Month: August 2017

 

I’m finding it a bit ironic
Bordering on histrionic
That the Nazis
And the Whities
March in favor of free speech

Charlottesville had first refused
Then ADL opposed their rule
And got the permits
For these misfits
To gather spewing noxious speech

As opposed to Hitler’s Third Reich
Free speech is a sacred birthright
Of our Nation
Sans negation
Disagreeing with their speech

But I’m heartened in this great land
Thousands marched opposing their brand
And opposing
Trump, exposing
Lack of conscience in his speech

Trump’s an empty moral vessel
Never does his spirit wrestle
With what’s best
For all the rest
It’s Trump, just Trump in every speech

8/19/17

Continue reading “Bannon Gone”

 

Wall Street, it seems, woke up today
From dreaming Trump would lead the way
To jobs and tax cuts. In dismay
They see there’s nothing there

They pinned their hopes on Donald’s statements
Ignoring Trump’s embarrassments
And his lack of accomplishment
Asleep or unaware

But this time Trump has sealed his fate
His words defending those who hate
And traitors he would celebrate
Not long will he be there

His Presidency is in shambles
In his bubble on he rambles
Falsehoods needing no preamble
Truth within laid bare

When Mueller gives the ready sign
It’s then that Donald will resign
Nor will that be too long a time
What’s next, we must beware

8/17/17

 

 

Hats off to Stanton, Phoenix mayor, asking Trump to change the date
The date next week of Trump’s planned rally so to pardon his pal Joe
Joe Arpaio, former sheriff who ignored the court’s mandate
But true to form the Trump ignored the mayor’s wish; it’s still a go

Greg Stanton is a Democrat, while Phoenix is Republican
Emotions there still running high about events in Charlottesville
The travesty of Trump equating members of the Ku Klux Klan
And Neo Nazis with the ones who actively oppose their will

Meanwhile our leadership in Congress cowers from denouncing Trump
Just what are you afraid of, Mitch; and who has hid your tongue young Paul?
Profiles in Courage you are not; your Faustian bargain hit a bump
Not like the Phoenix mayor who has shown he’s really got the gall

8/16/17

 

 

As you know a week ago we both attended a retreat
We heard a story, short of glory, made me think the GOP
One brother asked the other brother what it was he did that day
The other brother answered “nothing” in a voice somewhat diminished
“But that’s the same as yesterday!” “I know, I know, I wasn’t finished!”

Trump’s unscripted rhetoric equating Nazi demonstrations
On a par with those opposing drew the Party’s condemnation
Not of Trump but of the Neo Nazis of today
Who among the GOP will drop their Trump endorsement
So far it’s gained them nothing but acute embarrassment

Be that as may these last few days revealed a scary fact
Those demonstrating white extremists were of middle class
Well educated, modern, skilled, the bright youth of our day
Like Trump they learned from dear old dad their white supremacy
It is ego addictive; hate is in ascendancy

8/15/17

 

Heather Heyer demonstrator killed by car in Charlottesville
Neo Nazis, Alt Right movement protesting a statue’s take-down
Heather there to counter Alt Right, struck by Jimmy Alex Field
White supremacy’s new victim joins with thousands of renown

White-Supremacy’s resurgence, now that Trump is President
Like a spigot spouting bigots, dating back to Civil War
Since the biggest racist bigot is the White-House resident
They’re accepted now like others, much more open than before

On Saturday Trump’s neutral comments caused a lot of consternation
Reading from a written script he blamed it on extremist groups
He mentioned not the Neo Nazis in his general condemnation
His words were trite and uninspiring, written by some nincompoop

This evening witnessed demonstrations in the cities of our nation
Thousands marched against the Alt Right and against supremacists
Provoked they were to aggravation and a sense of indignation
That this leader of our nation on this issue could care less

Our hearts go out to Mark and Susan, parents of the murdered Heather
They have vowed to honor Heather, carry on what she stood for
That her death will not be in vain, and in her way make this world better
Saying: go from strength to strength; and all who read this lend support

8/14/17

 

 

 

We hold our breath, we of the world
That into war we might be hurled
By careless bluster-threats unfurled
Like battle flags at sea

Apocalyptic threats exchanged
By leaders people think deranged
No meetings yet have been arranged
Between these enemies

Yet each can claim he’s justified
That other options have been tried
That haven’t worked for either side
Trust not the other’s word

And all that’s left is brinksmanship
The game of chicken, who will flip
And back off this relationship
Whose essence is absurd

Both Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un
Know wars like this, once they’ve begun
They end and no one will have won
And millions will have died

It’s time now to avert this fate
It’s time now to negotiate
All threats and bluster to abate
And cease this suicide

8/12/17

 

Both Trump and Kim trade off again
Their schoolyard threats like boys, not men
Both liars, unpredictable
Both ratcheting their rhetoric
With phrases for the hell of it
And outcomes unforgivable
Were one to misinterpret acts
The other made, as an attack
And launches, to retaliate
Apocalyptic in its scope
By then, the world devoid of hope
Will witness each annihilate
Some tens of million innocents
From reckless threats of bad intent

8/8/17

 

Congress is in recess, really in pro forma session
They’ll gavel the near empty chamber: come-to-order statement
And then adjourn for several days accomplishing their mission
To stymie any Trump attempted recess time appointment

The President, too, took his leave: New Jersey for a while
Three weeks of playing golf and working in between the putts
It’s not rejuvenation, he’s already juvenile
It’s R and R and morning tweets, his feelings from his gut

My wife and I are also taking leave this coming week
To journey to Palm Desert, somewhat in-land from LA
Attending a retreat for Jews to hear our wise ones speak
I, too, will be pro forma posting poems when I may

8/6/17

Back in February Ken posted a poem, “Diss stress!”, as a guest. On August 3rd Charles Krauthammer published an op ed in the Washington Post that paralleled Ken’s poem such that Ken brought it to my attention.  This poem draws upon some of Krauthammer’s insights.

Systemic Stress

Our founding fathers and our founding mothers too
Designed a Constitution that in ways was very new
That government should have three branches, each one powerful
Within its realm of governance and relatively equal

What’s more each branch, its duty was each other branch to check
A tension written in the text engendering respect
And fostering dynamic balance o’er the branches three
This week it was exemplified in our democracy

Opinion writer, Krauthammer, op-eds for WP
His article, “The guardrails hold” discusses candidly
How Congress thwarted Trump’s demands, defied him all around
And on transgender how the generals balked and stood their ground

Trump tests us with “systemic stress” as Krauthammer explains
So far the rails are still in place, Trump’s nonsense is contained
With all that’s swirling Trump about, his future’s far from certain
This show is real reality; what’s next behind the curtain?

8/5/17