No More

 NO MORE

The end of my life

Came with the end of her life.

No more need be said.

The Marcher

 THE MARCHER

She began marching as a girl.

            There was so much to march for or against.

There was nuclear weapons testing,

            There was the Vietnam War.

There were women's rights, gay rights,

            Native American rights, animal rights.

As she got older there was the fight the for ERA

            And a woman's right to an abortion.

There was the fight against nuclear power plants,

            Against fracking and oil pipe lines.

There was the fight against climate change.

            There was the fight for health care.

There was the fight against plant shutdowns,

            And the fight for a higher minimum wage.

Now she is an old woman,

            And she still marches,

Against Nazis, against ICE, against a power-mad

            Dictator determined to destroy democracy.

She has marched all her life,

            Because there is so much to march for,

                        Or against.

There has always been.

            And so she keeps marching.

Original Sin

 ORIGINAL SIN

Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth,

            African slaves landed at Jamestown.

After Columbus destroyed the Caribbean,

            African slaves replaced the natives.

After America abolished slavery,

            Slavery went on,

                        Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico.

Slavery is as old as Rome,

            Which felt Slavs

                        Made good slaves.

The Japanese Army

            Believed Korean women

                        Made good sex slaves.

In Africa, captured children

            Make good boy soldiers.

The powerful will always find someone,

            Weaker, smaller, younger,

                        To use and abuse.

            It is our Original Sin.

The Plague

 THE PLAGUE

There is a plague upon the land.

            It infects far and near.

It ravages the people.

            It empties the cities.

Fields ripe for the harvest groan,

            But no harvester comes.

Factories stand empty.

            Homes are abandoned.

Schools are silent.

            No one knows its source.

No one knows its cure.

            No one knows its duration.

The people cry for salvation.

            But there is no salvation.

There is only the plague upon the land.

Vernal Equinox

 VERNAL EQUINOX

The sun stands poised equally

            Between day and night.

Dark night has ruled faint day

            For many long months.

Now, for this one moment,

            The sun is in the balance.

And then the sun moves.

            Tomorrow belongs to the light,

And day will rule fading night.

                        The world rejoices.

Blood on the Snow

 BLOOD ON THE SNOW

Blood on the snow.

            The war goes on.

It doesn't matter which war.

            There are so many wars.

            ***************

Blood on the green grass.

            The war goes on.

It doesn't matter which war.

            ***************

Blood on the dry leaves.

            The war goes on.

            ***************

Blood on the snow.

St. Patrick's Day Lament

 ST. PATRICK'S DAY LAMENT

There is the promise of spring,

            But winter has not yet released

                        Its cold hand from the land.

                        **********

The daffodils were fooled.

            They lifted their yellow heads,

                        Thinking spring was here.

They were wrong.

            Now snow shrouds them

                        As it shrouds the land.

                        **********

But it is winter's last cold grasp upon the land.

            As St. Patrick drove the snakes

                        From the Emerald Isle,

So spring will soon drive winter

            From the shrouded land

And release us from its

            Last, cold, dying hand.

A Cold Wind

 A COLD WIND

A cold wind blows across the land.

We shiver at its command.

Summer is just a memory.

There is ice so far as we can see.

It freezes us where we stand.

Tired of It All

 TIRED OF IT ALL

We stand dazed and confused

            And feeling misused.

With all the lies we're fed

            We can't believe a word that's said,

And we're tired of being abused.

The American Way

 THE AMERICAN WAY

America, land of immigrants,

            Hates immigrants.

"Shut the door after me," we say.

            After me, they're all

                        Criminals and lowlifes.

That was what those

            Here before us

                        Said about us.

"No Irish Allowed," the signs used to say.

Paddys, Dagos, Wops, Kikes, Polacks, Hunkies,

            They called us.

Now the children of the Paddys, Dagos,

            Polacks and Hunkies

Don't want all those

            Spicks and Chinks and other lowlifes

                        Pouring into the country.

I suppose it's just

            The American Way of Life.

The Forever War

 THE FOREVER WAR

The war has been going on forever.

We don't remember when it began.

We don't remember how it began.

We don't remember who began it.

We don't remember who we're fighting.

                **********

We don't know why we're fighting.

We just know we have to keep fighting until the end.

We don't know when it will end.

We don't know how it will end.

We don't know if it will end.

               **********

It's been going on forever.

Trail of Tears

 TRAIL OF TEARS

We've been on this Trail of Tears

            For many long years.

We began on this Trail of Tears

            In ancient times

                        And foreign climes.

We lost many along the way.

            We have forgotten their names.

Now we lead the way

            On this Trail of Tears.

Tomorrow our children

            Will lead the way,

And their children after them

            Will lead the way

                        On this Trail of Tears.

And their children

            Will have forgotten our names.

Dark Spot

 DARK SPOT

The Great Red Spot of Jupiter,

An immortal storm,

Has lasted for millennia.

America was born with a similar storm.

It has darkened every generation.

It darkened my generation.

It darkens this generation.

It will darken future generations.

It is the American Great Dark Spot.

He Abhorred War

 HE ABHORRED WAR

Upon taking the throne

The Emperor let it be known

That he abhorred war.

But that was before

He turned Iran into a tombstone.

Dido, Queen of Carthage

 DIDO, QUEEN OF CARTHAGE

Trojan Aeneas raised the libido

Of the Queen of Carthage, named Dido.

But despite her pleas to stay home,

He said I must roam,

Rome needs me and I must go.

International Women's Day

 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

A day to honor women.

But every day should honor women.

Women keep the wheels turning

And the home fires burning.

Women bring in the sheaves

And knit up our raveled sleeves.

Women keep families together

In all kinds of weather.

Without women where would we be?

I guess we simply wouldn't be.

So let us honor women on this day,

And honor women every day.

A Long War

 A LONG WAR

Some say Iran declared war on us in '79

When they kicked out the Shah. But what of the crime

Of the CIA, who installed him in '53?

So far as I can see

It's been a war for a long, long time.

Nazi Barbie

 NAZI BARBIE

Nazi Barbie is no more.

Nazi Barbie had costumes galore,

And Nazi Barbie loved to preen.

Nazi Barbie lived like a queen,

Until he kicked her out the door.

Don't Call It War

 DON'T CALL IT WAR

Even though there's blood and gore,

The Emperor said it's not a war.

            **********

We knew they planned to hit us,

And throw us under the bus.

So we hit them first

And we hit them worst.

            **********

But, remember, don't make him sore,

Never, ever, call it war.

Next To Fall

 NEXT TO FALL

The Emperor is a classic bully.

His thinking may be wooly,

But one thing is fully clear:

He loves mean bullies far and near.

            **********

But only if they're big like him,

Putin, Zi, or Little Kim,

Who may be small but has the Bomb,

Which he waves with much aplomb.

            **********

But if you're only a pipsqueak,

He'll pluck you out quick as a wink,

Or he'll bomb you while you meet,

And crow about such a feat.

            **********

Like all bullies he will seek

Those he sees as small and weak.

So if you're small and don't stand tall,

You may be the next to fall.

Kiss His Derriere

 KISS HIS DERRIERE

The Emperor loves the power

To make the world cower.

It means he can kill you anywhere,

Unless you kiss his derriere

And praise him by the hour.

Democracy Is Expensive

 DEMOCRACY IS EXPENSIVE

"Education is expensive," the Emperor said.

            "Schools cost homeowners millions

                        In property taxes."

So the Emperor signed an Executive Order:

            No more schools.

                        It saved homeowners millions.

"Health insurance is expensive," the Emperor said.

            "Insurance premiums cost people millions."

So the Emperor signed an Executive Order:

            No more health insurance.

                        It saved people millions.

"Democracy is expensive," the Emperor said.

            "Elections cost taxpayers millions."

So the Emperor signed an Executive Order:

            No more elections.

                        It saved taxpayers millions.

Bored of Peace

 BORED OF PEACE

The Emperor created a Board of Peace,

But he grew bored of peace,

So he went to war again,

Just to make it plain,

War is his great release.

The Ayatollah's Last Day

 THE AYATOLLAH'S LAST DAY

The Emperor went to war today.

It was the Ayatollah's very last day.

We bombed his bombs before,

But then he made some more,

So the Emperor said he had to pay.

Over Time

 OVER TIME

Over time

            One spends more time

                        In hospitals,

Either seeing a patient,

            Or being a patient.

And one must be patient

            As, over time,

Everything takes more time

            Until, over time,

One runs out of time.

Lady Liberty Wept

 LADY LIBERTY WEPT

Lady Liberty wept.

            She was the symbol of freedom,

But freedom was in chains

            In the land of the free.

Lady Liberty wept,

            Because now only the wicked walked free,

                        And corruption ruled the land.

Lady Liberty wept

            As prideful privilege paraded,

                        Greed gloated,

            And the strong trampled the weak

                        In the land of the free.

And so Lady Liberty wept

            To see what had become

                        Of a land once free.

State of the Empire

 STATE OF THE EMPIRE

The Emperor gave his State of the Empire address.

            He said all before him was a mess.

But he cleaned it up real fine,

            And made it all shine,

Though he had to use the SS.

Winter

                                                 WINTER

It is winter.
The land is frozen,
The water is frozen,
The air is frozen
And our voices freeze in the frigid air.
Ice is everywhere
And the people are frozen.
Their hearts are frozen.
Their thoughts are frozen.
Ice has them in its grip
And they dare not take a step,
Or the dangerous ice
May crack beneath them.
They may plunge into the crevasse.
They may be buried and lost
In the avalanche.
They may disappear and never be found.
They must watch their step,
Lest the avalanche bury them.
They must not speak,
Lest the avalanche bury them.
They must not make a sound,
Lest the avalanche bury them.
It is winter in America.

Pain

                                     PAIN

The Emperor likes to inflict pain

            Because it gives him such delight,

Not necessarily for any gain.

            It just displays his might.

A Time to Choose

 A TIME TO CHOOSE

There is a war going on.

The land is torn by civil rages.

It has been going on for ages.

It may go on long after we are gone.

***************

On one side stands love, sorority, and fraternity.

On the other stands hatred and fear.

The battle is at hand; it is here.

It is a time to choose, for now and eternity.

Semiquincentennial

 SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL

It is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration.

That was a Mission Statement for our nation.

Inquiring minds wanted to know,

What do we tell friend and foe?

                    **********

We said some truths were self-evident,

And knowing them did not require a docent.

We said, "All men are created equal."

Yes, we should have said "people."

                    **********

But, that's what we were all about,

That's what we wanted to shout

From sea to shining sea,

Something on which we could all agree.

                    **********

Now it seems there is a glitch.

The powerful and the rich

Do not see all the people

As created equal.

                    **********

Some, they say, are more equal

Than the rest of the people.

And America is not our land,

America is their land.

                    **********

And only those who have the cash

Should celebrate our birthday bash.

They never read the document

That said some truths were self-evident.

A New Pharaoh

 A NEW PHARAOH

The Emperor said he was Moses,

            Leading us to the Promised Land.

But he was a new pharaoh,

            Leading us into bondage.

What else could he have been?

He was born to wealth,

            Inherited wealth,

                        Loved wealth.

How could he know what it meant

To struggle?

            To suffer?

                        To cry in the night?

He had never cried in the night.

            He had never suffered.

                        He had never struggled.

He had never wandered lost in the Wilderness,

            Like Moses.

The New American Dream

 THE NEW AMERICAN DREAM

We are the children of immigrants,

            But we hate immigrants.

We praise those who work hard and play fair,

            Unless they come from elsewhere.

We love America,

            But we hate our fellow Americans.

We revere the American Dream,

            But we hate those who dare to dream.

This is the new American Dream.

Powerful Predators

 POWERFUL PREDATORS

Powerful predators prowl the land.

It was once the land of the free.

Now the people flee

And dare not take a stand.

            ***************

The powerful predators pay no price

As they feed on the small and the weak,

For the people are too meek

To free themselves from the powerful vise.

            ***************

It is a sad end to the land of the free,

As the people exchange their freedom

For an impoverished serfdom

And live their lives on bended knee.

The Psychopath

 THE PSYCHOPATH

For the Emperor, cruelty was a choice.

But it was also a reflex action.

It was his second nature.

It was his basic instinct.

It was his worldview:

            Never be soft,

            Never show mercy,

            Never show tenderness.

Crack the whip,

Wield the club,

Strike with an iron fist,

Stride in hobnailed boots,

And laugh at the cries of your victims.

It was the code of a psychopath.

Hunt People

 HUNT PEOPLE

The Emperor likes to hunt people.

His favorite prey is someone honest.

But he is so physically feeble

There would be no contest

Unless the prey was somehow suppressed.

                    ***************

So the prey is first hounded

By thugs in a pack,

And then pounded

And tied in a sack.

Only then does the Emperor attack.

War On The People

 WAR ON THE PEOPLE

The Emperor declared war on the people.

"The enemy is within," he said,

"And I will not rest until the people are dead,

Or at least the ones who do not worship me."

But he loved the ignorant people,

And they loved him,

Because he declared war on all the people

Who did not worship him

And weren't like them.

There Is No Rabbit

 THERE IS NO RABBIT

Even when he doesn't need to,

The Emperor lies.

It's a habit,

Like a dog chasing a rabbit.

If you told him it was day,

He would say it was night.

If you told him it was left,

He would say it was right.

If you said it was up,

He would say it was down.

If you asked him to smile,

He would give you a frown.

He wants you to get in the habit

Of chasing the rabbit,

Even when there is no rabbit.

Quickly Disappear

 QUICKLY DISAPPEAR

The Emperor does not know he's mad,

And that is absolutely bad.

It means that those who see him clear

Must quickly disappear,

Or else pretend they're glad.

A Mass Delusion

 A MASS DELUSION

To clear up our confusion

The Emperor said climate change is illusion,

A great hallucination

Of the entire nation,

All part of a mass delusion.

Us Who Cower

 US WHO COWER

Before the Emperor came to power

He would bellow by the hour

About how the ruler was unfair,

And simply didn't care.

Now, it is us who cower.

Grief Poured Down

 GRIEF POURED DOWN

Grief poured down on the people

            Like a relentless waterfall.

The Emperor had chosen them,

            On a careless, passing, whim,

To suffer his latest atrocity.

            ***************

The people had committed no crime.

            They kept silent and worked hard.

It was just their time.

            Perhaps, on another day,

If he had not passed their way,

            They might have lived another day.

But, today, they had to pay.

I Want Your Juice

 I WANT YOUR JUICE

I want to taste your juice.

I want to taste your juice every day.

A sweet and juicy jelly roll

Like you

                Should be tasted every day,

And every day,

                A different way,

More juicy,

                More succulent,

                                Than the previous way.

I want your juice to fill my mouth.

I want your juice to drip from my lips.

I want your juice.

Calling Dr. Oz

 CALLING DR. OZ

The Emperor is an ancient old fart

Completely lacking a heart.

It's also a crying shame

He has a peanut for a brain,

So he isn't very smart.

A Time of Crisis

 A TIME OF CRISIS

Now is a time of crisis.

Our danger is not from ISIS,

Nor from Marxism, Islamism,

Or any foreign ism.

It is from our own insane Dionysus.

Regime of Lies

 REGIME OF LIES

We live under a regime of lies.

It is a time that terrifies

Because, unless we fight back

Against the imperial maniac,

We will see how freedom dies.

Populist

 POPULIST

When the people resist

And form one mighty fist,

Overcoming differences

And different preferences,

That's called "populist."

Value Unity

 VALUE UNITY

The Emperor did quail

When he learned that empires fail.

When people value unity

Over petty purity,

The people will prevail.

A La Carte

 A LA CARTE

The Emperor has a hole in his heart.

It's big enough for a horse and its cart.

And instead of a soul,

There's another big hole,

And you can bribe him a la carte.

The Kennedy Center

 THE KENNEDY CENTER

The Emperor took over the Kennedy Center.

But no one came all winter.

So, with his usual frown,

The Emperor shut it down,

And searched for someone to rent her.

Renee Good

 RENEE GOOD

The Emperor's thug killed Renee Good.

He wore a mask instead of a hood.

She was smiling at him,

And so on a whim,

The Emperor's thug killed Renee Good.

A Royal Mess

 A ROYAL MESS

They made a movie about the Empress.

But, sad to confess,

It put even the sheep

Completely to sleep,

Because it was such a royal mess.

A Brain Worm

 A BRAIN WORM

The Emperor has a brain worm.

Perhaps it explains why he's so infirm,

Or perhaps his inanity,

Or even his insanity,

But to see it would make you squirm.

Nazi Pranks

 NAZI PRANKS

For the Emperor, loyalty is just one way.

Then, your loyalty he will betray.

If you think you'll get his thanks

For all your Nazi pranks,

You'll wait until your dying day.

Commit Any Crime

 COMMIT ANY CRIME

Even if he has to cheat

The Emperor won't accept defeat.

Every single time

He'll commit any crime,

Even claim to be an athlete.

Regime of Lies

 REGIME OF LIES

The Emperor murdered Alex Pretti

When he sent his goons into the city.

Then he sought to mesmerize

With his regime of lies,

And for the victim he had no pity.

Crime du Jour

CRIME DU JOUR

All hail the Emperor!

To him you must defer.

Don't believe your eyes,

Just believe his lies,

And accept the crime du jour!

Disgusting Lice

 DISGUSTING LICE

The Emperor's thugs ravish the land,

Turning it all into a wasteland.

These disgusting lice

Go by the name of ICE,

But they're an armed and criminal band.

A Fascist

 A FASCIST

The Emperor labels "domestic terrorist"

Any who dares resist.

And he will invade any city

And show no pity

To any who call him a fascist.

A Board of Peace

 A BOARD OF PEACE

The Emperor created a Board of Peace.

It was another way to fleece

Invited members like Skeletor,

Emperor Palpatine, and Darth Vader,

All of who paid a billion apiece.

To Davos

 TO DAVOS

The Emperor went to Davos

Just so he could boast.

He huffed and he puffed,

He lied and he bluffed,

'Till the world said he was toast.

A Nauseate

 A NAUSEATE

The Emperor likes to prate

'Bout how he is so great,

And how it's so unfair

That no one seems to care,

And say he's such a nauseate.

He Didn't Care

 HE DIDN'T CARE

The Emperor wanted Greenland,

Even though it was a friend.

He said he didn't care,

And all friends should beware,

He also wanted their land.

No Reason

 NO REASON

The Emperor's actions have no reason.

They fluctuate with the season.

Depending on how he got out of bed,

Or on the greasy food he fed,

Will be the occasion of some invasion.

Completely Mad

 COMPLETELY MAD

The Emperor's speech is incoherent. 

His actions are all aberrant.

His senility is bad,

It's clear he's completely mad,

His dementia is now apparent. 

Her Diadem

 HER DIADEM

The Emperor finally got his peace prize.

The winner had to apologize

For being more deserving than him.

Then she offered up her diadem,

Which he soon tried on for size.

He Is The Law

 HE IS THE LAW

The Emperor says he's not a scofflaw

Because he is the law.

He takes what he wants,

Then he just taunts

Anyone against him as an outlaw.

A Big Bluff

 A BIG BLUFF

The Emperor likes to look rough.

He thinks it makes him seem tough.

But when he sends others to fight,

He is nowhere in sight.

His manhood is just a big bluff.

Persevere

 PERSEVERE

The Emperor seeks to rule thru fear.

He hopes to drive us to a nadir.

But if we don't give in,

The people can win.

Hold on and persevere.

A Zero

 A ZERO

The Emperor did not think it odd

That he proclaimed himself a god.

If it was good enough for Nero,

It's good for any zero,

No matter how much a complete fraud.

Quick to Obey

 QUICK TO OBEY

The Emperor's gnomes are quick to obey,

Eager to find new ways to slay.

There is one named Bondi,

And another named Kristi,

Both seeking to expand his odious sway.

Don't Believe Your Eyes

 DON'T BELIEVE YOUR EYES

The Emperor says don't believe your eyes.

Close your ears to all their cries.

There is no other way,

It happened just the way I say.

Believe only all my lies.

They're Called ICE

 THEY'RE CALLED ICE

The Emperor hates kisses and hugs.

He likes only his goons and his thugs.

They close their hearts with a vise,

That's why they're called ICE,

And if you smile, they pump you with slugs.

His Own Morality

 HIS OWN MORALITY

Only the Emperor's own morality,

He said, can stop his ferocity.

But he's a total fool,

Who never learned the Golden Rule,

And he's completely lacking empathy.

A Nazi Cur

 A NAZI CUR

The Emperor unleashed his terror

Under the command of a pretty poseur,

A vicious little gnome

By the name of Kristi Noem,

Who all agreed was just a Nazi cur.

No Loyal Opposition

 NO LOYAL OPPOSITION

The Emperor says there's no loyal opposition.

Only traitors oppose his position.

Ban free speech,

Jail those who teach,

It's all his decision.

He Wants Peace

 HE WANTS PEACE

The Emperor says he wants peace,

Here a piece and there a piece.

He also wants a peace prize

To try on for size,

Right after he bombs Greece.

All About Oil

 ALL ABOUT OIL

The Emperor says it's all about oil,

And now we will despoil

All that country's reserves.

It's what it deserves

For being in such turmoil.

Because He Can

 BECAUSE HE CAN

The Emperor does it because he can.

No one knows if he even has a plan.

He may break the law

Like some kind of outlaw,

But he thinks it makes him a man.

Clearly Insane

 CLEARLY INSANE

The Emperor's docs keep testing his brain.

They fear it's going down the drain.

He boasts that he knows what to call

Each shown animal,

Even though he's clearly insane.

Asleep in Public

 ASLEEP IN PUBLIC

Our aged Emperor falls asleep in public.

He says the media likes to nitpick.

It's just a blink,

He says with a wink,

But it's really 'cause he's an ancient dick.

He Loves the Ignorant

 HE LOVES THE IGNORANT

The Emperor says life can be painless

If you're completely brainless.

That's why he loves the ignorant.

They are so very tolerant,

And believe he's always blameless.