Delicate Diplomacy

Diplomacy is a delicate thing.

The world is vast and complicated.

If leaders abandon protocol,

Their decisions can be ill-fated.

That's why leaders trust in advisers

With credibility--with ones who know

The world's great complexities:

What is correct and what's a no-go.

Gracefully diving into matters

Is better than doing a belly flop.

We need someone who leads with finesse

And not a bull in a china shop.

(12-3-16) By Bob B

Thank-Me Rallies

The crowd cheers, faces light up,

As Trump beams and mentally tallies

The number of fawning participants

Attending the first of his thank-me rallies.

Confusing facts and figures, such as

The number of refugees "pouring in,"

He blasts the "dishonest" media, which

Inadvertently helped him win.

He also promises scores of changes

In jingoistic words and phrases,

Oblivious to the repercussions

And questions that such talk raises.

He claims to be the "messenger."

By voting for him, we all won;

And even without our help, change

Will happen. HE will get it done.

Loving the spotlight, he looks upon

His thank-me rallies with great affection,

Even though normally

Campaign rallies PRECEDE an election.

Meanwhile Trump will tour the states,

Full of himself and hoping that we go

To celebrate his "victory"--

To feed and nurture his giant ego.

(12-2-16) By Bob B

A Poor Winner

Trump continues his ongoing tirade

With baseless claims of voter fraud.

The more he rants and raves the more

We can all see through his façade.

He's what you call a "poor winner."

How easy it is to get his goat!

He just cannot stand the thought

That Clinton won the popular vote.

Demonizing the media therefore

Preoccupies Trump and his team.

Dumbing down the American public

Will be for them a constant theme.

The claims of voter fraud are only

An excuse to suppress voting rights--

An issue which must be added to

Our growing list of ongoing fights.

If we are not vigilant,

If instead we turn a blind eye

To what is really happening here,

Kiss democracy good-by.

(11-29-16) By Bob B

Mr. Tweet-a-lot

Give a man a Twitter account

And watch him tweet to his heart's content--

A dangerous thing for a gullible audience

And a misinformed president.

Passing on intelligence briefings

And getting his info from "Morning Joe"

And conspiracy theory websites is how

Trump shows that he's in the know.

Will we see obnoxious tweets

Day after day from him?

Will somebody please take that man's

Twitter account away from him?

(11-28-16) By Bob B

Mourning -- End of November 2016

Much of America is mourning still--

Mourning the light extinguished when

Heedlessness embraced false promise;

Mourning the loss of what could have been;

Mourning the hope of a glorious day

Darkened by a cloud of despair

And sincere interconnectedness

Became replaced by vanity fair;

Mourning the loss of a heart that beat

For all and not for a limited few,

And coarseness received people's praise,

And true refinement became taboo;

Mourning a dream of inclusiveness

With all-embracing open arms

When a nightmare smothered it

And drowned out warnings and alarms;

Mourning the flower of optimism

With hope in every opening bud

When weeds with thorns of cynicism 

Flourished, and hope was dripping in blood;

Mourning the renewed freshness of spring

And the calm peace of a summer's night,

Ravished by winds of uncertainty

And the bitter harshness of winter's blight.

Much of America is mourning still.

The grief will end one day. Till then,

We all move forward while many continue

To mourn the loss of what could have been.

(11-25-16) By Bob B

Conflict of Interest?

Trump understands neither

The office of the president nor

The Constitution of the U.S.

(Has he ever read it before?)

The office has its precedents,

And the Constitution has provisions

To discourage public officials from taking

Favors and making corrupt decisions.

Trump fails to understand why

The country's Mr. Number One

Cannot serve the American people

From the office where his business is run.

Elected officials cannot benefit

From foreign states in the least.

With Trump's investments worldwide,

His palm can't help but be greased.

He says the U.S. president

Can have no conflict of interest. Okay.

That sounds exactly like

Something only a dictator would say.

(11-24-16) By Bob B

If Your Birth Sign Is Sagittarius...

You tend to be independent.

Whenever people try to pin

You down, they meet resistance, for

Your motto is: Don't fence me in.

Life must constantly stimulate

Your intellectual curiosity.

A non-challenging situation

Causes you to lose velocity.

You love to learn things on your own

And when you travel, you're at your best.

But don't push yourself too hard;

Give your body and mind a rest.

Going overboard can be

A problem since you're such a go-getter.

You have to learn the hard way at times

That MORE is not always better.

You can be talkative

And sometimes overly loquacious.

You like to give your honest opinion,

But using tact proves efficacious.

Prudence for some Sagittarians

Is a difficult trait to acquire,

And some resort to miserliness

When their good intentions misfire.

Gregarious and enthusiastic,

You love others for what they are.

When it comes to working with people,

You know how to set the bar.

You seek higher spiritual growth,

Advanced achievements, greater prosperity,

And higher aesthetic appreciation;

You don't do well with austerity.

Do not let restlessness

And carelessness overtake you.

Becoming too spiritual

And out of touch could possibly break you.

Maximum enjoyment from

Good things in life is one of your goals.

Being the great adventurer

Can also be one of your roles.

Since you are a natural gambler,

Show restraint with cards and dice.

Tending to be extravagant,

You'll often have to pay the price.

You're at home in many places,

Since you easily adapt to change.

When your enthusiasm is stifled

Is when you feel awkward and strange.

Always ready for a challenge,

You face life with arms open wide.

Just be careful: other people

Can't always keep up with your stride.

(11-23-16) By Bob B

Disturbing Signs

Feeling empowered by president-elect

Trump, racist groups are emerging,

While in the past couple weeks

The number of hate crimes has been surging.

Over the past weekend a group

Celebrated the recent election

With Richard Spencer giving a speech

That shows the group's true complexion.

Spencer, current leader of

The National Policy Institute,

Ended his speech with "Hail, Trump!"

While listeners gave the Nazi salute.

The speech, referring to a "great struggle"

Of the white race--"people of the sun"--

Was full of white ethnocentric

Jargon, boldly and hatefully spun.

Sounding like Hitler in MEIN KAMPF,

Spencer is one who advocates

Ethnic cleansing all across

Europe and the United States.

Groups once on the fringe now feel

That Trump and Steve Bannon provide

A platform for them to spread their hate

And bigotry nationwide.

Unless Trump speaks out and condemns

Hate groups using his name to spread

Their racist messages, then this country

Faces scary times ahead.

(11-22-16) By Bob B

Nightmare Team

As he assembles his team, Trump

Is as extreme as extreme could be,

Surrounding himself with controversy

In practically every nominee.

General Flynn, whose hothead ideas

And out-of-the-mainstream policies reflect

An extreme anti-Muslim stance,

Is very dangerous if he's unchecked.

Stephen Bannon with his alt-right

Scary white-supremacist ties

And wacky conspiracy theory ideas

Is someone that people of conscience despise.

Jeff Sessions was deemed too racist

In 1986 and so

Say good-bye to advances made

In civil rights since long ago.

And then there's Jared Kushner. When

Trump wants advice, he's there. Ta da!

Who is going to be running this country--

Donald Trump or his son-in-law?

It's hard to believe that in these times

Our civil rights would be under attack.

The people won't allow a team

Of political hacks to turn the clock back.

If Trump and his team go unrestrained

And no wise heads intervene,

They will ignite civil unrest,

The likes of which we've never seen.

(11-19-16) By Bob B

Oh, the Rallies!

Instead of dealing with real issues,

Trump wants the adulation

Of crowds of supporters at huge rallies

Continuing across the nation.

Obviously, he loves the spotlight.

The praise of the crowds turns him on

And brings a smile to a face

That's usually wan or woebegone.

The instant gratification he gets

From faithful fans and cheering crowds

Strokes his huge, overblown ego

And lets him keep his head in the clouds.

Smitten with the fervent applause

From fawning masses, loyal and true,

Trump beams. But let's not forget:

Hitler loved HIS rallies, too.

(11-18-16) By Bob B

What? Give Him a Chance?

Give him a chance, people say.

Give Trump a chance; let go of fears.

The SAME chance Republicans gave

President Obama for the last eight years?

From the beginning Republicans

In Congress superciliously vowed

That President Obama would serve

Only one term. They felt so proud.

Pushing their petty partisan agenda

And blocking proposals with all their might,

They perfected the art of obstruction

And did it with insidious delight.

Calling the president a liar

And his birth certificate a fraud,

They displayed contempt for their leader

With reasoning that was greatly flawed.

It's dereliction of duty when

Republicans, the Party of NO,

Refuse to confirm a Supreme Court justice

With all their lame excuses in tow.

Flouting the very institutions

That normally make a democracy succeed,

Unethical members of Congress have

Only made our democracy bleed.

Their mindless obstruction, along with their

Unprecedented disrespect,

Is partly why we have a populist

Demagogue as president-elect.

NOW they say to give the next

President the respect that is due.

It doesn't work that way; they can't

Have their cake and eat it, too.

(11-17-16) By Bob B

Comic Relief

Life can be too funny for words.

Ben Carson is a prime example.

Opportunities to assume a position

In Trump's future Cabinet were ample.

Not wanting to "cripple the presidency,"

Carson rejected the offer. Good grief!

He'd campaigned to BE the president!

I'm glad he offers such comic relief.

What's so amazing is this man who thinks

The pyramids housed Egyptian grain

Was actually at one time allowed

To operate on someone's brain.

(11-15-16) By Bob B

Tell Them, "Hands Off!"

Medicare and Social Security

Again are coming under attack.

Don't give Republicans

Who mess with the programs any slack.

Earned benefits are exactly

What most Americans want to preserve.

Whenever lamebrained politicians

Threaten them, they touch a nerve.

Fight, people; fight to keep

Necessary programs strong.

Don't let manipulating

Schemers con you and string you along.

When they blather on about vouchers,

Privatization and major cuts,

Tell them to take their vouchers and all

And stuff them up their you-know-whats!

(11-15-16) By Bob B

Howling at the Moon

Trump just doesn't understand

Why some people are so upset

That he was elected president.

But there is one thing he mustn't forget:

More voted AGAINST him than FOR him;

He didn't win the popular vote.

Thus, he didn't receive a mandate

And doesn't deserve the right to gloat.

Wrapped in smugness, he doesn't see

The reason people protest the election.

A person who spewed so much hatred won!

THAT is the cause of people's objection.

He also fails to grasp why supporters

Commit violent acts in his name.

After he started a fire of bigotry,

Others continue to fan the flame.

Conveniently, he overlooks

The fact that his ugly campaign

Singled out scapegoats, and caused  a flurry

Of blame and attacks hard to restrain.

It doesn't work to claim innocence.

It doesn't work to feign surprise.

After a campaign trail of untruths,

We'd like to see him dispense with his lies.

If he plans to be president for all

He's going to have to change his tune

And stop barking up the wrong tree--

Stop howling at the moon.

(11-14-16) By Bob B

Who Will Be Running the Country?

A conflict of interest is one thing to call it.

Trump has picked his transition team

To help him decide on who will fill

Positions in his future regime.

The team includes three of his kids

And his son-in-law to call the shots.

In short, the ones running his business

Decide who'll fill government slots.

Hmm. Very suspicious, no?

Who is running the country? you ask.

The Trump Dynasty has

Obviously assumed the task.

(11-14-16) By Bob B

How to Win an Election

How to win an election…

It's really simple these days.

Some would call it an art.

Let us count the ways.

One. Forget the truth.

Fill your speeches with lies.

Focusing on facts

Would probably be unwise.

Two. Find a scapegoat

Or two or three or four.

If that's not enough,

You can always find more.

Three. Social media

For spreading disinformation

Will easily hurt your

Opponent's reputation.

Four. Spread doubt,

Uncertainty and fear

In the minds of the people.

Smear, smear, smear!

Five. Hateful rhetoric

Will help further your cause.

Poke fun at violence.

Thumb your nose at the laws.

Six. Be certain

To run a bad faith campaign.

Admitting any fault

Should go against the grain.

Seven. Welcome support

From groups super extreme.

Bring some nativist members

Into your campaign team.

Eight. Find ways

To further vilify

Your opponent with

Help from the FBI.

Nine. Don't be afraid

To get some outside support.

Russia is--for instance--

A country you could court.

Ten. Blame the media

For everything that's wrong.

Accuse them with the obnoxious

"Biased" and "liberal" song.

There you have it. It's easy.

If your numbers lag,

Follow these rules and you

Have it in the bag.

(11-12-16) By Bob B

"Not My President!"

"Not my president!"

The protesters incant

As they take to the streets.

We hear them loudly chant,

"Not my president!"

In cities nationwide

Their voices all in unison

Become amplified.

"Not my president!"

The marchers hold in disdain

Recent election results.

The ongoing refrain

"Not my president!"

Echoes across the nation,

As demonstrators express

Their cries of protestation.

"Not my president!"

What makes democracy great

Is we have the right to vote

And the right to demonstrate.

(11-10-16) By Bob B

Change of Tune

Trump often gets caught in a trap

And says he didn't say this or that.

We all know that he is certainly

Not a verbal acrobat.

"The Electoral College is a disaster

For a democracy," Trump has stated.

Getting rid of such a system

Is a proposal he advocated.

Now that he is president-elect,

I wonder if he still sings the same notes--

Now that opponent Hillary Clinton

Has won the majority of popular votes.

(11-10-16) By Bob B

The Art of Rigging Elections

If Trump says the election is rigged,

That's exactly what he's doing.

Turn on the news and every day

You'll see what kind of nonsense is brewing.

Whining that the election is rigged

Was his first major ploy.

People hear his repeated lie

And pity the poor little whipping boy.

Constantly blasting the media is

Another tactic he often uses.

He'll have so many people to blame

If Hillary wins and he loses.

He lied about a Clinton indictment

To scare the voters into thinking

That they ought to vote for him

When his numbers appeared to be shrinking.

Telling people to call a number

If they want to change their vote

Was another obnoxious way

To perpetrate doubt. Voters take note!

So Hillary's in the NATIONAL INQUIRER?

We know the sneaky message that sends.

The CEO of the tabloid and Trump

Both happen to be good friends.

Telling people to vote twice

Or having them "watch" at polling places?

I can't believe he thinks that such

Actions will put him in our good graces.

And what about the FBI

And their mysterious Clinton leaks?

Ask Trump's friend Giuliani;

I don't know, but something reeks.

As much he wants to whine and complain,

On rigged elections, Trump wrote the book.

And yet he has the audacity

To call Hillary Clinton a crook!

(11-5-16) By Bob B

Talk About an Abomination!

A Catholic church in San Diego

Distributed a flyer to tell

Parishioners NOT to vote for Democrats

Or else they will go to hell!

Such a parish is using the Church

As a political apparatus.

And yet you can be sure that it

Expects to receive tax-exempt status.

For such deplorable manipulation

People of conscience have no use.

This ISN'T religious liberty;

Instead, it amounts to religious abuse.

(11-4-16) By Bob B

Disturbing to Say the Least

The FBI has a faction

That's bordering on insurrection

As it tries hard to influence

The current presidential election.

One member even reported,

"This is Trumpland." Not very smart.

There clearly are some scoundrels here

Trying to upset the applecart.

Basing their findings on a sham book,

They're leaking "secret" information.

Politics shouldn't eclipse their main

Task, which is investigation.

Members of the FBI

Can vote for anybody they please.

However, they have to be very careful

Not to misuse their expertise.

I guess in any organization

You'll find some who abuse their positions.

An independent agency,

The FBI must heed admonitions.

(11-4-16) By Bob B

Irresponsible

FBI Director Comey

Pulled his own "October surprise"--

A move that both the right and the left

Have stepped forward to criticize.

Within a period of sixty days

Before an election the FBI

Mustn't interfere so that

Election results don't go awry.

Comey's irresponsible move

To stir up innuendo and doubt

Regarding Clinton makes us wonder

What the man is all about.

Suspicious actions on Comey's part

Give us reasons to upbraid him.

Some people have even wondered

If and how much Trump had paid him.

(11-3-16) By Bob B

Halloween 1950-Something

Halloween was always one of my

Favorite nights of the year,

Although the waiting was torturous

As the date drew near.

What to wear? was always the question.

Not rich enough to be trendy,

We always had makeshift costumes,

And Dad would always pretend he

Didn't have enough money

To spend on fancy treats.

"Besides," he said, "my theory

Is basically sweets are sweets."

We didn't have Darth Vader back then;

Kids were pirates and cats,

Skeletons, hobos, cowboys and Indians,

Devils, witches, and bats.

Mummies, scarecrows, fairies, clowns--

Whatever we could devise.
Many kids were simply ghosts

In sheets with holes for eyes.

Ah, the treats: chocolate coins,

Cookies, Milky Ways,

Popcorn balls, candy corn,

Necco Wafers for days,

Abba-Zabas, Tootsie Rolls,

Bubble gum cigars,

Licorice, Candy cigarettes,

And Snickers candy bars.

We got Double Bubble in packs,

Taffy, Cup-O-Gold,

Jujyfruits, M&M's--

A mountain of treats all told.

The experts had TWO costumes

And hit the neighborhood twice,

As if one giant bag of candy

Was never going to suffice.

Back at home we'd pour out our candy,

And then the bartering started.

Since I had two older brothers,

I was usually outsmarted.

Mom and Dad let us monitor

Our own candy stash,

And we survived the candy feast

Without a sugar crash.

Until I was fourteen years of age,

I'd never had a cavity,

Despite living in Candyland

In utter sugar depravity.

But, oh, those nights, those Halloween nights
Back when I was a kid!
How I survived all that sugar!
But, hey, somehow I did.

(11-1-16; 10-18-18) By Bob B

Rigged, Huh?

Trump's been talking for months

About a "rigged" election.

He keeps talking of some

Conspiratorial connection.

He says if he doesn't win,

It's the Democrats' doing.

It's always humorous to see

What else he's misconstruing.

There was indeed an incident

Of flagrant voter fraud,

Which occurred in Iowa.

But, Trump, before you applaud,

Note that the person who

Committed the infraction

Was a TRUMP supporter!

Now what's your reaction?

So, Trump, you could win,

But it all depends

On cheating voters AND

Your Russian hacker friends.

(10-31-16) By Bob B

Way Out of Hand!

The Clinton email "scandals" have gotten

So absurdly out of hand,

That every time we hear the news

The nonsense is harder to withstand.

Clinton's experience speaks for her competence.

Her expert knowledge is off the charts.

Trump's knowledge--as we have found--

Is more about women's private parts.

That pompous, hypocritical, catty,

Inarticulate, fact-ignoring,

Immigrant-bashing, hate-inspiring,

Misogynist windbag--crafty but boring--

Is NOT fit to be president.

Hillary's not perfect, but make no mistake:

There shouldn't be any doubt about

Casting one's ballot. For goodness' sake!

(10-29-16) By Bob B

If Your Birth Sign Is Scorpio...

Guarded is a key word for you.

You keep your privacy highly protected.

Your reluctance to openly

Exhibit your feelings must be respected.

Though you are interested in others,

They know you ONLY to a degree.

Even when seemingly open, you show

Only what you want them to see.

Your strong will and your ability

To want to get to the bottom of things

Make your sense of resourcefulness

Guide you to seek out and pull the right strings.

You can be very stubborn at times;

Your reticence becomes persistence.

You're not usually combative, but when

You're pushed you knock down all resistance.

If people try to fool you, forget it.

You DON'T like being manipulated.

The outspokenness of Scorpios

Often remains understated.

You could be called a truth-seeker;

Your insight is powerful, your judgment keen.

Challenges are not to be feared

And must be brought into your routine.

You must learn how to master

The two forces of need and desire

So you can develop your potential

To manage the power that you require.

Until it's unleashed, true Scorpio

Energy stays deeply hidden.

Everyone knows that criticizing

A Scorpio is strictly forbidden.

You might tend to dominate

Relationships, so do be wary.

That your intensity can overwhelm

Others for you is customary.

You're not arrogant or self-involved;

Inner struggles you rarely display.

Allowing others to see your weakness

To you would be a cause of dismay.

You appear to be easy-going

And have to learn that it is fine

To manifest the intensity

Associated with the sign.

Your power and magnetism

Can be for some an inspiration,

As well as your stamina

And your fierce determination.

Your mental and physical powers

Of recuperation, along with--of course--

Your creativity,

Make you a guiding force.

(10-27-16)