Category: Uncategorized

 

I pose that prior to elections, you knew not of Bannon’s name
Nor of Breitbart, nor of Mercer recently who’ve come to fame
Bannon ran the far-right Breitbart bank rolled by Bob Mercer’s wealth
Who, incidentally, bank rolled Trump, but this was carried out with stealth

Steve Bannon became prominent as strategist for Trump’s campaign
Then later as Chief Strategist his stature grew as did his fame
Steve was the one insisting Trump make good on all his claims
From ACA repeal/replace to border walls, such shame

Bannon quit his inside job, perhaps, with helpful coaxing
Went back to Breitbart News to dupe the public with his hoaxing
He’ll be Trump’s outer wingman where the gov. can’t interfere
Although he’s out it’s very clear he still has Donald’s ear

On Sixty Minutes Charlie Rose did Bannon interview
Bombastic rhetoric it was, but really nothing new
Steve claims street fighter so to be and Trump’s a fighter too
I disagree. Trump’s not a fighter: bully through and through

Steve’s down on Kushner, down on Ryan, Mitch McConnell two
He wants to run the clock backward to eighteen ninety two
He’s down on “limousine liberals” and espouses nationalism
Ignoring new technologies that will mend Earth’s major schisms

There’s much more to the interview, I recommend you read it
That’s yesterday on CNN or do the Google bit
Steve’s influence on Donald’s deeds remains, still, to be seen
But if the past is prologue we’ll interpret it as mean

9/11/17

 

It wasn’t politics as usual Donald meeting with the leaders
Of our most inconsequential Congress that we’ve witnessed o’er the years
Chuck and Nancy, Mitch and Paul along with Mike and other tweeters,
All were there to start negotiating funds as year-end deadlines near

As such, contention was expected, both sides itching for the fight
Over budgets and debt ceilings, and for Harvey reparations
Also over differences on what are Dreamers’ rights
Both sides ready to do battle, having done their preparations

The Republicans agenda: skinny budget, high-end tax cuts
Fund the ceiling out beyond the looming tough mid-term elections
Worry ‘bout the Dreamers later when six months are nearly up
Meanwhile Democrats felt disadvantaged knowing not Trump’s predilections

But the Trump’s mood was vindictive; he had something up his sleeve
Unhappy, he, with Mitch and Paul for giving him no clear successes
He’d now show them who’s the boss, whose admonitions they should heed
By nodding first to Democrats, ‘twas their proposal he requested

Delighted, Nancy made her move: to fund things just until year’s end
Maintain them at their current rates; we’ve got enough things on our plate
Then readily did Trump concur, a tactic he could comprehend
Just kick the problems down the dates as future fodder for debates

Republicans were all aghast that Trump just gave away the store
They counted on contention to gain leverage for their bills
Trading what they want for what Dems want. Now that will work no more
Trump handed leverage to the Dems. There was no test of wills

Some say Trump acted stupidly, vindictive in his ire
Short sighted in his strategies, politically unwise
But I do differ in my thoughts discerning Trump’s desires
The partisan approach has failed. It’s time for compromise

9/10/17

Ramblings

Here amid the macro news of hurricanes and dreamers
Of North Korean H-bombs and of protest signs and streamers
Of budgets and debt-ceilings
And of options unappealing
Much goes on beneath the surface where we’ll cast our peepers

It’s hard sometimes to keep things straight in these investigations
There is, of course, the FBI and Chris Steele’s revelations
Contained within a dossier
Unverified they like to say
But claim on claim has proven true; so far not one negation

Congressional committees, both Judicial and Intel
Are trying to discredit Steele, his dossier as well
As claim on claim is proven true
Their chairmen don’t know what to do
They have to shield the President against ensuing Hell

As evidence mounts up that Trump, himself, may have colluded
And may have been so doing over years it’s been reputed
As agent of the GRU
Unwittingly but maybe true
If that’s the case Trump’s tenure then would surely be concluded

9/6/17

 

Irma now is a cat Six; it’s well beyond cat five
Sustained winds now one eighty five
Hot Gulfan waters feed it live
Floridians wanting to survive
Have crowded highways leading out
A hundred miles of parking lot
With gasoline in short supply
Some will not make it, though they try

The Interstate lanes heading south
Are nearly empty all throughout
Police should open them hence forth
Except for one, all heading north
Increasing throughput up the state
Reducing those who’ll face the fate
Of Irma’s most destructive force
Whose aftermath will be much worse

And as I watch this on TV
I’m witnessing catastrophe
As though it’s not reality
Since nothing’s happening to me
I’ll send some money for relief
And comfort take in the belief
That I have done what I can do
The rest is really up to you

9/7/17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three current topics worthy of concern discussed tonight:
The largest hurricane of history will be soon off shore
Pyongyang’s H-bomb claims are deemed in essence to be right
The Dreamer Act was given to be valid six months more

The cat. five Irma with sustained winds reaching one eight five
And with a core diameter two hundred miles wide
Will likely strike our south-east coast within a week and drive
Destruction catastrophic; many people will have died

Kim’s tests and photographs provide convincing evidence
Of H-bomb capability long-range missile flights
No scorched-Earth threats will now reverse Kim Jong-un’s stubborn stance
To be now treated with respect befitting ones of might

The President, fulfilling his most unwise campaign promise
Today rescinded DACA, to take place in half a year
Within said time a Dreamer Act is to be passed by Congress
If not, he’ll reconsider. Dreamers’ lives are fraught with fear

Meanwhile, Congress back at work at how its money’s spent
Dealing with the ceiling of the debt and with the budget
Funding both for Harvey and to run the Government
A daunting situation for a Congress so inept

9/5/17

 

A Miner

A miner is a man whose flesh is meshed with steel
His eyes are primed with dirt and grime
And mud beneath his heels
His wit as sharp as drilling bits
His language black as coal
But none so sound as under ground
A miner knows his soul

Circa 1953

Labor Day

I’ve worked the railroad and the mines
I’ve worked with wet-backs trucking grapes
I’ve worked to service cars and trucks
And many other jobs I’ve done
It makes me humble in the face
Of those who’ve labored all their lives

A holiday for laborers made law in eighteen ninety four
After a labor union strike turned riot leaving dozens dead
They struck for living wages and conditions where they worked
Twelve hours a day all seven days from ages six until they died
So many violent strikes it took; so many killed to bring about
The benefits of work today we take for granted blithely so

Industrial revolution which the workers tried to sabotage
Has given way in this new age to smart technologies
Displacing workers as before and fewer jobs for laborers
And competition for good jobs has now gone world wide
Where education will prevail, the lesser ones will fail
Our nation must prioritize our schooling lest we fade

9/3/17

 

Dear Mr Trump, esteemed President
We address you as most-our-lives residents
We came here as youngsters
Don’t treat us like gangsters
Our allegiance has always been evident

The fact that our folks are not citizens
But for many years US denizens
They fled from oppression
And outright aggression
And we had no choice but to come with them

We want to remain as Americans
And all that we know is American
It’s where we’ve been raised
Our parents be praised
For bringing us here to America

We’re labeled by many as Dreamers
But some people think we are schemers
Please don’t DACA cancel
We’d all be most thankful
And praise you with banners and streamers

9/1/17

 

It has been determined that Harvey’s deluge
Caused flooding the worst that our records record
A thousand-year flood, with destruction that’s huge
And the death of at least thirty two; there’ll be more

On average a fifty-year flood should occur
Once every fifty years; that’s what is meant
Since two thousand ten Houston town and suburbs
Have hosted four five-hundred-year flood events

Also on TV news, India experiencing
Monstrous monsoons leaving some thousands dead
And multiple thousands of homes it’s demolishing
Leaving survivors sans hope and with dread

Hurricane Irma has just formulated
In the Atlantic some eight days away
It looks like this season is truly ill fated
For death and destruction, the worst to this day

So wake up deniers! The climate is warming
All prior statistics no longer apply
The climate has changed. This is just the beginning
Unless we take measures we’ll dwindle and die

8/31/17

 

The President’s pardon of old Sheriff Joe
Really served as a signal to Trump’s coterie
That were they indicted by Bob Mueller’s probe
He’d issue a pardon to set them each free

This struck at the heart of the investigations
Each witness could perjure with no consequence
Nor could they flip suspects to yield in narration
True witness accounts of what really took place

But Mueller, as usual, ahead of the game
Joined forces with Schneiderman, AG New York
To prosecute Manafort’s crimes where there’s blame
As crimes against state; federal pardons won’t work

In the news ‘twas revealed that Trump’s real-estate moguls
All during Trump’s campaign for Presidency
Were proposing to build a Trump-Tower in Moscow
While denying the same most emphatically

This may be the secret that Trump has been hiding
It’s part of the story, but I think there’s more
The Christian Steele dossier interest abiding
Makes me anticipate more is in store

8/30/17

 

 

In yesterday’s poem I exaggerated
The lineal measure of rain that descended
As hurricane Harvey with rain inundated
The city of Houston with thousands upended

Twenty odd inches, not feet was the measure
A total of fifty by this time tomorrow
Thousands of people lost all that they treasure
And seven fatalities: grief and much sorrow

Our President came to assess all the damage
He came not to Houston but to Corpus Christi
Where Harvey appeared to have been on a rampage
Just seeing the photos has made my eyes misty

Where Trump chose his photo-op, Trump-style lecture
He said that the government will supply aid
The help he can muster is purely conjecture
Since so few appointments of staff have been made

He neither got rained on nor waded the waters
He spoke not to victims nor to the bereaved
His handling this crisis, he said it would alter
And become the model of what to achieve

Again, Trump embodied his utter irrelevance
People are hurting, they’ve lost everything
Their future uncertain, their present like in a trance
A true sense of hope, Trump’s unable to bring

8/29/17