Bebe's War

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: ISRAEL AT WAR

Bebe’s War

 

It is not the thing itself

It’s the timing of the thing itself

With the Middle East ready to explode

With a ceasefire in negotiations

With a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza

With Hezbollah firing rockets from Lebanon

Netanyahu orders a strike in Tehran

Inviting a broader war

A war engaging the world’s powers

 

Israel has a right to defend herself

Israel has a right to kill those responsible

For the October 7^th attack

Targeted assassination was the proper

Response to the assault

But to wait until Gaza is decimated

To wait until tens of thousands are dead

Homes, schools, hospitals destroyed

To wait for mass starvation

 

Netanyahu has left us no doubt

This war will go on and on

As long as he is still in power

This is Bebe’s war

And Bebe’s war has no end

Kara-Murza Rises

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: RUSSIA

Kara-Murza Rises

 

Kara-Murza rises from his cell

He followed in Navalny’s steps

A Russian with a wicked tale to tell

Where some tease Kara-Murza leapt

 

The man has his freedom now

Give thanks to world diplomacy

He swears he’ll carry on now

The dream of Russian democracy

 

We must hope he will be well

In whatever country he chooses

Let us hope he rings that bell

Let us hope the madman loses

 

Navalny is remembered well

Kara-Murza is his voice

He rises from the depths of hell

To help his people win a choice

 

What happens next no one knows

He will work to advance the cause

Ghosts will follow wherever he goes

He must sharpen up his claws

 

Iran Speaks

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS

Iran Speaks

 

Despite all the horrors we have heard

In their defense of Palestine

The Iranian people give their word

The cause of peace is on their minds

 

They have chosen a moderate leader

Who wants relations with the west

They say he’s a true believer

The path of peace is always best

 

He wants to ease the harsh restrictions

On the moral code for all

He has expressed a strong conviction

That some restraints should fall

 

We can’t expect a lot of change

The ayatollah is still in charge

But the furniture is rearranged

Basic change is always hard

 

At least it is a forward step

Away from war and oppression

For once the hard line overslept

Letting go their hard obsessions

 

Olympian Values

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LIFE SONGS

Olympian Values

 

Watching the American Olympic team

I am reminded of our virtue

We are a diverse lot

People of all shapes and sizes

Colors and distinctions

Black, white, yellow and brown

Blend in a tapestry of excellence

We are America!

USA! USA! USA!

What others consider weakness

Has always been our strength

We exemplify the Olympic spirit

We bring it all to life

The Olympics bring together

Athletes from around the globe

Dedicated to the brotherhood of competition

Committed to crowning glory

Without regard to race or culture

We are the world

We are the Olympic spirit

We are its diversity, its excellence and its wonder

USA! USA! USA!

Never lose sight of those values

Hold on to the dream

 

A Woman with a Brain

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

A Woman with a Brain

 

They say she’s not genuine

They say her laugh is like a crane

They say she lacks bravado

They say she’s borderline insane

But the truth is they’re afraid

Of a woman with a brain

 

She is their worst nightmare

Their minds explode in pain

You see it in their expressions

So exhausted and so strained

They’re shaking at the thought

Of a woman with a brain

 

Watch them squirm and wiggle

Like a worm in the rain

They’re pretending to be outraged

When the truth is very plain

They are terrified of facing

A woman with a brain

 

They’ve tried a lot of tactics

Tried them all in vain

They might as well pack them up

And drive them down the lane

The truth is getting nearer

To home but in the main

Kamala has them quaking

A woman with a brain

 

Venezuelan Tragedy

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WORLD DEMOCRACY

Venezuelan Tragedy

 

We remember Hugo Chavez

The leader of the working class

A man of the people

The Bolivarian revolution

Many times the capitalist forces

The imperialist forces

Led by the CIA

Tried and failed to depose him

Despite all their efforts to discredit him

Chavez had the support of the people

 

He handed his reign to Nicolas Maduro

And for a time it seemed to hold

But the forces of corruption overwhelmed

He became what Chavez would not

A corrupt leader who no longer cared

For the welfare of the poor

Whose love of power became him

Whose commitment to democracy waned

 

Maduro lost the recent election

He covered up the fraud

When the Carter Center turns against you

Your cause is lost

When the people turn against you

You must go

 

The Bolivarian revolution may rise again

We pray that it is so

But it will not be led by Maduro

The people have said no

 

Sycophants & Panderers

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Sycophants & Panderers

 

There are some who despise democracy

Who would build an emperor’s tower

They are willing to sell their eternal souls

They are so very in love with power

 

There are sycophants and panderers

Who will kiss the emperor’s feet

Against everything they cherish

They will throw the crowd red meat

 

The MAGA crowd is an interesting mix

Of true believers and fanatics

The latter believes in nothing at all

But they love the great dramatics

 

This is how we lose our nation

To the sycophants and pandering crowd

They don’t know what they’re doing

But they’re standing tall and proud

 

Goodbye my sweet America

To all that we hold dear

To equal rights and liberty

The end is drawing near

 

Virtues of Democracy

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: DEMOCRACY

Virtues of Democracy

 

When people come together

From diverse cultures and ages

Different backgrounds and races

Varied interests and stages

 

They can rise to the moment

When they find common ground

They can answer the calling

You cannot keep them down

 

You will see them at the ballot

You will hear them on the streets

When they stand as one people

They won’t go down in defeat

 

The virtue of our republic is

We can alter our course

When the old mount stumbles

We can ride a new horse

 

When the people are united

Their power is unbounded

Like the virtue of government

That our forebearers founded

 

A Legacy of Fire

RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL WARMING

 

Western Wildfires

 

From California throughout the west

We’ve put firefighters to the test

So here’s to all you climate deniers

Your legacy is a trail of fire

 

Massive swaths of land destroyed

Pristine forest and small towns

Villages and country schools

Fields of green are turning brown

 

The land grows dry and brittle

A desperate need for rain

Branches crack and fall to earth

Whole crops of fruit and grain

 

We know we’re in for hard times

We are paying for our past

We acted out of avarice

We knew it could not last

 

We wish we’d done things differently

We catered to deniers

Now we watch our homelands burn

In a legacy of fire

 

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.)

Manchurian Candidate

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Manchurian Candidate

 

“I don’t really care what happens to

Ukraine.”  J.D. Vance

 

The man has no backbone

No conviction or restraint

In his grand quest for power

A man of principle he ain’t

 

He once stood for justice

And the American way

But the man he once was

Is not the man he is today

 

He has sold his very soul

For a chance at that ring

He would eat a lump of coal

He would do anything

 

He would kiss the man’s boot

If there is something to gain

It took him less than a second

To sacrifice Ukraine

 

He will bow to the Don

The Don bows to the Vlad

As for our democracy

The prognosis is bad