Greenland

DJT:

I want to buy Greenland.

Hey, this is fun!

I will turn the island into

State fifty-one.

They say ice is melting.

Bah! That’s okay.

When you mine and drill on the land,

Ice gets in the way.

I am going to buy Greenland.

You just wait and see.

I dare anybody

To say "NO!" to me.

I can’t wait to get my

Hands on all that gold,

Oil, copper, lead, and zinc.

I WON’T be undersold.

I plan to buy Greenland

With all its wolves and seals

And polar bears and penguins.

I’m so good at deals.

Polar bears will make terrific

Rugs. I don't care!
What? You say there are no penguins?

I will bring some there.

So I want to buy Greenland.

Is THAT unorthodox?

It should be so easy;

You know money talks.

Tell me: how could there be

Objections to my plan?

The whole world loves me;

I’m their favorite man.

I am buying Greenland.

I'm sure you've heard reports.

I'll construct my tower AND

I'll build some big resorts.

Greenlanders will love being

Part of my domain.

If anybody loses here,
Their loss will be my gain.

I can’t wait to buy Greenland.

This is not a ruse.

I’ll give them an offer—

One they can’t refuse.

If the Danes say "No," I'll

Do what I've done before:

I'll just have to start another

Blasted tariff war.

I want to buy Greenland,

Greenland,

Greenland….

-by Bob (8-24-19)

The Chosen One

He says he is the "chosen one."

Could the man be more deluded?

That he's totally lost his marbles

Could easily be concluded.

Listening to his rants can drive

The conscientious person insane.

How much more nonsense does he

Harbor in his addled brain?

To save us from what? That's the question

One must ask. One thing's clear:

His strategies divide the country,

Causing hatred, doubt, and fear.

Keeping track of all his lies

Is a monumental task.

Could he be more unfit for the office

Of president? one must ask.

He couldn't care less whether

His policies are in error

Or if he mistreats immigrants

During his odious reign of terror.

Our history of cruelty

From slavery to internment camps

Has haunted us for years, but Trump

Is gleefully upping the amps.

Was he "chosen" to help the wealthy,

Damage the economy, take away rights,

Inflict deep pain, hurt the environment,

And pander to evangelical whites?

If he was chosen to do all of that,

He has been doing an excellent job.

Just to know how much chaos he's wreaked

Certainly makes his cruel heart throb.

So if he must be chosen for something,

If only he forevermore

Could soon be the one CHOSEN

To EXIT through the White House door!

-by Bob B (8-22-19)

Wow! 70!

It's hard to believe it, but now it's official.

I've reached an important milestone today:

I am now a septuagenarian.

I can't help saying, "Hip hip hooray!"

It's not that being this old is so great,

But what I mean--and that's no jive--

Is how it beats the alternative.

Although I'm older, I'm still alive!

Alive and well; so far, so good.

I'm not ready to take my last bow,

Kick the bucket, or give up the ghost.

What is important? To live in the now.

Many friends and relatives didn't

Make it this far, which is sad.

Our times together make up some of

The fondest memories that I've had.

Life with all its exigencies

Can at times be overly demanding.

But knowing that life is impermanent

Is vital to our understanding.

Our bodies are like a river or stream--

Constantly flowing, constantly changing.

And, yes, when we advance in years,

We often need some rearranging.

Sixty was nice, but frankly the word

"Seventy" gently rolls off the tongue.

There are languages still to be learned,

Books to be read, songs to be sung.

I've been lucky all these years.

No, I really can't complain.

I'm ready to make a toast to life,

So pop the cork and pour the champagne!

-by Bob B (8-15-49)

Weep, America

Six-year-old Stephen Romero,

An energetic, vibrant boy,

Was full of curiosity,

Gregariousness, life, and joy.

On Sunday morning, young Stephen

And mom were both unaware

Of what was going to happen to them

During their Sunday trip to the fair.

Keyla Salazar was called

"La luchadora"° by her dad.

The thirteen-year-old's smile was one

Of the greatest treasures her father had.

On Sunday morning, Keyla, too,

Was totally unaware

Of what she was going to encounter

During her fateful trip to the fair.

Trevor Irby, twenty-five,

Was getting ready to propose

To someone very special to him.

At least so the story goes.

On Sunday, Trevor, along with a friend,

Decided to spend a day at the fair.

Surely, they had no idea

What they were going to encounter there.

Nineteen-year-old Santino Legan,

For reasons hard to understand,

Went to the Gilroy Garlic Festival

On Sunday with his gun in hand.

There he took the lives of Stephen,

Keyla, and Trevor. More blood was shed:

Thirteen other people were injured

Before the police shot him dead.

Weep, America; weep for our youth,

Killed by messengers of hate

Because we cannot draw the line

At how much we can tolerate.

Weep, America; weep again

That access to weapons goes unchecked.

Weep for murdered ones whose lives

Our lawmakers are supposed to protect.

Weep for all of us, for we

Cannot feel safe anywhere:

At school, at work, at stores, at concerts,

At places of worship, or at a fair.

-by Bob B (8-1-19)

°the fighter

Francisco

Meet Francisco, an 18-year-old,

Born right here in the good ol' U.S.

Police held him in custody

For twenty-six days nevertheless.

Detention centers are certainly not

Five-star hotels in any form.

Frigid and crowded cages or rooms

And inhumane treatment are more the norm.

Francisco had his social security

Card and ID in order to prove

That he was really a U.S. citizen.

Border police still made their move.

Although someone spends many years

Elsewhere, our legal apparatus

Has to know that doing that

Doesn't change one's citizenship status.

They claimed that Francisco's identification

Information all was fake.

Of course, they have to find excuses

To cover up their big mistake.

Such "mistakes" are fairly common

When we have a president who

Says that what is true is false;

What is false, he claims is true.

Most people see through his dangerous lies,

But there are many who want to believe

Every word he says that offers

Support to ideas to which they cleave.

Stop atrocities at our border!

Stop treating people in ways

That NO human being should be treated!

Stop the processing delays!

Stop family separation

And caging asylum seekers as well,

As though to get even with them,

Their lives are made a living hell!

How many more "Franciscos" are there

Who don't even make the news?

Whom will the president now attack?

Who is next on his list to abuse?

-by Bob B (7-28-19)

Moscow Mitch

They say in Washington, D.C.

That few are hated as much as he.

Of course, that all depends on whom you ask.

If you ask him, he contends

He's not there to make more friends.

Pushing his agenda is his task.

Yep, the man has found his niche--

The man known as Moscow Mitch.

His biggest friend in D.C. now

Is Donald Trump. Notice how

The two men are connected at the hip.

They will sacrifice--insane!--

Democracy for political gain

With their vile, disgusting partnership.

Yep, the man has found his niche--

The man known as Moscow Mitch.

He truly doesn't dignify

The Senate, where bills go to die.

He prefers to make up his own rules.

Obviously, Mitch's goal

Is only to maintain control

And stack the federal courts with far-right fools.

Yep, the man has found his niche--

The man known as Moscow Mitch.

We know that Russians interfered

In our elections, but what's weird

Is Mitch McConnell doesn't seem to care.

Since Russians helped Trump win before,

He could use their help once more.

Without their help he wouldn't have a prayer.

Yep, the man has found his niche--

The man known as Moscow Mitch.

Just look at his expressionless mug.

(People say he resembles a slug--

A slug with an empty, vapid frown.)

If people really knew what's good,

And if they cared at all they would

Find a candidate to bring him down.

Yep, the man who found his niche--

The man known as Moscow Mitch.

-by Bob B (7-27-19)

The Lorelei

She sits on the cliff high above us

And combs her soft flaxen hair.

Too many heed not the warnings

That urge us all to beware.

Her golden demeanor’s bewitching,

Her true intentions disguised.

Her radiance dazzles the viewer.

Onlookers stare, mesmerized.

Mellifluous sounds fill the canyons

And fill the heart with desire.

The Lorelei leaves you defenseless;

Nothing can put out the fire.

Vigilance dissipates quickly.

The sailor far too late learns

That carelessness leads to disaster.

The river has dangerous turns.

Sailors, beware of distractions.

Watch out for dangers that loom.

Don't be beguiled by enticements

That beckon you to your doom.

-by Bob B (7-26-19)

A Dream Come True

I dreamed the day finally arrived

When ALL people realized

And understood why Donald Trump

Deserved to be so despised.

People everywhere saw through

His empty words, his lies, his act,

His bigoted, odious promises,

His thought process so inexact.

No one acknowledged his asinine tweets,

Or listened to his divisive rants.

No one went to his vacuous rallies

And started shouting racist chants.

No one let him- or herself

Be duped by the man's endless stream

Of worthless gibberish and hateful talk

That once made non-supporters scream.

Our country had respect again

From countries worthy of respect.

Foreign relations were also mended

After having suffered neglect.

No longer did we admire

Autocrats and dictators.

We looked up to our allies and praised

Diplomatic negotiators.

The voices of white supremacy

Were drowned by voices of love and inclusion.

Voting rights would be protected.

That became a foregone conclusion.

Russia and other countries couldn't

Interfere with our elections.

All people living in

The U.S. had equal protections.

Religious freedom meant that people

Could practice beliefs across the nation

And NOT use religion as

A handy excuse for discrimination.

Clean air and clean water

Became a focus, AND what's more,

Climate change wasn't considered

A silly hoax that we should ignore.

Children were not separated

From parents at our border gate.

People weren't dehumanized

And made to feel second rate.

The taxation system was fair

And benefited not only the wealthy.

Everyone had health insurance

With emphasis on being healthy.

To presidential abuse of power

Legislators said farewell.

And egomaniacal Donald Trump

Languished in a prison cell.

What a dream--what a vision--

Where joyous hopes began anew!

If only it could come to fruition!

It would be a dream come true.

-by Bob B (7-19-19)

Sofi's Choice

Down on our southern border a family

Has found itself in a scary position.

Three kids have a decision to make--

The youngest with a heart condition:

Will they stay here with their mom

While she pleads their asylum case

Or leave the country with Dad? What

A horrible choice for a kid to face!

The youngest--Sofi--just three-years old--

Clutched onto her mother but had

A crying fit when the agents

Separated them from their dad.

Forced to leave Honduras because

Of death threats, the family came

Here seeking asylum and got

Caught up in a political game.

Apparently, certain border agents

And heartless lawmakers entertain

The notion that it's quite all right

To be cruel and inhumane.

Family separation continues.

Wouldn't it be hard to rejoice

If YOU came here seeking refuge

And had to make Sofi's choice?

-by Bob B (7-18-19)

A Prime Example of a Modern Racist President

(This poem can be sung to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan's song "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.")

(Critic)

He is a prime example of a modern racist president.

What a shame he has to be the current White House resident.

He lacks so much in what it takes to truly be an honest man.

What is so amazing is how anyone can be a fan.

He knows how to maximize racial hatred. What a shame!

He wonders why he's criticized; he only has himself to blame.

Watch his motivations in the policies he puts in place.

To him race-baiting is the way to strongly galvanize his base.

(Chorus)

To him race-baiting is the way to strongly galvanize his base.

To him race-baiting is the way to strongly galvanize his base.

To him race-baiting is the way to strongly galvanize his base, his base!

(Critic)

He knows how to stir the pot, for racists all give him a nod.

He has many people fooled to think that he's a man of God.

What a shame he has to be the current White House resident,

For he's a prime example of a modern racist president.

(Chorus)

What a shame he has to be the current White House resident,

For he's a prime example of a modern racist president.

(Critic)

For many years he said Barack Obama wasn't born here. No!

His many racist words and actions date way back to long ago.

Now he's telling Congresswomen in a tweet and with a sneer

That they should go back home but it so happens that their home is here.

He never wants to criticize supporters' hateful, racist views.

Sadly, white supremacists are those from whom he gets his cues.

He doesn't think that putting kids in cages is insanity

Or realize his policies are crimes against humanity.

(Chorus)

Or realize his policies are crimes against humanity.

Or realize his policies are crimes against humanity.

Or realize his policies are crimes against human-humanity.

(Critic)

He knows to win elections all you have to do is lie and cheat.

He lashes out at other folks because he cannot take the heat.

What a shame he has to be the current White House resident,

For he's a prime example of a modern racist president.

(Chorus)

What a shame he has to be the current White House resident,

For he's a prime example of a modern racist president.

-by Bob B (7-16-19)

Hello Out There! Does Anybody Care?

The president says detention centers

Are in "good shape," despite the fact

That many asylum seekers spend

Days in cages, jam-packed.

Hello out there!

Does anybody care?

Pence visits the border and says

Everything's fine, which is INSANE.

He's says the treatment of people in cages

Is both compassionate AND humane!

Hello out there!

Does anybody care?

The president continues to

Defy congressional oversight.

Encouraging others to do it as well,

He thinks that what he's doing is right.

Hello out there!

Does anybody care?

When neo-Nazis are invited

To White House summits, it is clear

That things are totally out of control.

We have a real problem here.

Hello out there!

Does anybody care?

When men are accused of sexual assault,

The President does what he can

To castigate the accusers and say

The real victim is the man.

Hello out there!

Does anybody care?

When lies come out of the White House daily,

The truth becomes a jumbled mess.

When journalists try to sort things out,

The president demonizes the press.

Hello out there!

Does anybody care?

When we live our comfy lives,

Ignoring the pain that others face,

Our ignorance and lack of compassion

Don't fare well for the human race.

Hello out there!

Does anybody care?

-by Bob B (7-13-19)

Ana and Leonard Tied the Knot

(In honor of our dear friends Ana and Leonard, who were married in Germany on July 6. Congratulations to two lovely people!)

True love, people say,

Doesn't require a second thought.

Trippstadt has story to tell:

Ana and Leonard tied the knot!

Years in the making, such an event

Has been in the minds of many who've sought

To know what took the two so long.

Ana and Leonard tied the knot!

Now two lives have merged into one;

Their story has an amazing plot.

Cupid's arrow has struck again.

Ana and Leonard tied the knot!

Let the wine and champagne flow,

Though some will prefer a vodka shot.

They say it's a match made in heaven.

Ana and Leonard tied the knot!

When it came time to say "I do,"

They couldn't have been in a lovelier spot.

May their love inspire us all!

Ana and Leonard tied the knot!

Ah, when LOVE abounds, we know

A wealth of happiness will be our lot.

Raise a glass to the newlyweds!

Ana and Leonard tied the knot!

-by Bob B (7-7-19)

Murder in Pakistan

Maya Akbar° feared going home

To her hometown in Pakistan.

The person whom she feared was her father--

Obviously, an intolerant man.

Staying with friends in the town of Peshawar,

She didn't trust her family's pleas

For her to return to her parents' home.

Her friends deeply felt her unease.

Maya's father assured the police

That his daughter wouldn't be harmed.

The 19-year old transgender daughter

Nevertheless remained alarmed.

Reluctantly, she went home.

Hours later her friends' hearts sank:

Maya's bullet-ridden body

Was found beside a riverbank.

Police arrested Maya's father.

Her uncle and brothers are also being sought.

All over the world transgender people

Die because of the hatred that's taught.

Some call it an "honor killing."

Honor? No, it's murder, truly.

When ignorance fans the fires of hatred,

Many people suffer unduly.

Efforts are made all over to fight

Laws that are discriminatory.

Laws can change, but changing hardened

Hearts? That’s a different story.

-by Bob B (7-3-19)

°Formerly known as Aftab Aurangzeb, from Nowshera, Pakistan

Photo Op at the DMZ

(This poem can be sung to the tune of "Little Brown Jug.")

"Me and Kim Jong Un are friends;

Me and him, we made amends.

He rules with an iron fist--

Something that I can't resist.

(Chorus)

"Ha, ha, ha! Can’t you see?

We are making history.

Ha, ha, ha! Look at me!

I just crossed the DMZ!

"North Koreans live in fear.

Many often disappear.

Kim knows how to make 'em cower.

That is how he keeps his power.

(Chorus)

"Let's watch him as he revamps

His political prison camps.

Torture's carried out inside;

He says torture's justified.

(Chorus)

"Ultimate power goes to Kim.

He decides your fate at whim.

Sure, a few unlucky ones

Were killed by anti-aircraft guns.

(Chorus)

"When discussions reconvene,

Watch his propaganda machine.

Speaking up is not worthwhile.

Good chance you won't get a trial.

(Chorus)

"People here are thin, which means

They must eat a lot of greens.

Kim Jong Un is--I must state--

The only one who's overweight.

(Chorus)

"So he might have used starvation

To teach a lesson to his nation.

As long as they all give him praise,

They will live to see more days.

(Chorus)

"This is what he's demonstrated:

Human rights are overrated.

Still, I love to fantasize

That I'll get the Nobel Prize.

"Ha, ha, ha! Can’t you see?

We are making history.

Ha, ha, ha! Look at me!

I just crossed the DMZ!"

-by Bob B (7-1-19)

The Fate of John Billington

Some folks are descendants

Of Hamilton or Grant.

They can proudly boast,

While there are some who can't.

Well, I have the honor--

You will plainly see

That "honor" here is used

Quite sarcastically--

Of being a descendant

Of one with dubious fame.

In case you wonder, John

Billington was his name.

Ten years after his

Arrival in the year

1620, he

Was executed here.

Hey, Johnny!

Whaddya say?

Why’d you have to

Die that way?

You had to push

The envelope

To end up hanging

From a rope.

The Mayflower was

His means of transportation.

Fleeing debt, he hoped

To rise above his station.

His wife and two young sons

Joined him on the trip.

One mischievous son

Almost blew up the ship.

His son was thinking, "Hey,

This is loads of fun!"

While he played around

With his father's gun.

Stupidly, he put

The whole ship in peril

When he fired a shot

Near a gunpowder barrel.

John Billington was

Always in a jam.

About propriety

He didn't give a damn.

I guess he thought he was

A wise and clever chap.

But he should have known

When to shut his trap.

Hey, Johnny!

Whaddya say?

Why’d you have to

Die that way?

You had to push

The envelope

To end up hanging

From a rope.

A quarrel with a neighbor,

John Newcomen, led

John Billington to

Completely lose his head.

Billington shot Newcomen,

Who shortly thereafter died.

Two juries called it

An act of homicide.

There was no escaping

Punishment this time.

Billington was forced

To pay for his crime.

Fortunately, even

Though this story's grim,

I can proudly say

I don't take after him!

Hey, Johnny!

Whaddya say?

Why’d you have to

Die that way?

You had to push

The envelope

To end up hanging

From a rope.

Hanging from a rope!

-by Bob B (6-29-29)

Near the Bank of the Rio Grande

Oscar Martínez and Angie Valeria,

A father and daughter from El Salvador,

Came to our border seeking asylum.

Their voices will not be heard anymore

Turned away at the border the father,

Mother, and daughter left in despair.

Desperation makes us take risks

Whenever our future is up in the air.

The Rio Grande near Matamoros

Proved not to be the family's friend.

Swept away in the rushing current,

Father and daughter both met their end.

Farewell to Oscar and Angie Valeria.

Let's hope that their deaths will not be in vain.

Urgency should call us to action:

Our treatment of others should be more humane.

Helpless, the frantic mother stood watching,

Feeling the pain that life can deliver.

The bodies of her two loved ones were found

In the murky waters near the bank of the river.

Who's passing blame or pointing a finger?

Who's going to turn a blind eye to sorrow?

How many more asylum seekers

Will lose their lives today or tomorrow?

Farewell to Oscar and Angie Valeria.

Let's hope that their deaths will not be in vain.

Urgency should call us to action:

Our treatment of others should be more humane.

-by Bob B (6-27-19)

Welcome to America from the DHS

Greetings from us at Homeland Security.

We hope you had a pleasant journey.

But keep in mind there's no guarantee

That you won't exit on a gurney.

You should love our border camps,

Which are still progressing in stages.

We have “subdivided rooms.”

(We don't like to call them cages.)

We strive to stifle criticism.

Please ignore our critics' lore.

Doesn't everybody love

To camp out on a cold, hard floor?

We provide you with a blanket.

What? One is not enough?

Crowded rooms should keep you warm.

Exposure to germs will make you tough!

Lest you feel our detention centers

Are too uncomfortable or stark,

We leave the lights on for twenty-four hours

Daily in case you're afraid of the dark.

What? You say you need a doctor?

Come on, beggars can't be choosers.

Toothbrushes? Toothpaste? Soap?

Those are just for wimps or losers.

We all want your stay to be

Just as pleasant as we can make it.

True, some have died, but they’re

The weaker ones who cannot take it.

If your kids were taken away,

We don't mean to disrespect you,

But since only God knows where they are,

Then we'll let God reconnect you.

Locking kids in windowless

Warehouses in our recollection

Is a way to offer the kids

Security and protection.

If perhaps you’re seeking asylum,

One little thing might give you pause:

The president is working on

Ways to change asylum laws.

We know the whole idea of camps

Polarizes, or causes a schism.

In figuring out what to call them,

We prefer the euphemism.

So, enjoy your stay until

The powers that be decide your fate.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get a shower

During your long, protracted wait.

-by Bob B (6-24-19)