"I's"? Say What?

I HAVE to admit that I'm baffled when I

Hear English usage that's gone quite awry.

I CANNOT stop thinking that things are amiss

When I hear English that's spoken like this:

 

"Tina and I's corporation is strong."

How can the speaker not see that that's wrong?

"Me and Tina's" before "corporation"

Likewise should bring about mortification.

 

"My" is possessive for "I," we should note.

In grade school we all should have learned that by rote.

And since the word "my" cannot stand alone,

It must precede something that we have or own.

 

"Tina's and MY corporation…" Now THAT

Is hitting a homer when you are at bat!

"Tina's and my…" placed in front of whatever

Does NOT make you sound high-and-mighty or clever,

 

It's merely the way to express what you mean

With no trepidation of sounding thirteen.

Of course, if you want, you can always say "I's,"

But frankly that's something I wouldn't advise.

-by Bob B (6-21-24)

Remembering Dad

My dad could be a character.

He often loved to get your goat,

But in a fun or teasing manner

And always keeping his wit afloat.

 

Very well read and articulate,

He used his humor to be quite punny.

However, when he teased my mom,

She didn't often find him funny.

 

He could be loquacious with his

Gargantuan vocabulary.

Since he could talk about anything,

The topics, of course, would always vary.

 

He possessed the enviable

Ability to think on his feet.

To hear him talk at events to me

Was an unforgettable treat.

 

My mom would listen attentively,

But after a while her ire would spike.

I could hear her softly mumbling,

"Dammit, Warne, put down the mic!"

 

The use of the word "dammit" here

I have to admit is rather tame,

For both of my folks could string together

Words that would put a sailor to shame.

 

No offense to sailors here,

But certainly you know what I mean.

After we left our family

Gatherings there'd be a scene.

 

"Stop talking politics

At family parties!" Mom would shout.

"And stay away from religion," she'd add.

Of course, I've left the cuss words out.

 

But Dad was truly a loving man--

Warm, affectionate, and kind.

His liberal outlook on life taught me

To open both my heart and mind.

 

Twenty-six years ago he died,

And yet so much of him survives:

The love that he had for his family

And the way that he touched so many lives.

-by Bob B (6-16-24)

How Many?

Recently, Israelis rescued

Four hostages. People are thrilled.

But during the rescue, how many innocent

Palestinian civilians were killed?

 

The attack by Hamas on October 7

Was indeed an abomination,

And when a life is saved, that

Should be a cause for celebration.

 

But let's not lose sight of the huge loss

Of innocent lives since all this started.

It's hard to see what's happening

In Gaza and not feel broken-hearted.

 

What a shame that so many people

Are caught in between two warring factions

And suffer because of Hamas's attacks

And Netanyahu's revengeful reactions.

 

Reports vary as to how many

Civilians have died, but numbers are high--

More civilians than combatants,

But numbers are hard to verify.°

 

We must put pressure on BOTH sides

In order to make these numbers drop.

They have to put an end to this conflict.

All this killing has got to stop!

-by Bob B (6-12-24)

°The U.N. estimates more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza and more than 1,200 people in Israel have died in the war.

Wishing

People often say what they wish,

And when they do, it's always nice

When speakers of English express themselves

In language that is clear and precise.

 

Presently, if you're somewhere else,

And I would rather have you near,

And if I were speaking with you on the phone,

I'd say, "I really wish you were here."

 

If, however, I speak of the past,

And my disappointment I wish to convey

Because you couldn't be where I was,

"I wish you had been there" is what I would say.

 

For "wish" situations, if present, think past:

"I wish I knew the method right now."

Here I am saying that if I were able

To demonstrate something, I'd show you how.

 

For past situations, think past perfect:

"I wish I had known the secret back then."

Whatever the secret was, this means

That I didn't know it way back when.

 

"I wish she were able to join us today."

"We wish we had a million bucks."

"I wish you had been at the game with us."

"He wishes he hadn't said, 'That sucks!'"

 

When "wish" expressions are used with care

And modeled for others to hear and read,

We say exactly what we mean,

And that is marvelous indeed!

-by Bob B (6-11-24)

Here on American Soil!

It happened here in America:

If over our history books one pores,

He or she will find that Nazi

Sympathizers were on our shores.

 

Back in the 1930s and 40s,

While Naziism was on the rise

In Europe, there were Americans

Who eagerly bought into Hitler's lies.

 

Henry Ford was one who had

Ideas we would call extreme.

He often spoke of the "Jewish threat"

And sympathized with the Nazi regime.

 

Charles Lindbergh also expressed

Racist beliefs. He was a critic

Of entering into a war against Hitler

And held views that were anti-Semitic.

 

Charles Coughlin,° a Catholic priest,

Spoke out loudly against the Jews.

Using radio waves, he reached

Millions with his pro-fascist views.

 

Philip Johnson°° was linked to Coughlin.

Fascist ideas were right up his alley.

He wrote anti-Semitic pieces

And went to many a Nazi rally.

 

Even Walt Disney attended some

Pro-Nazi meetings before the war

And gave a tour of his studio to

A Nazi director. Hmmm. What for?

 

The Nazi propaganda machine

Spread its misinformation here,

And law enforcement agencies

Were reluctant to interfere.

 

One goal was to keep the U.S.

Out of the war, for Hitler knew

That if America entered the war,

He'd likely lose World War II.

 

The other goal: to cause the people

To bathe in their anger, so to speak,

To turn the people against one another

In order to make the country look weak.

 

Now that we have the Internet,

Propaganda can spread even faster.

And when it comes to creating chaos,

We know that Vladimir Putin's a master.

 

What should we do? Become informed,

Keep our eyes open, and stay alert.

Letting propaganda destroy us

Is a disaster we MUST avert.

-by Bob B (6-8-24)

 

°He was known as "the radio priest" and was a mass media demagogue.

°°An architect and active supporter of Hitler's Third Reich and even as of 1964 said Hitler was "better than Roosevelt."

What Is This World Coming to?

What is this world coming to?

Sometimes I can't believe my ears.

When it comes to ludicrousness,

We are encountering new frontiers.

 

Mike Johnson° has told us that

Republicans value the rule of law.

However, for a very strange reason,

Their grasp of it has a major flaw:

 

The rule of law is important to them

When they can use it on others, you see.

But if the law is directed at them,

They want complete immunity.

 

Johnson has placed two House members,

Ronny Jackson°° and Scott Perry,°°°

On the Intelligence Committee.

Now try to tell me THAT'S not scary.

 

Demoted from admiral to captain,

Jackson has proved to be a skunk:

One, for mistreating his staff members,

And two, for treating patients while drunk.

 

Perry's appointment is more bizarre,

For he had had a strong connection

With plots to ignore election results

And with the Capitol insurrection.

 

That Johnson has placed these two men

On the committee has to defy

Reason, for now they will be

Overseeing the FBI!

 

A Black House member, Byron Donalds,°°°°

With his MAGA fiction in tow,

Said that Blacks were much better off

During the Jim Crow era! Whoa!

 

And one more thing: Trump says since

He's been accused of "alleged" crimes,

Because he's a victim, Blacks love him,

For they have suffered through difficult times.

 

My goodness! What is going on?

With all this crazy nonsense transpiring,

It appears that in these Republicans,

Synapses in their brains are misfiring.

 

-by Bob B (6-7-24)

 

°Current Speaker of the House

°°Republican representative from Texas

°°°Republican representative from Pennsylvania

°°°°Republican representative from Florida

Poem 1400

This is my fourteen-hundredth poem

Published on my blog so far.

My inspirations are almost endless--

Sort of like an open bar.

 

I'm going to quote myself this time

By using almost to the letter

Lines that come from my twelve-hundredth poem.

It's hard to say it any better:

 

I've "published" my poems on various sites,

Which, as I said, include my blog.

"For me, my poetry collection

Is almost like a travelogue--

 

"A mental travelogue depicting

My thoughts traveling to and fro."

I'm never certain where my thoughts

Will take me. "I just go with the flow.

 

"Today might be a little visit

To a place called 'Hypocrisy-land.'

There you'll find politicians

Who have gotten out of hand.

 

"Tomorrow might take me to a place

Where I spend a lot of time--

A place where animals can talk

And anecdotes are put to rhyme.

 

"To outer space my mind might travel;

Or out to explore nature's wonders.

Perhaps I'll take a nostalgic trip

Or write about people's triumphs or blunders."

 

Climate change, current events,

"Unknown figures, people of fame,

Likable folks, and miscreants, too,"--

All these topics become fair game.

 

Religion is not off-limits, for I

Detest religious hypocrisy,

The ways religion is misused,

And the dangers of a theocracy.

 

Sometimes I'll write a poem that could

Be sung to a melody of my own;

Or maybe I'll write a poem that could

Be sung to a song that is well known.

 

"Eschewing ambiguity

Or language rich in metaphor,

I find that a simple, conversational,

Straightforward style suits me more.

 

"To many poets, poems that rhyme

Are--according to them--passé.

Although it has its limitations,

Rhyming for me is here to stay."

 

The quoted lines are what I wrote

In December 2021.

Writing continues to be a challenge

That's stimulating, exciting, and fun.

 

So when it comes to poetry,

I don't want to be myopic.

I maintain that anything

Imaginable can be a topic.

-by Bob B (6-5-24)