Crazy Fanaticism

In northwestern Iraq

The ongoing violence with ISIS

Is affecting the Yazidi people.

What a horrible crisis!

The dogmatic ISIS jihadists

Have shockingly indicated

That the Yazidi Kurds

Should be annihilated

For being devil worshippers,

Which shows the jihadists’ immense

Lack of understanding

And lack of common sense.

If Yazidi men don’t convert,

They are killed on the spot.

So they have to flee for their safety

In order to avoid being shot.

This horrible religious fanaticism

Has frighteningly increased

Worldwide and isn’t limited

To groups in the Middle East.

We shouldn’t feel complacent;

We must also address

The problem of religious fanaticism

Here in the good ol’ U.S.

Our religious fanatics,

Under the guise of doing “good,”

Aren’t wiping out villages,

But frankly, some would if they could.

(8-7-14)

Dirty Word

The dirtiest word some people can think of

Is NOT a four-letter word.

It’s actually one that consists of ten letters

And one that you’ve often heard.

It’s hard for some to even say it.

Tell me: can you surmise

What that horrible word might be?

It’s simply COMPROMISE.

(8-6-14)

How Much Longer Will We Wait?

How much longer will we wait?

What, pray tell, are we waiting for?

For new incidents of violent shootings?

Must we have to experience more

So the NRA can once again say

That now’s not the time to discuss gun control?

My goodness, WHEN then IS the time?

Our doing nothing will take its toll.

Have we forgotten Columbine,

Virginia Tech, and Sandy Hook?

What about Tuscon and Isla Vista?

NOT acting is SHAMEFUL—at least in my book.

The above shootings are the ones in the headlines.

But thousands of people are killed every year

By PEOPLE with GUNS. Unless we do something,

The grim statistics won't disappear.

Even gun advocates agree

With the majority of people’s urgent demands

That something very drastic be done

To keep guns out of the wrong people’s hands.

It’s nice to say they agree on that point,

And maybe they do; I won’t doubt it.

But agreeing and acting are two different things;

What are they going to do about it?

Gun show loopholes have to go,

Along with gun sales with no background checks.

No one’s taking anyone’s guns away!

It’s just common sense and it’s not that complex.

“But criminals will still get ahold of weapons.”

If that’s not the biggest Duh! that I know!

Criminals will always buck the system.

We’ll limit the violence even so.

Otherwise, we sit and do nothing,

Hoping that no more shootings ensue.

Chances will then be greater that violence

Could happen to somebody CLOSE to YOU.

(8-5-14)

The Story of Lana: Here a Nip; There a Tuck

It dawned one day on Lana that certain

Physical “flaws” appeared more dominant.

Rivers of wrinkles crisscrossed her face,

And the bump on her nose looked more prominent.

“This just won’t do,” she said to herself.

“Good looks are SO in demand.

I’ve got to see Dr. Slicestitch before

All of this gets out of hand.”

The doctor, after examining Lana,

Made a few helpful suggestions:

“I have the perfect plan for you.

Just stop me if you have any questions.

Let’s start with a major skin resurfacing

To get rid of wrinkles and spots.

We’ll do a slice here, a little slice there,

And then we will commence with the shots.

Collagen and Botox injections

Will follow your mid-face lift.

Rhinoplasty will flatten your nose.

But we can’t give your bosom short shrift.

If you’re looking at breast enlargement,

We can give you an impressive rack—

Unless reduction is more beneficial

To somewhat relieve that pain in your back.

We’ll lift your eyelids, raise your cheekbones,

And put an implant in your chin.

We’ll thicken your lips and pull back your neck

To allow you to have the tightest of skin.

There's sclerotherapy for varicose veins;

My accuracy is really uncanny.

And a little more work in the lower area

Will give great form to your flat fanny.

Liposuction on your thighs and belly

Would, I think, be very smart.

Plus laser treatment for unwanted hair.

All this should be a great START.”

You should see Lana now;

Stop by to kindly surprise her.

You’ll be astonished by her new look,

Although you won’t recognize her.

Her face is so tight that she can’t smile;

Her translucent skin is pale and waxen.

Her chin protrudes and her nose is flat.

She’ll remind you of Michael Jackson.
Her puffy lips are so deformed
That it is hard to keep from staring
And staring and staring, no matter what
Flashy outfit the woman is wearing.

It almost seems as though she can’t blink;

If she could, I’d be amazed.

The look on her face is the look of a woman

Perpetually shocked or crazed.

Regarding her breasts, she went with large

Instead of doing the breast reduction.

Her breasts might indeed turn heads, but not

But not loose skin from her liposuction.

Yes, she’s got new shape to her bottom,

But now especially she must beware:

Since she is so heavy on top,

It makes it hard to sit on a chair.

Since she’s started all this work,

Frequent adjustments will be needed

To fine tune areas that would get messy

If they're left entirely unheeded.

A major overhaul on a car

Works well on an old Model T.

The human body is more problematic;

The outcome has no guarantee.

A little adjustment here and there

Is fine if it’s done quite tastefully.

But many people like the idea

Of growing old gracefully.

Lana received a complete transformation;

Of options she was presented with plenty.

But why would anyone want to look

Seventy going on twenty?

(8-4-14) By Bob B

Kisa Gotami and the Mustard Seed*

A long time ago a very young mother

Named Kisa Gotami gave birth to a son—

A child who was the light of her life.

The mother’s love was second to none.

Not long after her son was born,

The poor child grew sick and died.

“Who can bring my son back to life?

Have pity!” Kisa Gotami cried.

The villagers knew that there was nothing

They could do to help and suggested

That she seek out the help of the Buddha.

“He can do wonders,” they attested.

She found the Buddha and beseeched his help.

“My only son has died,” she wailed.

“Can you bring him back to life.

Everything I have tried has failed.”

The Buddha calmly said, “I will help you.”

The poor woman waited with bated breath.

“But first you must find for me

A family that’s never been touched by death.

“When you finally encounter that home,

Tell the family there’s something you need—

Just one thing to take to the Buddha—

And that’s a single mustard seed.”

With great excitement the mother ran

From house to house—to every abode.

But death had visited every family.

On her face, great disappointment showed.

After an unsuccessful search,

The young mother came to realize

That everything born had to die;

Everything had to have its demise.

She understood the law of impermanence

And that her suffering was not unique.

She now saw life from a new perspective;

Her eyes were open, so to speak.

Kisa Gotami returned to the Buddha

And started to follow his teachings--the Way,

Or Noble Path to Enlightenment,

Which still guides many seekers today.

(8-3-14) By Bob B

*An old story retold here in verse

Half Full or Half Empty?

“Is the glass half

Full or half empty?”

Such was the question presented to me.

It depends on whether

The glass contains

A good Cabernet or a cheap Chablis.

If it contains

A good Cabernet

With a bold, full-bodied, smoky flavor,

The glass is always

Half empty because

That’s an experience I want to savor.

If, however,

A cheap Chablis

Stares at me from the glass’s interior,

That glass is always

Half full to me,

As I endlessly sip a wine that’s inferior.

What? You say

That I don’t get it—

That I am trying to redefine

The meaning behind

The expression? I say:

Just shut up and hand me my wine!

(8-2-14) By Bob B

If...Then...

Ol’ Jonah was looking pretty darn pale

After three days and three nights in a whale—

Or giant fish (according to translation).

Whatever the case, it was no vacation

For Jonah, who had to be pretty smelly,

Spending seventy-two hours in that belly,

Fending off digestive juices

And other secretions that a body produces.

He didn’t agree with the creature, no doubt,

Because the animal spat him out.

If Jonah had early on followed directions,

This story would not be in our collections;

And he wouldn’t have taken that trip

And found himself being thrown from a ship.

Solomon they say was supposed to be wise.

That's handy when certain situations arise,

Such as the “Judgment of Solomon,” which—

Luckily for him—went off without a hitch.

Solomon understood human behavior

And proved to be for one mom a savior.

Taking a chance, and spoke off the cuff

And shrewdly called the false mother’s bluff.

It’s amazing it all worked out as it did;

Otherwise, there would have been a dead kid.

Back then could Solomon ever have guessed

The advantages of a DNA test?

Absalom was handsome and charming;

His personality was disarming.

Ostentatious and debonair,

He was known for his huge mop of hair.

But his thirst for power got so overblown

That he usurped his father’s throne.

So David and Absalom had to wage war;

Father and son had to settle a score.

At Ephraim’s Wood when trying to flee,

Absalom's locks got caught in a tree.

If he had kept his hair short and trim,

He wouldn’t have died on that blasted tree limb;

And his plans might not have fallen apart

As he hung from that tree with darts in his heart.

Salome loved to dance up a storm;

Apparently, she displayed perfect form.

Her mother, Herodias, bore a deep grudge

Toward John the Baptist; and SHE wouldn’t budge.

Just imagine the trouble he was in

For having told her she was living in sin.

Unfortunately, he landed in jail

And languished there with no chance of bail.

When Herod’s birthday came around,

To get the merriment off the ground,

Herod asked Salome to dance for him.

He promised to give her whatever her whim.

For her, no gold or silver; instead,

She wanted dear John the Baptist’s head.

(For one particular reason or another

She wanted to give John’s head to her mother.)

If John had NOT insulted Herodias,

She wouldn’t have found the prophet so odious.

If Salome hadn’t been SO into dance,

The poor guy might have had a chance;

But since her dancing was so first rate,

His head ended up on a plate.

Sometimes life can be unforgiving,

But cause and effect are both part of living.

So IF...THEN in retrospect

Makes us want to stop and reflect.

Behave with wisdom and common sense,

And know that there’s ALWAYS a consequence.

(8-1-14) By Bob B

In the News - 7-31-14: Total Craziness!

Tell me: Are you sitting down?

If not, you’d better do it now.

Every day we hear crazy stories,

But this one is a real WOW!

Michele Bachmann, the Queen of Insanity,

Went to Texas to investigate

The influx of Central American kids

Trying to cross our border of late.

Regarding the humanitarian crisis,

Bachmann has come to a bizarre conclusion

As to why so many kids have come here—

The reason for this massive intrusion.

The kids are here—Bachmann explains—

At President Obama’s urgent request

In order to become MEDICAL EXPERIMENTS!

Is she CRAZY, or is she possessed?

Remember that just a few years ago

Bachmann had fanned the irrational fears

Of the connection between vaccinations

And autism. Now it really appears

That she has lost it. Her paranoia

Has driven her quite mad—if you please.

To her, these “addicts” bring to our country

A ghastly “pandemic of disease.”

Does Bachmann think we were born yesterday?

Surely she must, for she’s got some gall.

Instead of making such asinine statements,

It’s best that she say nothing at all!

***

Certainly you’ve heard of Lois Lerner—

The woman who worked for the IRS

And headed the division of tax-exempt groups

And became involved in a “scandal,” or mess.

Her referring to some right-wing groups as “crazies”

Made people think she was out of control.

She also referred to certain individuals

By using a word that ends with “hole.”

To tell the truth, some of those groups

Deserve to be scrutinized if there is doubt

As to their valid tax-exempt status

And what their mission is all about.

Regarding her use of the word “crazy,”

That was really not going too far.

To a certain extent, she wasn’t wrong:

Some of those right-wing groups truly are.

By Bob B (7-31-14)

I Know: Let's Blame the President!

There’s turmoil in Africa—all across the continent.

In Libya, Nigeria, and the Sahel

Terrorist groups are stirring up trouble;

Violence is brewing in Somalia, as well.

---I know: Let’s blame President Obama!

Though Bush got the U.S. involved in Iraq

And signed an agreement to remove the troops,

Everything’s falling apart in the area;

There’s chaos involving terrorist groups.

---I know: Let’s blame President Obama!

Hamas and Israel are at it again,

Both refusing to make lasting peace;

The struggle has been going on for years,

With death and destruction on the increase.

---I know: Let’s blame President Obama!

Many kids from Central America

Have fled from their homes for the U.S.

They’re trying to escape both poverty and violence

That leave their countries in a dangerous mess.

---I know: Let’s blame President Obama!

The American economy was in shambles

When Bush left office in twenty-oh-nine.

It’s going to take years to rebound

After experiencing such a decline.

---I know: Let’s blame President Obama!

The constant attempts by members of Congress

To fight the President day after day

Are wearing down the American people;

What an embarrassing display!

---I know: Let’s blame President Obama!

When our leaders say they have good intentions,

We hope their concern is not a charade.

But when Congress becomes dysfunctional,

Certain decisions have to be made.

---I know: Let’s blame President Obama!

Sadly, shootings at schools and stores

And theaters are definitely on the rise.

Each effort that’s made to stem the flow

Of the horrible violence quickly dies.

---I know: Let’s blame President Obama!

The termite infestation of your house,

The drought we had in our rainy season,

And even that outbreak of flu last year

Have all happened for a specific reason.

---I know: Let’s blame President Obama!

For every world problem that exists,

There is an explanation and cause.

And naturally, everything points to one person

Who must be responsible for ALL the world’s flaws.
---I know: Let’s blame President Obama!

By Bob B (7-30-14)

On the Threshold of Frustration: A True Story Told in Verse

Eight at night and the doorbell rang,

And THERE right before my face

Was a newspaper—almost touching my nose

And barely giving me breathing space.

“Here’s your free paper,” I heard a voice say.

I stepped back to read the name of the rag.

At once in my mind I realized that

The name of the paper had raised a red flag.

“Sorry, but I don’t read that one.

Anyway, thank you for your time,”

I said to the kid as I started to close

The door, but the kid blurted out, “I’m

Hoping that you’ll subscribe to my paper.

Sign up right here; you won’t regret it.”

I shook my head in amazement and said,

“Do you know what? I don’t get it:

“I just told you that I don’t read it,

So why would I want to buy a subscription?”

The frustrated kid refused to take NO

For an answer and started to have a conniption.

“BUT...just do it for me!” he cried.

“The more I sell, the better my luck

In winning a trip to Hawaii; what’s more,

I’m also trying to earn a buck.”

At THIS point I was the frustrated one.

I thought to myself, This guy’s too much!

He’s completely clueless; moreover, he’s acting

Like a son of a such and such!

“Good luck with your sales,” I politely said.

“But wait, I’ll wash your car!” he cried.

“I’ll mow your grass; I’ll trim your trees.”

“NO thanks, AND good-by,” I replied.

Exasperated he bellowed out,

“I need this sale to up my score!”

I calmly said, “This conversation

Is over,” as I closed the door.

I didn’t hear him walk away;

For all I know he could be there still

Pushing his paper, trying to earn

More points but actually scoring nil.

While the kid lacked tact and subtlety,

I doubt he’d ever take my advice.

A bit more sense would serve him well,

And a little less pushiness would suffice.

A future politician? I wondered.

Or maybe a future billionaire?

Whatever the case, he's got chutzpah,

I thought as I returned to my chair.

(7-29-14) By Bob B

The Invisible Ones

The invisible ones are out there;

However, we seldom see them.

If circumstances were different,

We could always be them.

Sometimes on the sidewalk

They might amble by,

Asking for spare change.

Do we even reply?

Many are a statistic

That we hear on the news—

Facing a situation

That none of us would choose.

Under- or unemployed,

They’re often homeless, as well.

Sometimes complete families

Are living a daily hell.

How many children are hungry?

Would we rather not know?

How many people’s lives

Are a REAL Survivor show?

How many children lack health care

Or are abused and mistreated?

How many children’s hopes

Are miserably defeated?

“They are just being lazy,”

Say many critics with ardor,

Not recognizing

Situations that couldn’t be harder.

“If I can do it, they can!”

Say people with cold disdain

And a callous lack of compassion

For those living in pain—

Who forget that we don’t all live

In a land of milk and honey.

(Their biggest problem

Is where to invest their money.)

Policies make a difference.

Some laws—granted—are flawed;

But there are many needy

And they don’t all commit fraud.

The invisible ones are out there.

Let us not be blind.

They might be out of sight,

But don't let them be out of MIND.

(7-29-14) By Bob B

Let Go!

Is your life is full of stress,

And are you being tossed to and fro?

Two little words might help you;

Those two words are LET GO.

If the world is going crazy,

And wherever you look there is woe,

And you’d like to fix the world’s problems,

At some point you have to LET GO.

Sometimes daily pressures

Can make you a mean so-and-so.

Release the steam from your cooker

With a good attempt to LET GO.

If you’re a micromanager

And control is your M.O.,

You might increase your longevity

If you can learn to LET GO.

If words come back to bite you

And you end up eating crow,

Well, worse things could happen;

Just say to yourself, “LET GO!”

By always approaching life

With expectations in tow,

You’re bound to be disappointed;

Try to stay calm and LET GO.

If you are in high gear

And haven’t learned to go slow,

Stop wear and tear on your engine;

To do so you’ve got to LET GO.

If you’re still having some trouble

Getting your ducks in a row,

Delayed gratification

Will happen if you can LET GO.

You wake up and go to the kitchen,

And what? There’s no morning joe!

Stay calm and take a few breaths;

You’ll manage if you can LET GO.

Though easier said than done—

Ask sages, for they ought to know—

Your life changes forever

Once you learn how to LET GO.

If you’re up the creek with no paddle

And you have to go with the flow,

Relax and enjoy the adventure,

Repeating the mantra: LET GO!

By Bob B (7-27-14)

How Sad for the Palestinian/Israeli People!

How sad for the poor PALESTINIAN people—

Victims of Israeli rocket attacks

Aimed at alleged Hamas targets

And pounding Gaza to the max.

How sad for the poor ISRAELI people

Who are trying to live their lives day by day—

Who are targets of Palestinian rockets—

A constant barrage being sent their way.

How sad for the poor PALESTINIAN mother

Who lost her daughter when the hospital was hit

By Israeli rockets, scattering shrapnel;

She wonders what makes such killing legit.

How sad for the poor ISRAELI mother

Whose son was killed by Palestinian thugs.

She will NEVER see her son grow older

And will miss his laughter, his love, his hugs.

The PALESTINIAN mother shouts out,

“I hate them. I hate them. May they all die!”

“They do NOT deserve to live!”

The ISRAELI mom cries with her fist to the sky.

How sad for ALL PEOPLE caught in between

The violent struggles of extremist groups

And aggressive, intransigent ruling powers

With powerful weapons and well-trained troops.

How sad for ALL who lose lives or loved ones

Or who must watch with a broken heart

While everything starts to crumble around them

As their helpless worlds fall apart.

Bullets and bombs are not diplomacy;

Violence and killing are for heartless fools.

Innocent people should not be targets,

Nor their places of worship or schools.

What about diplomatic solutions—

Of working things out so that people can thrive?

What is accomplished by being a martyr?

We can do more good by staying alive.

Each death means that anger and hatred

Will fester and grow and surely extend

The never-ceasing violence and destruction.

When will these hateful blood feuds end?


By Bob B (7-26-14)

The Nocturnal Visitor (Homage to Dickens and Poe)

Floorboards creak; ceiling beams snap;

Walls crackle and pop.

Cold drafts chill me to the bone;

The shivers never stop.

I awaken at night to the sounds of moaning

That fill the house with grief.

An icy breath of anguish blows over me,

Allowing for little relief.

Lying awake, I wonder about

The cause of each eerie sound.

I’ll never know the answer unless

I take a look around.

Expansion, contraction, heat, cold:

A probable explanation;

But what explains the mournful moaning

That causes such consternation?

Feeling my way down the creaky stairs,

I shudder with coldness and fear—

Wanting to know but at the same time

Afraid of what might appear.

Silently standing at the base of the stairs,

I stare into the dark.

If asked how I felt, horror and dread

Would certainly hit the mark.

Groping the furniture, I sit on the sofa

And listen to the dead of the night;

I start to nod, then jump with a start,

Filled with panic and fright.

An amorphous figure appears before me—

Vague, undefined, obscure.

My fear turns into inexpressible sadness,

Which is difficult to endure.

“Are you a spirit?” I whisper, and wait.

At first I have little success.

Finally, I hear a soft, sobbing sound—

A plaintive, fragile “Yes.”

Yeah, right, I think, a spirit that haunts

My house. Isn’t that cool?
Is this a joke—somebody’s trick?

Do they take me for a fool?

“What draws you here to my house,” I ask.

“What is this perverse

Penchant you have for creaking and moaning?”

The spirit replies, “It’s a curse.

Years ago I lived in this home.

My life was happy and free.

Everything was going my way.

Now look what’s happened to me.

“The world was in my hands, it was;

I had everything under control.

Nothing could get the best of me

Till death bells started to knoll.

No! I refused to succumb or give in;

Too hot were the fires

Of greed and longing and wanting and having—

Too powerful were my desires.

“Too late I realized my mistakes;

Too late, too late, too late.

I’m stuck here to play out all of my longings.

This is my cruel fate.”

It occurs to me to ask of its gender;

I am curious to hear it.

“Are you a man or woman,” I ask.

It laughs and says, “Just a spirit.”

“I’m sorry for your pain,” I say,

“Is there anything I can do?”

“No,” it answers, “it’s up to me;

I must see this through.”

“Obviously, you’re not,” I continue,

“As quiet as a mouse.

But could you be so kind as to haunt

Someone else’s house?”

“Aha! So you think that THIS humorous!”

Cries the spirit with a roaring.

“I was here long before you arrived;

And YOU disturb ME with your snoring!”

“I’m sorry,” I say, and ponder what

Could be a possible solution.

One thing I know: these night-time visits

Are not good for my constitution.

“How about this? Let’s make a deal,”

I suggest. “You’re free to roam

As much as you want and can make a loud racket

Whenever I’m not at home.

When I am here—asleep or awake—

So I can have peace of mind,

You be quiet and work on your karma,

If to do so you’re so inclined.”

“Deal! You’ve got my UNDYING promise,”

It responds with a voice full and sunny.

I think to myself: Now the spirit’s the one

Who’s trying to be funny.

I yawn and say I’m going back to bed,

And I give the spirit my best

And hope that soon—VERY soon—

It finds eternal rest.

I often think of the gloomy spirit

And wonder if it’s working its way

Through its torment and suffering, which I hope

Are finally fading away.

If I hear a creak or pop in the night,

Now peace and calm prevail;

I hope I’ve learned a lesson from my

Nocturnal visitor’s tale.


By Bob B (7-25-14)

Noah's Dilemma

Noah was righteous (though maybe

A bit of a stick in the mud),

So God decided to save him

And his family from the great flood.

Again going over lists

After building his ark,

He had a couple of questions

Before they could embark.

“It says here that I need two

Of every living thing.

But I have some misgivings:

That’s going to be hard to swing.

“What’s this about a pl...platypus,

And penguin and k...kangaroo?

And I need to find two skunks.

What am I going to do?

“If I don’t find these animals,

They’ll think my work is a sham.

Ah, I know what I’ll do:

I’ll delegate this job to Ham.

“But first, another question

Is going to be hard to solve,

And that is the problem of food

And what it is going to involve.

“‘All food eaten on Earth’

Has to be on our boat.

With all that food and the animals,

How will we stay afloat?

“There’s another problem:

My lions aren’t nice and sweet,

And they have a strong preference

For gazelle and antelope meat.

“Cramped in so tight a space,

I hope we all don’t smother.

How will I keep the animals

From eating one another?”

He gave his list to Ham

And said, “I’ve found you some work.

I’ve got too much on my mind,

And it’s driving me berserk.”

Then Ham elicited help

From brothers Japheth and Shem.

No one else was available

To help him aside from them.

There were millions of species

Of animals that they had to find!

They’d be in a lot of trouble

If they left any behind.

Noah’s curse on Ham

Didn’t come till much later.

Meanwhile, Ham had a few

Questions for his pater.

“Now, about all this water:

I'm not disrespecting your wishes,

But will it be salty or fresh?

It makes a difference to fishes.

“For forty days and nights

We’ll be floating around;

When the waters recede,

Won’t all the plants have drowned?

"While all the animals come

From different climate zones,

The ark's not climate-controlled.

What about all these unknowns?"

Noah said, “Don’t even go there!

There’s no time to stall.

Let’s get a move on before

Raindrops start to fall.”

By Bob B (7-24-14)

Politics

Politics, O politics!

In life there is no simple fix.

In everything we do or say

Politics has a role to play.

When early man hung out in caves

And used crude tools and dug crude graves,

Someone had to take command

And maintain the upper hand.

Even the Neanderthals

Had cool paintings on their walls.

Who appointed the artiste?

Someone with some clout, at least.

Early humans had to spin

Their politics to get buy-in.

Organization was a necessity

When wild boar was their recipe.

Imagine cave meetings, if you can—

How they communicated man to man.

They’d just grunt and fart and such;

I guess men haven’t changed that much.

Under kings’ and emperors’ rule

You had to play politics, or you were a fool.

If you weren’t careful to watch what you said,

You could easily lose your head.

Men making rules had little regard

For the status of women, so it’s been hard

For women to earn their equal rights,

Which means lots of political fights.

That's politics at work; we know it!

If we're not vigilant, we can blow it.

In sports there’s a definite political tune,

And the church—especially—is not immune.

In every relationship, in each interaction,

In every connection, in each attraction,

Like it or not, politics will emerge;

If ideas don’t CON-, then they DIVERGE.

  

Frankly, it doesn’t matter whether

TWO or a MILLION people are together;

There’s no avoiding a political scene.

Human nature has a political mien.

We can talk local, county, state,

National or global politics. But wait!

What about the nature of politics in space?

It’s something to consider, just in case.

Some people have to play second fiddle.

If they're NOT at the top, they're bottom or middle.

Whether in the center, to the right, or to the left,

Hopefully, you don’t feel bereft.

If one side's right and the other side's wrong,

That’s okay; we can still get along.

As long as there are people, politics will never

Disappear; it will last forever.

Politics, O politics!

Always expect a bag of tricks.

Try, if you want, to wish it away;

Politics is here to stay.

(7-23-14) By Bob B

Walls

What is this thing that we have about a wall?

For centuries humans have had occasion

To build structures in hopes to forestall

Any threat of attack or invasion.

The Great Wall of China is very well known,

Requiring effort to be built through the ages.

A structure of such immensity requires

That it be designed and completed in stages.

Thick walls of castles and fortresses abound

To protect against plunder and pillage.

Protective walls also surround

Many a quaint Medieval village.

As you traverse America you’ll see

Walls and fences throughout the land.

DO NOT ENTER signs naturally will be—

Along with NO TRESPASSING—in great demand.

Around many homes is a wall or a fence—

Usually, that is, around the back yards.

Some people go to greater expense

And live in a gated community with guards.

Sometimes I wonder if they’re worth the labor—

All of these fences built at great cost.

But some say a good fence makes a good neighbor,

Quoting the line from the poem by Frost.

There are reasons for walls, no doubt.

In East Germany and East Berlin,

Instead of trying to keep people out,

Walls were constructed to keep people in.

Walls around prisons also deter

The inmates from fleeing before they’re released.

From seeing school walls, we can infer

How much school violence has increased.

The wall that Israel has built—we can see—

Winds in and out of the West Bank location.

It’s there for defense, we are told, although we

Can also see that it’s for separation.

Some want a wall on our southern border.

That will solve our problems, they say.

Frankly, that would be a tall order

Who has the money to fritter away?

Some walls are the intangible kinds—

The ones around us that are invisible

And prevent us from truly opening our minds.

To deny their existence would be risible.

I wonder: will it ever end--

This building of barriers to keep us apart?

It seems as though we're trying to extend

The wall surrounding the human heart.

(7-22-14) By Bob B

Our Friend the Ego

Our ego can be a dangerous thing.

Now “ego” here simply means

That sense of “I” that gets in our way.

Is it in our genes?

(I don't mean the ego discussed

By the famous Sigmund Freud;

All of that psychological jargon

I clearly want to avoid.)

The ego that I am talking about

Is the one that loves to believe

That the WHOLE world REVOLVES around it--

That likes not to give but receive.

It’s the same ego that feeds our impatience,

When we fail to see

Our actions reflecting the attitude,

"Hey, it’s all about ME?”

Our ego, too, can fan our temper

When incidents upset us,

And when we feel paranoid

That someone is out to get us.

If people cut us off on the highway,

The ego gets satisfaction

From watching us get back at them

With a stupid knee-jerk reaction.

Our friend the ego—quite insecure—

Loves retribution,

And if it's insulted, getting even

Is its favorite solution.

The poor ego is devastated

When it feels major rejection;

And men’s egos are destroyed

When they can’t get an erection.

If we can somehow let go of our ego

And try to take life as it comes,

We’ll encounter much less stress

And chew on fewer Tums.

Or we will find that conquering our ego

Provides us the consolation

Of truly appreciating our lives

With much less medication.

(7-21-14) By Bob B