heel!

As long as Trumpty-Dumpty goes unveiled
Pence day-by-day's obliged to weigh the costs.
A VP's job-load's light, but he'd have failed
were he to seem unfaithful to the boss.
The Mayo Clinic specified a mask
for anyone to who was to come on-site.
But Mikey failed at even such a task;
Trump's proud the clowns he hires are none too bright.
Still, Mike heels dog-like, orbiting Trump's mass
Like Hillary adhering to her Bill.
His lips seem stapled to the orange ass
as if he has no independent will.
Trump's team's insouciant of the Public Health;
their full attention's fixed on their own wealth.

the State of Nature

Obama dug us out of 'Cheney's Slump'
but still was subject to the Right's attacks.
That fringe embrace the moron Donald Trump
who can't forgive the sin of being Black.
Discounting wisdom coming from a face
that doesn't need vacation to look tan,
Trump's cultists' politics revolve on race;
they disregard the merits of the man.
"The government's the problem" Reagan crowed
and maybe he believed the words he spoke.
At least that's what the teleprompter showed
and no one told the geezer that's a joke.
Leviathan can spare us Nature's ills
it's Trumpty-Dumpty's insouciance that kills.

tactical

Team Biden deems Joe's got this in the bag
and he, obediently heeds his staff:
"just ridicule Trump's failings, hug the flag,
and bite your tongue before you make a gaffe".
Noam Chomsky knows Joe Biden's not okay
big corporations bought him, heart and soul.
"But he's an empty vessel one can sway;
united, we can still wield some control".
The lesser of two evils' less than good
But all of us cohabit this one boat.
The moral sovereign asks what one should;
that citizen's remiss who fails to vote.
My anti-Trump vote's doomed to benefit
Some Joe whose voting record's largely shit.

apparition

Pink clouds of cherry blossoms levitate
upon a sea in countless shades of green
a challenge for the mind to contemplate
within three pounds of squishy wet machine.
If clouds wax pink, why need a sky be blue?
and must your lexicon comport with mine?
The frequencies reflected set the hue,
but conversation's tinted by each mind.
The qualium evoked when you see "red"
might differ from what I call by that name.
I can't know what goes on inside your head,
'though lazily, I treat the two the same.
A vernal contemplation en pleine air
is pretty, 'though I can't be sure what's there.

blather

Trump never has a thought he doesn't voice
no filter guards the floodgate of his lips.
Compulsively, as if he has no choice
he keeps his handlers mortified of slips.
Trump's cultists cite this as "sincerity"
a candid glimpse of what's behind his eyes.
But Trumpty's gaze is riveted on "me"
he sells himself his own self-serving lies.
Some few may switch, now that recession's clear
discounting rhetoric to weigh Trump's deeds.
Americans united in our fear
may--temporarily--defeat dumb greed.
If we survive this orange clown  absurd
we'll need a president who weighs her words.

shemini

Nadab and Abihu died in a flash
consumed like offerings of meat and bread.
We're left to guess why God would be so rash
but all that's made explicit's that they're dead.
While Moshe put his shoes on, went to work
perceiving his epiphany was done
these twain rushed to explore their priestly perks
perhaps their zeal moved them to jump the gun?
The Book of Job emphatically refutes
a simple tally-sheet of Bad and Good.
'Though Eliphaz emphatically imputes
Job earned his grief, he speaks more than he should.
To sin like Eliphaz, temptation's strong!
But scripture say explicitly, he's wrong

when and where II

The 'Longitude Act' dangled the Crown's gold

for anyone who'd find a ship at sea.
For such a story to be fully told
clocks must compete against astronomy.
John Harrison's chronometer came through
a challenge to the gazers at the stars
for whom the only time-piece that is true
must use the moons of Jupiter or Mars.
'Til patents let the Market Forces drive
Invention languished, waiting for a prize.
Scant profit to make innovators thrive
until the law let them monopolize.
The first Tech Revolution was set free
by innovations starting in IP.       

Fourth Turning

The blare of Trump/Pence heralds End of Days
although it's been corrupted in most texts.
The Second Horsemen slays us with a plague;
The Wise among us shudder at what's next.
Apocalyptic fires devastate Oz,
as Bangladesh subsides beneath the waves.
Still Trumpty Dumpty doubts the human cause
and soon, there won't be bodies left to save.
Pat Robertson swears God is in control
and sends disease to guide us on His way,
chastising bodies to refine the soul,
and when that fails, he'll blame it on the Gays.
Steve Bannon's all alone to find it "good"
we didn't prep for this one, 'though we could.

Tragedy

Apollo's wroth; this ersatz Golden Boy
shuns cosmetologists who might imbue
his face with colors living folks enjoy
His plague's upon us; victims turn dark blue.
Athena holds no sway in D.C. town
no expertise can get a maven heard
malignant sycophants advise this clown
what's called "policy" here is just absurd.
While Hera smirks; her husband's such a dolt
ur-narcissist who thinks himself a god
so self-impressed with his big thunderbolt
expecting worlds to tremble at his nod.
Liz Warren comes with plans, but Trump's still vague
on what he'll do to mitigate this plague.

Meet the new boss II

Joe's handlers would prefer he not campaign;
a scripted coronation's more his style.
So many Senate votes he can't explain
he's got no policy--but sure can smile!
Jay Inslee offered reasoned policy
but voters never warmed up to this man
beholden to no fossil industry.
Liz Warren's well-equipped; and brings a plan!
But donors like the status quo just fine.
And innovation just gives them the trots.
what's yours is mine, they know, and "mine is mine".
And too few voters can connect the dots.
In retrospect, one shouldn't find it strange
the few who wield real power, balk at CHANGE.

meet the new boss...

Joe Biden'd really rather not campaign;
a scripted coronation's more his style.
So many Senate votes he can't explain
he's got no policy--but sure can smile!
Jay Inslee offered reasoned policy
but voters never warmed up to this man
beholden to no fossil industry.
Liz Warren's well-equipped; and brings a plan!
But donors like the status quo just fine.
And innovation just gives them the trots.
what's yours is mine, they know, and "mine is mine".
And too few voters can connect the dots.
In retrospect, one shouldn't find it strange
the few who wield real power, balk at CHANGE.

...and there was famine in the Land...

Across America, we feel the dearth
bread-flour's gone and yeast is hard to buy.
A lover who can bake's of sterling worth!
And even those who can't, feel moved to try.
The staff of life our fathers' fathers ate
seems suddenly uncertain here and now
the gliaden I've trained to aggregate
has no good substitute, preparing chow.
But still, the farmers sow, and reapers reap
and grain that's once been ground's on hand somewhere
especially the white stuff's meant to keep
it's only oils that spoil exposed to air.
Accustomed to force-feeding like we're geese.
Strange famine, in the Land of the Obese.

immured

The walls close in; we're forced to isolate
a new corona virus stalks the stage.
Until we find the means to vaccinate
we're forced to find amusement in our cage.
Without museums, restaurants and bars
we fax, and teleconference, and text
but hooking up  in cyberspace is hard;
without the face-to-face, we're starved for sex.
Trump didn't think we ought to mobilize;
the threat he feared was to the price of stocks.
But even those who want to trust his lies
are losing family to this new pox.
'Though Dickenson might not have deemed it bad,
such isolation's driving most folks mad.

rudderless

Steve Bannon buffs Trump's ego with his lips
because he knows contagion's spread by hands
so certain we need the Apocalypse
he roots for this pandemic to expand.
"Fourth Turning" in his mind cannot be ducked
no other pathway forward could suffice
'though billions of our brothers would be fucked
Steve figure's he'll survive, so it's all nice.
Rasputin to a pewling Tsarevich
he knows how to make Trumpty-Dump react
ignoring anyone who isn't rich
Don still eats propaganda up like facts.
Reactive, where we need someone to lead
Trump furnishes the bed where Nazis breed.