A Shared Experience

I like a tasty gin and tonic,

Margarita, or daiquiri.

Whiskey, bourbon, scotch, or vodka

Really don't do much for me.

 

But wine--ah!--a good glass of wine

Sits at the top of my preference list,

And when I'm in a social mood,

A glass of wine is hard to resist.

 

The words "social mood" are key,

For when I drink wine, I say with no shame

That if it isn't shared with somebody

Else, it doesn’t taste the same.

 

Yes, the shared experience

Is what gives wine its special flavor.

Every glass is a new adventure,

And every sip is something to savor.

 

Whether it's creamy, flamboyant, bold,

Fruity, bright, complex or not,

Fleshy, oaky, toasty, velvety,

Crisp, or buttery, wine hits the spot.

 

So any time you have a bottle

To share on any day of the week,

Bring it over. I've got the glasses.

Oh-la-la! C'est magnifique!

-by Bob B (1-16-22)

Omicron, Please Go Away!

(This poem can be sung to the melody of "Little Brown Jug," the old folk song written by Joseph Eastburn Winner.)

 

We've dealt with COVID for two years

And the news we hear confirms our fears:

Viruses will stick around

If people give them any ground.

 

(Chorus)

No, no, no, Omicron,

We CANNOT wait till you are gone.

Please don't say that we'll see

Variants range from A to Z.

 

If vaccinations were embraced

By all, the bug could be erased.

But when our strategy's half-assed,

The virus spreads, and it spreads fast.

 

The experts say we should beware,

But some folks say that they don't care.

Do more than keep your fingers crossed;

Avoid the germ at any cost.

 

(Chorus)

No, no, no, Omicron,

We CANNOT wait till you are gone.

Please don't say that we'll see

Variants range from A to Z.

 

We know that face masks help us, too.

The doctors say that's tried and true.

If you wear yours and I wear mine,

Then both of us will toe the line.

 

They say that Omicron's less bleak

Than Delta, but when will it peak?

Until it's safe, we would be wise

To watch how much we socialize.

 

(Chorus)

No, no, no, Omicron,

We CANNOT wait till you are gone.

There's no need for you to stay.

Omicron, please go away!

-by Bob B (1-15-22)

In These Crazy Times...

ANOTHER INDICTMENT…

 

Eleven Oath Keepers were

Indicted for the part they played

On January 6 during

The insurrection escapade.

 

Seen as seditious conspirators,

The coup plotters appeared to be

Eager to use brute force to change

Election results that day in D.C.

 

During the violent chaos, Trump

Was said to be glued to his TV screen

While call after call came in from people

Asking him to intervene.

 

Trump's inaction makes him look

Like a co-conspirator who

Condoned the Capitol attack

As a way to carry out his coup.

 

NICE TRY…

 

Another conspiracy theory is now

Being spread by our friends on the Right,

Which shows how they love to alter

History through the use of sleight.

 

They say a man with the last name Epps

Incited the mobs on the sixth. The man

Was a federal agent, they say,

And the brutal attack was an FBI plan.

 

Nice try, people. Your lies fall flat.

Ray Epps is a Trump supporter--

Not a federal provocateur--

And that makes him an election thwarter.

 

MASS FORGERY…

 

Republicans in a number of states

Tried to pull off an election scam.

They forged some docs in efforts to show

That they were the REAL electors. Wham!

 

They got caught. Let's hope that they

Pay for their crime. But isn't it odd

That they scream, "Fraudulent elections!"

While they're committing election fraud?

-by Bob B (1-14-22)

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

No good deed goes unpunished.

I'm sure you've heard that saying before.

You'll find that when people attack you unfairly,

A good reputation is hard to restore.

 

No matter how hard you work to help

People in dire situations,

There will be folks with an ax to grind

To slam you with lies and accusations.

 

To push their agenda, they will do

Their best to drag your name through the mud.

Their cunning insinuations will make

It clear that they are out for blood.

 

You can have the best credentials,

The greatest intentions, a shining career,

Yet some will find a baseless reason

To make you an easy target to smear.

 

You can put your trust in experts

To gather and hand out expert advice,

And yet the cut-throat carpers will try

To tear you apart without thinking twice.

 

We see this happen on Capitol Hill

Where such maligners are not hard to find.

A shameless, obnoxious political hack

From the state of Kentucky comes to mind.

 

Far too many bloodthirsty frauds

Seek noble people to demonize.

We have to rely on a knowing public

To see through the vicious and unfounded lies.

-by Bob B (1-12-22)

Johnson Thinks in Mysterious Ways

Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson--

An anti-vaxxer who's super odd--

Thinks that scientists pretend

To know what's correct--more than God--

 

About vaccines for fighting pandemics.

Could God be so anti-chem?

Has Johnson considered that scientists

Are right 'cause God is working through them?

 

The senator is quite presumptuous

To think he has a link to God's mind,

When in actuality,

There's something else with which he's aligned.

-by Bob B (1-10-22)

On Scammers

I often wonder how anyone

Can scam other people and call it fun.

How can someone dupe others and be

Content with causing adversity?

 

What is it about them that makes

Scammers act like cold-hearted snakes?

They hiss, "Honesty be damned!”

How would they like it if they were being scammed?

 

Like hungry snakes they lie in wait

Until their prey land on their "plate."

They spring as soon as their targets come near,

Before the poor victims can even show fear.

 

Failing to notice the forms of disguise,

The unwary victims are caught by surprise.

It doesn’t matter how victims feel

Since the snakes’ focus is their next meal.

 

Scammers and snakes are slimy; that’s true.

But maybe we shouldn't equate the two.

Perhaps it's an insult to snakes to maintain

That they and scammers are in the same vein.

 

Having no conscience, scammers are scum.

Their minds are selfish; their hearts are numb.

They do not care which rules they subvert;

They couldn't care less if people get hurt.

 

If I believed in hell, I would say

That that’s where scammers deserve to stay,

Though fire and brimstone and all that stuff

Would NOT be punishment enough.

-by Bob B (1-11-22)

Attention Span

The human attention span, they say,

Is getting shorter every day.

With so many distractions now,

People need a constant "Wow!"

 

Many get no satisfaction

Unless they are bombarded with action.

Instant gratification's a must;

A lengthy article's a bust.

 

Who spends hours with MOBY DICK?

People prefer an action flick.

A long book now is hard to sell

And is a modern reader's hell.

 

Work makes students feel constrained

Unless they can be entertained.

Reading selections make us happy

Only if they're short and snappy.

 

Letter writing? A dying art.

We want our info à la carte.

Concentration only succeeds

If it fulfills immediate needs.

 

And some will ask for no repentance

If they can't get through this sentence.

Exaggeration? Perhaps, and yet,

There's some truth in it, I bet.

 

If none of this applies to you,

Then you deserve a loud "Woo-hoo!"

Enjoy some quiet time alone,

And most importantly, turn off your phone!

-by Bob B (1-9-21)

Passing the Litmus Test

If you plan to run for an office

With an R that follows your name,

The GOP must know you are

Completely willing to play its game.

 

If you do not follow the rules,

You'll find that you will be hard-pressed

To win elections nationwide.

To win there is a litmus test.

 

You must adhere to three ideas--

Three things that you cannot do.

First, opposing Trump's election

Lies would be the end of you.

 

Next, you cannot criticize

The U.S. Capitol insurrection

Of January 6 last year.

Condemn it and you'll face rejection.

 

Finally, if you oppose

Political violence, you will see

That you just don't fit in at all

With the current GOP.

 

A cult of personality

Is what the Party has become.

Winning culture wars is now

The Party's golden rule of thumb.

 

Pass the litmus test and your

Chances of winning will be greater.

Lack of integrity? What about that?

You can worry about that later.

-by Bob B (1-8-22)