agnus dei

Australians want the world to eat more lamb
and filmed an ad to boost their market odds
especially with people who shun ham
this product boasts endorsement from the gods.
Denunciation's swift, and it's complete
from Hindus leaping to defend Ganesh
their god would never stoop to eating meat;
it's blasphemous to use Him selling flesh.
Mohammed phones it in, but stays off-screen
depicting him sparked riots for the Danes
and likewise, God-the-Father goes unseen
they're careful whom their contract-work profanes.
Apologies ensue, but in the end
the cult of Mammon's damned-sure to offend.

it's golden!

Steele's dossier's more prurient than hot
material that no one needs to see
the GRU's collected kompromat
was not to be disseminated free.
Trump tried to claim the whole thing was a bluff
but women verified that they'd been paid
like bridge, in which an elegant cross-ruff
takes many tricks before the ace is played.
Mike Pence pretends he doesn't know this guy
refusing meals unless they're with his wife
But Kaine got him repeatedly to lie
he's chained to Trumpty-Dumpty now for life.
It's time that we  impeach, then face what's next.
At least, let's argue policy, not sex.

insular

This week in Bangladesh dwarfs Texans' loss
the county's at sea-level, built on mud
but somehow, International RedCross
seems wholly focused on the Houston flood
four hundred cable channels, who can choose
for special-market sectors of all sorts
no two Americans agree what's news
'though hearts all beat as one for broadcast sports.
Yet no report arrives from past our shores
we're told the viewing public just don't care
we only go abroad when waging wars
attention doesn't linger over there.
When "foreigner" defaults to mean a foe
it's hard to love the neighbor you don't know.

Ki Tetzei II

Elisha ben Abuyah watched a son
chase off a mother bird to raid her nest
and quipped he'd get reward for what he'd done
obedient to his old man's behest.
Dual mitzvot surely marked him for long life;
it's inexplicable he'd be cut short.
But this boy died, and never knew a wife.
Elisha lost all faith in Heaven's Court.
Meir watched this play out, and yet stayed true,
convinced Truth laid obscured beneath p'shat.
A fundamentalist can't stay a Jew
insisting Torah's something that it's not.
the Deuteronomistic quid pro quo
seemed indefensible as youth smashed, dead
two paths diverged; Elisha couldn't go
the pious route. He hunted proofs instead.
No earthly tally always works out right
the wicked prospers, and the righteous bleeds.
No father could forget this awful sight;
his son got villain's wages for good deeds.
The metaphoric ledger just won't sum
without more columns for the World to Come.

Ki Tetzei

Elisha ben Abuyah watched a lad
ascend a tree to score a free-range meal
obedient to please his hungry dad
dual mitzvot surely meant reward for real
the Deuteronomistic quid pro quo
seemed indefensible as he fell, dead
two paths diverged; Elisha couldn't go
the pious route. He hunted proofs instead.
No earthly tally always works out right
the wicked prospers, and the pious bleeds
no father could forget this awful sight;
he saw no prize for his son's pious deeds.
The metaphoric ledger just won't sum
without more columns for the World to Come.

disorder

The White House memo read: "Do Not Admit
Seb Gorka" 'though he holds a current pass.
We're racked with spasm's 'til we pass this shit;
it's hard enough reporting to one ass.
As Chief of Staff, John Kelly needs a team
where campaign strategists and data geeks
conspire to realize a nation's dream
and not compete to leak the biggest leaks.
It's hard to make a boss who doesn't read
look to the world like he were in command
'though Hillary delivered him the lead
that power's dribbling through his stubby hand.
This general's assignment can't be done; 
with Trump's inauguration, Chaos won.

instability

Convection roils our lower atmosphere
transporting solar energy away
if, at most frequencies the air is clear
not brown like Delhi, Beijing, or LA.
There, photons give it up far overhead
the upper air's no cooler than below
the column luminesces infrared
and what's been heated's got no place to go.
Still, all of it must stratify at night
for lack of insolation, gravity
like Maxwell's demon, sorts them out by height;
the atmosphere grows stable as a sea.
Inversion's normal as the night grows old
but when the soaring's sweet, aloft it's cold