A Cornered Rat

Back a rat into a corner

And you will find without a doubt

That it becomes surprisingly vicious

As it angrily lashes out.

 

So if that is your plan of attack,

Heed the warning: be prepared!

Be sure you have the tools you need;

And, above all, don’t be scared.

 

The best thing to do would be

To stop the problems before they begin.

Be certain that your house is secure

So that no rats can find their way in.

 

Check the foundation; walk around

And fix whatever the structure lacks.

Don't let the vermin sneak inside

By making darn sure there aren't any cracks.

 

You can put your house in order.

Consider how much you will have gained.

But don't forget to be vigilant:

A dwelling has to be maintained.

A strong, secure house is the best

Protection against dangerous pests.

Then you can live in relative peace.

At least that is what wisdom suggests.

-by Bob B (11-9-20)

Good-bye, Donald!

(This poem can be sung to the tune of Jerry Herman's song "Hello, Dolly!")

 

Good-bye, Donald!

Yes, good-bye, Donald.

You are going to have to leave the White House soon.

And when you leave, Donald,

Do not grieve, Donald.

For you all right, the timing might

Be inopportune.

We always knew, Donald.

It's so true, Donald.

You were never qualified to lead this land.

You made a mess, Donald--

Caused nothing but distress, Donald.

That is one thing we'll never understand.

 

Good-bye, Donald!

Time is nigh, Donald.

Will you now return to what you did before?

Whom will you scam, Donald,

As you scram, Donald?

Perhaps you think you're in the pink,

But we're keeping score.

Hey, outside your gate there,

Agents now wait there.

So what happens next there's no way to foretell.

One thing we know, Donald:

You have now got to go, Donald.

Will you be tweeting from a prison cell?

-by Bob B (11-7-20)

The Other Guy

If you favor a leader who's

An autocrat wannabe;

If locking kids at the border in cages

Is your cup of tea;

 

If constantly being lied to doesn't

Bother you at all;

If you like a leader who says,

To hell with protocol;

 

If you think a president should

Surround himself with crooks

And you can't see that he's much more

Dangerous than he looks;

 

If you don't mind that you are being

Taken for a ride

By someone who's a con man who

Has far too much to hide;

 

If it's quite okay when someone

Says his words aren't his,

Or says he's not a racist, although

Racists think he is;

 

If it's fine that leaders don't

Care whom they degrade,

Or will not be responsible

For the mess they've made;

 

If you admire a president

Who cheated on all three wives,

Or lied about a pandemic that

Has taken many lives;

 

If you like a leader who

Rants and raves nonstop

And goes all out to help the wealthy

People at the top;

 

If you approve of a leader who feels

That beggars can't be choosers,

Or one who's called our fallen soldiers

Both suckers and losers;

 

If you favor an American

President who incites

People to violence and steps

On our hard-earned rights;

 

Then vote for the one who, in time,

Will leave you high and dry.

I am happy to say my vote

Will go to the other guy.

-by Bob B (10-31-20)

Stifling Our Voices

All over America

Injustices are rapidly mounting

As Trumplicans keep looking for ways

To keep every vote from counting.

 

Democracy is under attack.

What's more, this ugly ballot rejection

Is shamefully occurring right

Smack in the middle of our election!

 

Early voting has already started,

And yet they continue to change the rules,

Claiming possible voter fraud.

Deception's one of their devious tools.

 

Throwing out ballots due to petty

Issues is one of their favorite ploys.

Limiting mail-in ballots is

Also a scheme that adds to their joys.

 

Crippling the U.S. postal system:

Another strategy that will be

Making their efforts to throw out votes

A self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

The unfair tactics hit minority

Communities especially hard

By limiting opportunities.

Another reason to be on our guard.

 

And then we have a president

Constantly misleading his base.

He lies about the current system

Of voting and does it with a straight face!

 

And all of this voter suppression occurs

While a COVID pandemic rages.

We have observed a chipping away

Of democratic values in stages.

 

How sad it is, America,

That what's going on truly appears

To brazenly discredit a system

That's worked quite well for many years!

-by Bob B (10-30-20)

Happy Halloween 2020 (From Mr. C.)

Hey! Coronavirus here.

Again, please call me Mr. C.

I am planning to hang around

And be your holiday VIP.

 

You know how I like big crowds,

And this, I say, is worth repeating:

Halloween is finally here,

And I'll be out there trick-or-treating.

 

It really disappoints me when

People impose gathering bans.

The president appears to be

One of my most supportive fans.

 

I've already visited

The White House grounds. An easy task--

Mainly because I love it when

People do not wear a mask.

 

I get around quite easily;

Misinformation helps me thrive.

Notice that I'm breaking records.

Aww, come on and give me five.

 

Some think that denying my presence

Will stop me from seeking out my hosts.

That's about as effective as

Building bonfires to ward off ghosts.

 

If you don't bump into me

On All Saints' Eve, or Halloween,

Other holidays soon follow.

I CAN'T resist a party scene.

 

Excuse me, but I have to go;

I have a lot of work to do.

Maybe I'll see you on Halloween night

When I sneak up and shout out, "Boo!"

-by Bob B (10-29-20)

Do Not Tell Me

A message to the POTUS...

Do not tell me while thousands of people

Are dying each week, that you see an end

To what has been a devastating

Pandemic. What? We're rounding the bend?

 

Do not tell me that just because

You survived COVID-19

With mild symptoms, that you have the right

To push your propaganda machine.

 

Do not tell me how much you care

About the American people when

All your super-spreader events

Endanger lives again and again.

 

Do not tell me how proud you are

Of all you've done to fight the virus.

The people know the truth of the matter,

And all of your lies continue to tire us.

 

Do not tell me that you know more

Than credible experts and choose instead

To listen to someone who spoke on Fox News,

Merely because you liked what he said.

 

Do not tell me that you can't see

The damage you've done by failing to act.

All your efforts to hide the truth

Exacerbated the danger, in fact.

 

Do not tell me that I should be willing

To risk my life and then wish me well--

That I'll help save the economy.

Frankly, you can go to hell.

-by Bob B (10-27-20)

Donald Trump's MAGA Nuns

“Hey, Proud Boys, lay down your guns!

I have got my MAGA nuns.

The one with the Bible has my back.

She’ll give my opponents a whack.

The others are praying for my victory

And say their words are benedictory.

Let this miracle come to pass.

My MAGA nuns will save my ass.”

-by Bob B (2-25-20)

Vote! Vote! Vote!

If you think we're headed in

The wrong direction and wish to restore

Your trust in the country because you don't

Recognize it anymore,

Vote.

 

If you think our current "leader"

Has ruined the country and defiled

The office of the presidency

And acts like a spoiled child,

Vote.

 

If truth and facts are meaningful

And you find it mystifying

How so many people can

Defend a president's constant lying,

Vote.

 

If you believe in the urgency

Of choosing a person to be the one

Who could undo the damage that

The current president has done,

Vote.

 

If you're tired of the status quo

And want to see someone defeat

A paranoid narcissist

Who spreads his poison tweet by tweet,

Vote.

 

If you fear a dismal future,

To save this nation, you have a choice:

As if your life depends on it,

Let your ballot be your voice.

Vote.

-by Bob B (10-26-20)