Paris Olympics

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

Paris Olympics

 

The heart of the western world is Paris

It cannot be denied

The greatness of London and Berlin

Is known far and wide

Amsterdam and Prague

Have many on their side

But that Paris is the very heart

Cannot be denied

 

The host of the Olympics

As gracious as can be

The majesty of the Eiffel Tower

The wealth of Champs Elysees

The Palace of the Invalids

The glory of the Seine

The pyramid of the Louvre

The famed Musee d’Orsay

There is no place like Paris

On this or any day

 

The Olympics brings its grandeur

Paris gives its charm

Combined it is a spectacle

The most glorious of stars

To win the gold in Paris

The silver or the bronze

Would bring a rare panache

Perhaps a poem or a song

 

Mass Deportation

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: IMMIGRATION

Mass Deportation

 

Have you heard the news?

They’re clamoring for mass deportation

They don’t want just a few

They believe it’s their salvation

Take a bite of it and chew

They would reinvent this nation

Let it simmer long and brew

It deserves contemplation

 

Send the migrants away

If they don’t have their papers

No longer can they stay

They’re all killers and rapers

Bow your heads now and pray

Lady Liberty? Remake her!

Do not let them stray

Pledge allegiance and fake her

 

Put them all in a cage

Until they’re ready to roll

Any gender and age

From the babes to the old

Put them up on the stage

Be brave and be bold

Let them feel your rage

Til they’ve accomplished their goal

 

Bebe Before Congress

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS

Bebe before Congress

 

He has been here before

To disrupt the democratic process

He wanted to end the Obama presidency

Despite his support for Israel

Despite all the money and military aid

For Bebe it is never enough

Nothing short of unconditional will do

He wants the right to commit genocide

He wants the right to strike at Lebanon

He wants the right to strike Iran

 

Bebe is a war criminal

His gross negligence allowed the attack

There were protests in the streets

There were calls for his resignation

He needed a war with Palestine

He needs the war to carry on

 

His allies in Washington ignore his crimes

They are sworn to his allegiance

They are sworn to his support

Even as he decimates all of Gaza

Even as he levels homes and hospitals

Even as he ensures a hundred years of war

 

Everything that Bebe says in

Condemnation of Hamas is true

Babies burned before their parents

Women abused and tortured

The taking of innocent lives

What is also true is its opposite

One hundred fold…

 

Israel has achieved its revenge

Hamas is destroyed

Palestinians live in constant sorrow

And there is no end

 

Go home, Bebe

Plead your case before your own people

The people who know you best

The people who know your thirst

For the blood of Palestine is unquenchable

The people who know your desire

For war is a bottomless pit

 

While We Looked Away

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GAZA

While We Looked Away

 

Obsessed with the president’s age

And a failed assassination

A celebration on the stage

A christening of the nation

And while we looked away

The Gaza annihilation

Accelerated every day

 

This is how our world runs

The revolving cycle of the news

That which titillates and stuns

It comes in threes and twos

And when we look away

We never have a clue

The ghouls come out to play

It’s sad but it is true

 

Keep your eyes on the prize

The demons never rest

Through all the righteous lies

We will welcome our new guest

And while we look away

The destruction of Gaza

Proceeds every day

 

Like a story from a tragic book

A tale of blood and rage

We do not want to look

At the horrors of our age

So when we look away

We know what they will do

In Gaza and Ukraine

It’s sad but it is true

A Graceful Exit

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

A Graceful Exit

 

A great actor knows how to make

A stunning entrance and a graceful exit

A great politician knows when and how

To leave the stage

 

Thank you for your service, sir

Thank you for your devotion

Thank you for understanding now

Without fear or emotion

 

The time has come to pass the torch

To your loyal vice president

She has a greater chance now

Of holding down the residence

 

You know in your heart of hearts

It is time to step down

The stakes are much too large

Time to take the higher ground

 

You’ve had a phenomenal career

Now take a bow with grace

We will always in our hearts

Reserve for you a sacred place

 

(Note: Biden steps down; endorses

Kamala Harris.)