the meantime, what should I do?

Eat healthy foods, exercise,

Take my meds, avoid too much salt

And sugar and stress, and try to be wise.

 

Appreciating all that life

Has to offer before life ends,

I hope to share this appreciation

With family and all my friends.

 

Time waits for no one, they say.

It passes by us lickety-split.

Living is a special gift,

So make the optimal use of it.

-by Bob B (6-26-23)

The D.T. Playbook: Chapter 10 (Classified Docs)

D.T.

 

If you have some classified docs,

Whatever you do, don't ignore them.

Put them in your bathroom, for it's

The perfect place for you to store them.

 

Therefore, when your guests come to visit,

They'll be fully guaranteed

To have--while they are on the pot--

Something interesting to read.

 

And if the toilet paper dispenser

Is empty, and they are in a rut,

They can always use the docs

To…well, you know…to wipe their butt.

 

It gives me such a feeling of power

Just to know the docs are there.

If you fear that you'll run out

Of reading material, don't despair.

 

I have box after box after box.

That should keep you occupied

For many hours. Top secret?

Bah! I've got nothing to hide.

 

There's one that I've been looking for--

The one that has the nuclear codes.

If you find it, let me have it,

Or I'll have one of my episodes.

 

I maintain that presidents--

Current or former--can do what they want.

Thumbing my nose at everyone else:

That is something I like to flaunt.

 

Now that I have been indicted,

Up my sleeve I have an ace.

I'm sure that a judge that I appointed

Is going to help me win my case.

-by Bob B (6-24-23)

Not I or Not Me?

When reading this poem, I hope you can see

When we should use "Not I" or "Not me."

The context determines what should be said.

I hope I don't have you scratching your head.

 

If somebody asks, "Who's a good dancer?"

Please do not let "Not me" be your answer.

If you are NOT, then you should reply,

"I'm not," or simply respond with "Not I."

 

However, if somebody asks, "Last week,

Who(m) did Marisol kiss on the cheek?"

IF "She didn't kiss me" is how

You'd answer, "Not me" is sufficient right now.

 

"Who wants this book?" "Not I" you'd say

If you do not want the book today.

"Who(m) did Mario call a jerk?"

He DIDN'T dis YOU? "Not me" then would work.

 

Didn't you learn "Not I" as I did

When being read to as a young kid?

"Who'll help?" asks the little red hen with a cluck.

"Not I," say the dog, the cat, and the duck.

 

As you can see, it all depends

On what one means--on what one intends.

Whichever expression you use will suffice,

But one's always clearer and much more precise.

-by Bob B (6-20-23)

There Is or There Are?

Some folks could take a whole seminar

On whether to use "there is" or "there are."

It's really not hard. That being said,

The basic requirement is thinking ahead.

 

"There is" and "there are" start a sentence.* Okay?

The subject will follow. The verb must obey.

IF you begin with "there is" as a start,

A singular subject must then play its part.

 

"THERE'S not a lot of money to spare,"

But "THERE ARE a lot of people who care."

"THERE IS a problem when traffic has slowed,"

But "THERE ARE too many big trucks on the road."

 

"There is a fly in my soup," you will hear.

"Is" is correct. That should be clear.

But "There are a lot of cracks in the curb."

"Are" here, you see, is the right plural verb.

 

With multiple subjects some people get thrown.

If YOU find it tricky, then you're not alone.

"There are a woman, a man, and a dog

Crossing the street in the cool morning fog."

 

But, frankly, I'd say, even better yet,

Remove the "there are," and here's what you'll get:

"A woman, a man, and a dog" (short and sweet,

And right to the point) "are crossing the street…."

 

"There were drums in the song that we played."

Saying "there was" would be wrong, I'm afraid.

From this example, of course, you can tell

That the rule works with the past tense as well.

 

"There are two dishes that really stand out,"

"There are a lot of ways to cook trout."

Merely by thinking ahead when you speak,

You can perfect your verbal technique.

-by Bob B (6-18-23)

*Although "there is” and “there are” often start a sentence, they don't have to. Other words, phrases, and clauses can precede them.

Horror

Looking around, I watch with growing

Horror, sadness, and utter dismay

As many states start looking more

Like Nazi Germany every day.

 

Laws to penalize doctors for trying

To help others are spreading fear

And horrible insecurities

Among the health professionals here.

 

Laws pitting people against

One another are being made.

Groups are being targeted

As scapegoats in what is a vicious crusade.

 

Library books are being banned

Because of people's misguided views.

Laws are being made to prevent

People from having the right to choose.

 

We also have our "brown shirts"--

Mobs of thugs who terrorize

Others whom--for bigoted reasons--

The cruel, extremist thugs despise.

 

SOME states want to give their doctors

The right to refuse treatment to those

Whose sexual orientation those very

Doctors for asinine reasons oppose.

 

Autocrats in other countries

By many people are honored and praised,

And when the autocrats stomp on rights,

The autocrat-lovers aren't even fazed.

 

States are changing history with

Revisionist texts that alter the truth,

Using a silly, outlandish excuse

That doing so protects our youth.

 

ALL we need now is an autocrat

Wannabe like Trump in power,

And what we know as democracy

Will sadly see its final hour.

-by Bob B (6-16-23)

Indictments, Arraignments, and All

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring" from THE MIKADO by Gilbert and Sullivan.)

 

Indictments, arraignments, and all--

Tra la--

Will make Trump accountable now.

And of course we know HE has the gall--

Tra la--

To make someone else take the fall--

Tra la--

Who knows what he will avow?

Who knows what he will avow?

It seems that whatever he does casts a pall

On all of us, and we hate being in his thrall.

Tra la la la la,

Tra la la la la…

We hate to be in the man's thrall.

 

Tra la la la la…

Tra la la la la…

Tra la la la la la la.

 

Indictments, arraignments, and all--

Tra la--

Are giving us reason to hope.

What Trump does with docs in his haul--

Tra la--

Is actually not his call--

Tra la--

And we're ALL at the end of our rope.

Yes, we're ALL at the end of our rope.

Since Trump and his legal team know how to stall,

To get him convicted, the order is tall.

Tra la la la la,

Tra la la la la…

The task is not going to be small.

 

Tra la la la la…

Tra la la la la…

Tra la la la la la la.

-by Bob B (6-14-23)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPmBrgWpRLc&t=10s

Indicted Again!

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Back in the Saddle Again" by Gene Autry and Ray Whitley.)

 

So Trump's been indicted again.

Let's give a shout out: Amen!

Well, he thought he was immune,

And it happened none too soon.

Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

 

He'll now look for someone to blame.

To him it is all just a game.

A classified doc to him

Should be dealt with on a whim.

Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

 

Oh, the rule of law

Sticks in Donald's craw.

Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

If he's guilty, he

Should not go free.

Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

 

Oh, when will the guy ever learn?

Do bad, and bad will return.

He'll try to fire up his base,

But it WON'T help out his case.

Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

 

And who's going to stand by his side?

His lying will not save his hide.

His arguments are hollow.

More trials will surely follow.

Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

 

Oh, the rule of law

Sticks in Donald's craw.

Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

If he's guilty, he

Should not go free.

Yes, Trump's been indicted again.

-by Bob B (6-10-23)