O brave new world!

Lord Kelvin challenged Hutton's count of years
as if our planet couldn't be that old
the first among his scientific peers
insisted magma would long since grow cold
sir Isaac's clockwork world would have run down
if not for fission cooking in its core
the physics world had a new boy in town
to overturn what had seemed settled lore
the heavy elements that over-shot
the minimum where iron settles out
can keep a planet's core aslosh and hot
'though no one 'til then knew what that's about
new physics left old scientists behind
who thought they'd mapped the frontiers of the mind

post-truth

like Riefenstahl, Steve Bannon feeds the mob
a fabulous faux-past when they were great
a fourth estate that didn't do its job
gave up the field to merchants peddling hate
as sovereigns, it's on our heads to choose
a course for our republic and allies
but all depends on getting honest news
and knowing what part's satire, what part's lies
no Walter Cronkite tells it to us straight
each channel slants the news to make it mean
whatever sponsors' polls would indicate
when Breitbart's the official noise machine
that sunny future's darker than it seems
when we buy into propagandists' dreams

libertarianism

Locke's Second Treatise undergirds the Earth
on which our whole republic claims to stand
assigning lord and peon the same worth
that's what he means to say that one's a man
the right to property's not without bound
democracy presumes we're each the same
if some would sprawl on silks, some on the ground
"our" government's not ours, except in name
a much as he can till's a man's by right
beyond that, everything soon goes amiss
good work by day, and sleep secure by night
to grasp for more would be gross avarice
political philosophy's amok
when men prostrate to worship the Lord Buck

cheater

that Trump's a loser, even he concedes
alleging fraud while winning'd make no sense
this latest lie's a fantasy that feeds
the ego that allied itself to Pence
no narrative's as dear as victimhood
that masks aggression as a quest for rights
alleging his pursuit is for our good
he takes hypocrisy to artful heights
to delegitimize the vote per se
while claiming nonetheless that he had won
leaves nothing settled at the end of day
democracy itself has been undone
the Donald flip-flops without blush or shame
as long as networks blare his gilded name

vayeitzeh

when Jake came out, his mother seemed relieved
he wasn't cut out for his brother's life
his uncle wouldn't care whom he'd deceived
and just might hook the lad up with a wife
a chance encounter on the trail to Luz
assured him God went with him on his way
yet still, he haggled like it's his to choose
'though Esau'd made it plain, he could not stay
a score of years, he slept rough with the flocks
forsaking comforts of his mother's tent
to Esau's goat, he'd learn to play the fox
as Laban taught him what mishpachah meant
at thirty-five, he'll kiss by Jabbok's stream
the twin who sought to kill him as a teen

pulp

George R. R.  Martin writes salacious bits
to lend his drama versimilitude
a tale devoid of sweat, and ass, and tits
would lack his ambiance and attitude
incestuous begettings in the dark
taint many pretty claimants to a throne
few women are as chaste as Lady Stark
to bear a king a son he's sure's his own
no telos motivates dynastic wars
no themes to elevate a reader's soul
an endless haggling for the fees of whores
as mercenaries back-stab for control
this Game of Thrones sells sex, and gore, and dread
as each new varlot swiftly turns up dead

here we go!

the gust-front strikes as almost a relief
the waiting's had us at each other's throats
now air's aswirl with dust and twig and leaf
that had been thick with arguments and votes
the fascists Europe banished long ago
convinced that war was won for once and all
have now emerged from backwoods Idaho
to seize the reins democracy let fall
now Trump lets Bannon ride the Fourth Estate
George Orwell's turning flips to hear such words
the facile lie he'll "make our nation great"
makes as much sense as polishing a turd
farewell to any journalistic norm
all's swept away in Donald's bullshit storm