Keep Dancing

You're at a party when--déjà vu--

The music changes from out of the blue.

You might miss a step, but whatever you do

Keep dancing.

 

Meteorologists predict a storm.

But inside all is comfy and warm.

If you want to stay true to form,

Keep dancing.

 

All through the evening your friends come and go.

That is the nature of parties, you know.

Your feet might grow tired; even so,

Keep dancing.

 

Some say life's a party.

At least we can pretend.

We know that at some point

Parties have to end.

 

You look at the clock; the hour is late.

But your time of departure can wait.

Why leave the party when you're feeling great?

Keep dancing.

-by Bob B (10-17-21)

Appalling News

Nonsense from the folks on the Right

Continues to plague us every day.

It's as though we're all on a stage,

Caught in the midst of a nihilist play.

 

A Texas school administrator

Told her staff to interfuse

Books about the Holocaust

With books containing opposing views!

 

Here's what that means: if they have books

About the Holocaust on their racks,

Opposing books must be included,

Or Holocaust books must be given the ax.

 

When going in that direction, people

Are treading on dangerous territory,

For when we talk of the Holocaust,

There are NOT two sides to the story.

 

Other appalling news: Trump

Is coopting the GOP

By taking it hostage so he can secure

His role as a future nominee.

 

All Republicans who fail

To push his giant election lie

When they run in future races

Are going to have to say bys,

And he will just sit back and gloat.

 

There's something we must understand:

The soul of our nation is in peril.

All it takes is a little poison

To ruin the water that fills a barrel.

-by Bob B (10-16-21)

It's a Female's World

It’s a female’s world.

Well, for emus it is.

Once her egg's been laid,

The rest of the work is HIS.

Her mate, who's already built

Their nest, sits on the eggs

And barely even gets to

Rise to stretch his legs.

He doesn't even drink,

Eat, or leave the nest.

His only nourishment

Is morning dew at best.

Meanwhile, the female

Doesn't hesitate

To say good-bye to her beau

And look for another mate.

After the eggs have hatched,

The male takes care of the chicks

By teaching them how to perform

The usual emu tricks,

Such as how to eat

And how to socialize

With all the other little

Emu girls and guys.

Soon the process will start

All over again.

I wonder if he envies

The life of an emu hen.

-by Bob B (10-14-21)

On Saving Democracy

There were times when we at least thought
The United States was deserving of praise.
We served as a model for many nations.
What has happened to those days?
 
Now we're at the threshold of
A growing movement that seems to be
A direct assault on what we've stood for
And a threat to our democracy.
 
How we used to criticize
Strongman rulers worldwide
Who stripped their people of their rights!
Oh, how we were horrified!
 
Now people around the world
Look at us in disbelief
And ask themselves how all of us
Are not overcome with grief.
 
People who lived in autocracies
And fled because they lived in fear,
Look around wide-eyed and ask,
"What the hell is happening here?"
 
Insurrectionists being called
Patriots? Voter suppression?
Overturning election results?
A personality cult obsession?
 
Immigrants becoming scapegoats?
People challenging safe elections?
Paramilitary thugs?
Folks with suspicious foreign connections?
 
People threatening health care workers
And thinking there's nothing wrong with that?
The breaking down of institutions?
Voters preferring an autocrat?
 
Apathy will be our downfall;
Our complacency will as well.
There won't be a clang of freedom
From our silenced Liberty Bell.
 
If we do not strive to preserve
Democracy and make that our aim,
We will suffer the consequences
And have only ourselves to blame.

-by Bob B (10-12-21)

Mother Goose Meets 2021

(Based on "THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A SHOE")

↓

When Democrats mention the national debt,

The Republicans panic and they get so upset.

When THEY'RE in control, do they ever balk?

It's just when the Dems are in pow'r that they squawk.

 

(Based on "HICKORY, DICKORY, DOCK")

↓

Lickity, splickity, splat!

L. Boebert's° such a brat.

She thinks it's fun

To flash her gun.

Lickity, splickity, splat!

 

°Republican Representative from Colorado

 

(Based on "JACK AND JILL WENT UP THE HILL")

↓

Trump and Mel no longer dwell

In our capital city.

They've gone south, and word of mouth

Is that they're sitting pretty.

 

Trump will sing, "Please kiss my ring!"

To all who come to visit.

He STILL thinks HE'S in charge. Oh, please!

That's REALLY not funny, is it?

 

(Based on "THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN")

↓

There was a crooked con, and he had a crooked scheme.

He used some crooked tactics to achieve his crooked dream.

He had some crooked friends who helped his crooked plan.

But still he lost the race--that crazy, crooked man.

 

(Based on "HUMPTY DUMPTY SAT ON A WALL")

↓

Giuliani couldn't resist.

Tipping the bottle till he got pissed.

He claimed that our voting process was marred.

Due to his lying, he should be disbarred.

 

(Based on "LITTLE BO-PEEP")

↓

Ol' Michael Pence had enough sense

To certify the election.

Although he came 'round, later he found

He'd lost his hero's affection.

 

Though Michael Pence sometimes sounds dense,

Who knows what will fulfill him?

The man didn't get so very upset

When rioters threatened to kill him.

 

Will he kowtow, grovel and bow

Before a man who is shameless?

He probably will. That's HIS bitter pill,

For he himself is not blameless.

 

(Based on "BAA, BAA, BLACK SHEEP")

↓

Blah, blah, Ted Cruz,°

Have you any guts?

I don't think so since you're nuts.

Why don't you take off

And fly to Cancún

And stay down there forever?

And please do it soon!

 

°Republican Senator from Texas

 

-by Bob B (10-11-21)

Crossing the Line

Attending school board and city council

Meetings to voice your opinion is fine.

But when people intimidate

And threaten officials, they've crossed the line.

 

What we are seeing happening here

Shows a blatant disregard

Of civil behavior by people attending

Meetings from which they should be barred.

 

Objecting to mandates that save people's lives,

The bullies even ridicule,

Attack, abuse, and scream at parents

Who are walking their kids to school.

 

Let's make one thing perfectly clear:

They're not merely expressing opinions.

The bullying and attacks are being

Carried out by the far right's minions.

 

And then at hearings on Capitol Hill,

A young upstart who's from Missouri

And sides with insurrectionists,

Josh Hawley, vents his fury:

 

"You mean that parents cannot express

Opinions at meetings?" he asks with shock,

Pandering to the far right mobs

As he struts around like the cock of the walk.

 

To try to explain how people like that

Are voted in, I will pass.

It's just amazing how a U.S.

Senator could be such an ass.

-by Bob B (10-11-21)

What Are You Inferring or Implying?

It's not uncommon for some people

To misuse the words INFER and IMPLY.

I don't know if I can clearly

Explain the difference, but I will try.

When we want to IMPLY something,

We have a point that we want to convey;

However, we merely hint at it.

We're NOT direct in what we say.

 

You say, "Your pants are getting tighter."

There's SOMETHING there that you have IMPLIED:

The implication that I am gaining

Weight cannot be denied.

 

Of course, that's a case that is

Extremely sensitive despite

Whether you merely HINT that I

Am getting fat or say it OUTRIGHT.

 

I say, "I can INFER from what

You're saying that I am putting on pounds."

You say, "No, I meant that maybe

Your pants have shrunk, strange as it sounds."

 

(That's what we call an attempt at a save--

At times it will work, at times it won't.

Here's my advice in case you want

To IMPLY a sensitive matter: DON'T!

 

But there is a chance that you might intend

To be mean or rude in what you're implying.

Among politicians such

Tactics are intensifying.)

 

INFER means to draw a conclusion

Based on someone's hint or suggestion,

Whether it's put in the form of a statement

Or even more subtly posed as a question.

 

Therefore, you can INFER a meaning

From something that I have IMPLIED to you.

You might INFER that I like sharing

Grammar and usage. Yes, that's true.

-by Bob B (10-10-21)