Viva Lula and Brazil!

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: BRAZIL

 

Viva Lula and Brazil!

 

Lula da Silva does it again

Brazil is the better for it

Social democracy claims the win

Avoiding the rightwing pit

 

They flirted with autocracy

They were lucky to overcome

They held on to democracy

When Lula da Silva won

 

Now a brighter future calls

And the left must answer square

Tear down the oppressor’s walls

By treating all people fair

 

They wanted exploitation

Of the forests and the land

Now they’re a better nation

Since Lula made his stand

 

Brazil has made her choice

To uphold the people’s rights

To hear each and every voice

For that is worth the fight

 

Viva Lula and Brazil

The revolution has prevailed

This victory is real

Let’s hope they never fail

 

(Sadly, Lula unexpectedly lost the first 

round of elections. The future is in doubt.)

 

On Democracy

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: DEMOCRACY

 

On Democracy

 

Without freedom of speech

You do not have a democracy

You may have an autocracy

Without the sea there is no beach

 

Without freedom of the press

The people are not informed

Your country should be warned

You are democratic less

 

Without the right to protest

You don’t have a republic

Your public forums are sick

It’s a pillar of the west

 

Without protection of due process

Your democracy has failed

Your opponents can be jailed

You do not pass the test

 

Without free and fair elections

You are only a pretender

A civil rights offender

Destined for correction

 

Without independent courts

Your freedom is not real

You are subject to the steal

Your efforts come up short

 

A democracy takes time

It must be zealously protected

Attacks must be rejected

It’s a stubborn state of mind

 

 

Forever War

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WAR

 

Forever War

 

We are thrust into forever war

From east to west, from shore to shore

As warlords try their best to score

We protest: war no more

 

Putin lets his people down

Condemned to live in poverty

He’s planted thousands in the ground

He will leave a deadly legacy

 

Netanyahu never has enough

He wants forever war

He doesn’t care if life is rough

His inner lion roars

 

These wars are like a cancer

They spread like wildfire

They do not want an answer

The warlords never tire

 

It’s time the people intervened

There is no other way

Let protest be forever seen

Every night and every day

 

The ballot box in Tel Aviv

Mass resistance across Moscow

The warlords must be forced to leave

The time to act is now

 

 

Leaving Iraq

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: IRAQ

 

Leaving Iraq

 

At long last we are leaving Iraq

Joe Biden gave the order

No one knows when we’ll be back

Iran is on the border

 

We were there to fight the Islamic State

Or so the handbook says

Now we will have to delegate

The blue coats leave the rez

 

Iraq was a disastrous war

An act of reckless ambition

Someday we’ll be back for more

To lose another war of attrition

 

It’s a story old as Roman days

The conquerors and crusades

It’s as if there is no other way

Our memory seems to fade

 

We’ll do it all again someday

We will start a fool’s endeavor

Some president will want to play

Despite our cries of Never!

 

It comes with too much power

To place in one man’s hands

Ambition claims the hour

The want of another’s land

 

Enemies and Friends

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: CHINA

 

Enemies and Friends

 

China is not our enemy

But she is not our friend

She reminds us what we want to be

On democracy depends

 

She has billions in cheap labor

Yet she’s progressing over time

She is not a gracious neighbor

There are mountains she must climb

 

She does not need our trade

But with it she has prospered

With the profits she has made

She’ll be receiving offers

 

We can help her moving forward

But not without conditions

We’ll both give our solemn word

We won’t alter our positions

 

Taiwan remains independent

Despite Chinese demands

Just like Canada and Greenland

A message must be sent

 

We can work it out together

Without bitterness or war

The future will be better

If we’d give a little more

 

 

Pay for Play

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: CORRUPTION

 

Pay for Play

 

He takes gold for considerations

An end to foreign tariffs

Exemptions for preferential nations

You have got to pay the sheriff

 

Gold encrusted diamond rings

A suitcase filled with cash

Gilded treasures for the king

An invitation to the bash

 

If you’d like to make a deal

You’ve got to pay for his attention

To make a strong appeal

There are things we cannot mention

 

For a modest seven figures

He’ll open up the White House doors

If you’d like to use his signature

It may cost a little more

 

It’s pay to play for two more years

Get it while you can

The end of days is drawing near

It’s time to make your brand

 

Corrupt? It’s just a word

That’s how it’s always done

No matter what you’ve heard

It’s been a helluva run

 

October 7 Revisited

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GAZA WAR

 

October 7 Revisited

 

Shame on Netanyahu

To deny the obvious truth

There is little doubt he knew

And yet what did he do?

 

He withdrew from the border

His troops were unprepared

It was him who gave the orders

His generals wouldn’t dare

 

He was warned by the Emirates

He was warned by Egypt too

As for Israeli intelligence

It is all too clear they knew

 

He gave Hamas a pass

So that he could wage his war

It happened hard and fast

And it opened up the door

 

So many innocents dies that day

The torture, rape and killing

Inhumanity was on display

The effect was cold and chilling

 

Netanyahu swore revenge

In a new forever war

This hatred would never end

Like a dagger to the core

 

Could he have taken action?

He didn’t raise a hand

His party split in factions

We could never understand