"The time has come" the walrus said "to talk"

John Bolton doesn't want to go to jail;
he told Fiona Hill to write notes down.
A trial would find he left a paper trail
disowning policies set by this clown.
John told the House he wouldn't testify--
unless they'd send subpoenas to coerce.
His loyalty's not wholly to one guy
who broke the Persian deal, and made it worse.
Now, Senators opine they ought to hear
first-hand what had transpired behind closed doors.
Though little Bolton says is wholly clear,
he's quite irate Iran's not yet at war.
The Senate--scared to actually try
a president--has yet to tell us why.

"unusual weather we're having, ain't it?"

Untimely Spring as snow dissolves in rain
While Aussies suffer unremitting heat
The Polar Vortex won't stay in its lane.
Al Gore was right; we've joined him in defeat.
The WeatherService can extrapolate
the patterns that were normal years ago.
But greenhouse-gases broke the steady-state
and salt-flats crack that should be under snow.
Next week, the powerlines may all contract
and stress the phonepoles as they all draw tight
winebottles spit their corks out, or just crack
as Arizonans shiver in the night.
Miami doesn't even have to freeze
Before iguanas thud like hail from trees.

Acharei Mot

cohane gadol grants s'michah to one goat
the other's blood must purify us all
the choice between them's made by goralot
which is exalted, and which takes the fall
since Titus, there's no altar and no rite
our prayers must substitute for blood and flame
now sin is "crimson" and innocence "white"
and we've no priests to expiate our shame
each week, we delve for meaning in the text
unchanging while our history rolls by
and camels that the thinking mind rejects
allegorize to pass a needle's eye
what's found and what's projected's less than clear
we'll read it with new eyes, same time next year     

Cui bono?

Lev Parnas has a sordid song to sing,
about who stands to lose, and who to gain;
How Trump aspired to make himself a king
extorting criminal help from Ukraine.
Corrupting policy for private ends,
Trump knew Zelensky's up against a wall.
What only Congress has the right to spend
Executives must break the law to stall.
Yovanovich, and Taylor can attest,
Trump held back aid for private benefit.
What Congress meted out is no 'request';
Trump's duty-bound to see Ukraine gets it.
The "drug-deal" Bolton's eager to disown
was documented on Trump's mobile-phone.

...but neither are you free to refrain from beginning

Each January, rabbis organize
To celebrate the life of MLK.
A ringing voice raised up to prophesize
sent to a nation that had lost its way.
To get arrested, year by weary year,
engaging battles Grandma thought she'd won,
makes tangible what's not enough to hear;
Pursuit of Justice never wholly done.
King knew, most people were inclined to shirk
the task of legislating what they feel.
Good people have to get engaged, and work
for our republic's promise to be real.
The Torch of Freedom's insubstantial beam
glows in the heart of us who dream the Dream.

apocalypse now

Mark Esper saw no shred of evidence
to justify Trump's failure to consult.
This Soleimani strike's the work of Pence;
Iran-Hawks are ascendent in Trump's cult.
Our Framers saw this problem long before,
reserving unto Congress the sole call.
Executives are quick to rush to war,
while foisting off the costs onto us all.
America's been slow to come to grips
with Generation Joshua's dark scheme.
We--who don't long for Apocalypse--
are damned to burn in Pompeo's wet-dream.
Pathetically, the orange demagogue
thinks no one sees he's playing 'wag the dog'.

Alien

A cuttlefish with glasses for 3-D
will strike at prey that isn't really there,
when shown a movie splitting red from green
as well as any falcon, snake, or bear.
Darwinian selection gave them eyes
quite independent of the orbs we sport,
and neural hardware that might theorize
'though manifestly not the chordate sort.
As alien as any brain you'll find
A parallel construction link by link.
Our common forebear couldn't have a mind
but cephalopods--somehow--learned to think.
Such good ideas recur, time and again
be it in motile molluscs, or in men.

Great Game

Initiative's Trumpty's for the nonce
To move towards Peace, or choose to push toward war.
Rouhani calibrated his response,
Debris smokes where our 'copters crouched before.
Distracting press from Trump's ongoing crimes
Seemed urgent, 'though Iran posed no new threat.
The existential menace of our times
is Donald; no one's likely to forget.
Pompeo's singing Flynn's bellicose tune
and Hannity invests in making Arms
But Tucker Carlson's not that kind of loon
and still hopes he can mitigate this harm.
This child who doesn't grasp "diplomacy"
may drag the planet into World War Three

strategy

Iraq wants U.S. troops to pack and leave,
because we can't be trusted to behave.
Ironically, it's easy to believe
that Soleimani's laughing in his grave.
The Persians see our empire in retreat
they're well positioned to exploit the lack.
A Western buffer country would be sweet,
in case the Sunni Arabs might attack.
One martyrdom advances Persia's cause.
And Trump has volunteered to take the blame
his blatant violation of all laws
has handed better strategists the game.
Now, only Pence can save us from Trump's mess;
 he never should have played Zarif at chess.

signs and portents

Impeachment looms, the mobs howl in the streets
a frantic president feels  pressed  to act
as soon as he's sent off these batshit tweets,
he'll tell "his generals" they must distract
Americans from his incompetence.
James Mattis always counseled more control
but maybe he was secretly for Pence?
Trump found a docile toady for that role.
Rouhani's heard this sort of crap before
and knows that Trump is--mostly--empty noise.
But voters rally to a foreign war;
and Persia's eye-brow deep in jobless boys.
pathetically, the orange demagogue
thinks no one sees he's playing 'wag the dog'.

off with his hat!

McCarrick bribed a foreign head of state
a Cardinal sins with impunity!
Regardless what the codes of law dictate,
no prosecutor wants such enemies.
But Francis doesn't play Ratzinger's game;
he's unimpressed with wealth, and pomp, and stuff.
What's most important is to spare kids shame.
Lord knows, the Vatican's got cash enough.
A Jesuit well schooled in sacred texts
a chemistry instructor to the youth
wants Church intent on Love, and not on sex.
Obedience won't bend him from the Truth.
An institution married to the past
may face an honest reckoning at last.

new red hats

McCarrick crossed the pontiff's palm with gold
took no receipt, but gave a knowing wink
To keep investigations stuck on 'hold'
regardless what the prosecutors think.
Recurring scandals make the news again
as statutory limits get peeled back.
New testimony from the damaged men
attests long years of sexual attacks.
But Francis doesn't play Ratzinger's game;
he's unimpressed with wealth, and pomp, and stuff.
What's most important is to spare kids shame.
Lord knows, the Vatican has cash enough.
An institution married to the past
may face an honest reckoning at last.