JD Vance

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN POLITICS

 

JD Vance

 

Hold a mirror to yourself JD Vance

Have a modicum of sympathy

For others, not a chance

You have only antipathy

For the poor and the oppressed

Though you claim that they raised you

You do not pass the test

You’re a phony and a sellout

No one wants you at the dance

No one wants to hear you shout

No one, JD Vance

 

You would argue with a door

You would turn yourself about

Claim the ceiling is the floor

Claim that certainty is doubt

If it furthered your ambition

You would call yourself a priest

Claim it was a hard decision

To hide your inner beast

You would assume any stance

With the most against the least

Shame on you, JD Vance

 

 

The Exclusion Act

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: RACISM

 

The Exclusion Act

 

The MAGA movement is nothing new

Its racist roots trace back

To eighteen hundred and eighty-two

The Chinese Exclusion Act

 

The Chinese worked as virtual slaves

On the transcontinental railway

The work was hard, the workers brave

They worked for the right to stay

 

Twelve hundred workers gave their lives

That the railroad might succeed

That America might grow and thrive

The working force would bleed

 

From the Exclusion Act to slavery

In a long continuous line

Acts of defiance and bravery

Freed us from our binds

 

We are a nation of immigration

It is foolish to deny

We rise above our former station

It is the center of our pride

 

All those who wish to push away

The story of our rise

From our birth to this very day

We have overcome the lies

 

Sealing the Deal

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: IRAN WAR

 

Sealing the Deal

 

With Iran we’re signing a deal

To signal an end to the war

We will wait to see if it’s real

Is it done or will there be more?

 

They will open the Strait of Hormuz

We will end the naval blockade

Once signed will it be through?

Will Israeli hold finally fade?

 

And what will the small print say?

Will Iran give up its ambitions?

Will they forfeit control of the Strait?

Who then will make the decisions?

Of course we had a deal before

When Obama headed the team

Iran had abandoned its course

But Trump didn’t like how it seemed

 

So he ripped it apart at the seams

And called it a terrible deal

It was one of his favorite themes

It fostered the MAGA appeal

 

Now we’ll work toward the same end

That Obama achieved without war

On Iran the deal will depend

The Israelis will always want more

 

 

Courage

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: HUMAN RIGHTS

 

Courage

 

In a totalitarian society

Courage is speaking your mind

In a place where words are never free

All freedoms will unwind

 

Your thoughts are being monitored

Your opinions and your deeds

Every wayward glance and word

And every article you read

 

In the worlds of Xi and Vladimir

All elections are absurd

Opinions praise the leader dear

The opposition is not heard

 

The people will show bravery

At times of blatant outrage

When their country borders slavery

Their lives are on a stage

 

We stand for freedom everywhere

We fight for it each day

To be constrained we will not bear

We will always find a way

 

When courage is required

To speak our honest thoughts

When every word is wired

Our freedom it is not

 

But we will pledge devotion

To our basic human rights

Just set the wheels in motion

In time we’ll find the light

 

The Ugly American

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: TRUMP

 

The Ugly American

 

He’d send Ilhan Omar back to Somalia

Because he doesn’t like her dress

He would imprison half of California

In fact, he despises all the west

 

His hatred is nearly palpable

Hide your head, he might explode

Of compassion he’s incapable

He lives inside a dome

 

Where no one every questions him

Where everyone adores

Where everyone is less than him

And no one’s keeping score

 

If you ask him he will tell you

He won every single state

If you cross him he’ll expel you

That’s how he makes the nation great

 

They’re all crooks and toxic scum

The ones who will not bend

They’re either crooked or they’re dumb

They’re all losers in the end

 

And he’s a shining tower

Of diamonds, platinum and gold

He holds the nation’s power

And no, he isn’t old

 

 

Smog in LA

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL WARMING

 

Smog in LA

 

We remember back in the day

Smog so thick you couldn’t breathe

A stifling layer of summer haze

From the great basin to the sea

 

California fought it back

It took years to clear the air

We led the nation on attack

We did far more than our share

 

Now we’ve lost what we had gained

The nation didn’t have our back

All our efforts were in vain

When the train fell off the tracks

 

Climate change is not a joke

The warming lingers into night

We’ve got to fix what we have broke

It’s a crushing fact of life

 

Does anybody really care

That what we’re leaving to our kids

Poisoned water, toxic air

We may have lost our final bid

 

 

Barrel of a Gun

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: IRAN WAR

 

Barrel of a Gun

 

If you want a peace that doesn’t last

That leaves both parties stunned

Ignore the lessons of the past

Point the barrel of a gun

 

Sign the Abraham Accords

That’s the best deal you will get

Sign it now before we’re bored

You’ll forever be in our debt

 

We have the power to destroy

Though neither side has really won

We stand ready to deploy

You’re at the barrel of a gun

 

If lasting peace is what you want

Do not come to the table

This is just a propaganda stunt

To show the world we’re able

 

We don’t care what the future holds

A quick deal and then we’re done

Sign it before our patience folds

You’re at the barrel of a gun

 

Ukraine Rises (Again)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: UKRAINE

 

Ukraine Rises Again

 

Trump humiliated Zelensky

The brave leader of Ukraine

He took up arms with the Israelis

In a war he can't sustain

 

Who is laughing now?

Who is feeling shamed?

Europe made a vow

To rise behind Ukraine

 

The barrier that was Orban

Who once stood in the way

Voted out, now that he’s gone

Europe stands with Ukraine

 

The futile war with Iran

Still searches for an end

As it pushes on and on

Netanyahu will not bend

 

Our leader made a foolish bet

He put our money down

Now we’re saddled with his debt

Our hands are tied and bound

 

Ukraine is on the rise

While we are in decline

We grow tired of his lies

He has put us in a bind

 

The Shots

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: TRUMP

 

The Shots

 

I call the shots!

You think that you do

Netanyahu does not!

We know that’s not true

 

You think you’re the man

No one else pulls the strings

You’re the one in command

You can do anything

 

Netanyahu just smiles

And says you’re the best

And still all the while

He couldn’t care less

 

He will do as he pleases

And that’s war to the end

Until our aid ceases

He will call you his friend

 

He calls the shots

Like Cheney for Bush

This war will be fought

Until his last push

 

He’s played you the fool

He’ll play you again

It’s his golden rule

It’s mice against men

 

Smoke over St Petersburg

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: UKRAINE

 

Smoke over Saint Petersburg

 

The Russian people are tired of war

Though lately they haven’t said a word

They caught a glimpse of what’s in store

With the smoke over St Petersburg

 

Where there is smoke there is fire

The explosions can be heard

The defiance they’ve inspired

There is smoke over St Petersburg

 

The war goes on and on and on

In Kiev it’s an everyday thing

From dusk until the break of dawn

The drones and missiles sing

 

Yet they’re hanging on defiantly

They show no signs of quitting

They’ve shown their strength quietly

The Russians they’re outwitting

 

As Americans join the Putin crowd

It’s as ugly as it is absurd

Ukrainians stand bold and proud

There’s smoke over St Petersburg

 

They are enduring the assault

The endless missiles and attacks

We all know it’s Putin’s fault

Now Ukraine is fighting back

 

The People's Voice (Columbia)

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: LATIN AMERICA

 

The People’s Voice (Columbia)

 

Columbians will face a choice

It is not a simple left or right

The vote will speak the people’s voice

We must hope they see the light

 

Ivan Cepeda is the people’s man

He believes in social justice

With the government he’ll make a stand

They know exactly who he is

 

De La Espriella is the outsider

He claims no corporate sponsors

His appeal could not be wider

He is not your simple lawyer

 

Both believe in better healthcare

Schools and housing for the poor

Both claim their cause is true and fair

But De La Espriella favors war

 

A war on armed resistance groups

And prisons for the masses

Despite his vows of greater truth

He’ll forget the lower classes

 

 

Mexican Sovereignty

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: GLOBAL POLITICS

 

Mexican Sovereignty

 

Mexico is a sovereign state

We’ve no rightful jurisdiction there

They have no obligation to cooperate

With accusations so wildly unfair

 

We’ve indicted Mexican officials

On specious charges of collusion

We have fired a legal missile

A violation of civil institutions

 

We are not the hemispheric king

They do not answer to our rules

This is crude and open interfering

We are playing them for fools

 

But Sheinbaum will not bend the knee

To the man above the border

She will answer clear and pointedly

They have their own law and order

 

Our president should mind his own

He has enough to hold him down

He has found himself alone

With his feet on shaky ground

 

Newark Outrage

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: IMMIGRATION

 

Newark Outrage

 

The protests in New Jersey

Against mass deportation

Shatter the American dream

Born of an immigrant nation

 

Now blood has been shed

Under the banner of law and order

Discontent has been bred

The need to close our border

 

That the treatment is cruel

In all the centers of detention

It’s clear that it’s the rule

It is cruelty with intention

 

We have all turned our backs

After Alex Pretti and Renee Good

They are still on attack

It is time again that we stood

 

Against the brutal ICE agents

And all of their vicious kind

Let a clear message be sent

We will not remain blind

 

To the horrors that you bring

When you come to all our towns

The damage done still stings

We do not want you around

 

The Democratic Platform

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

 

The Democratic Platform

 

In 2026 and two years beyond

What will the Democrats run on?

What will they take to the campaign stump?

 

First and above all else: Erase Trump

From the Golden Ballroom to the southern wall

His name and his deeds, erase them all

 

Next ban the dirty gerrymander

That mortal threat to the democratic way

Let voters deal with the lies and slanders

Let the people have their say

 

In a republic the filibuster has no place

A simple majority should have its way

An end to this senatorial disgrace

 

Let’s finally end these wars of choice

On the myth that might is right

Let the people of all nations rejoice

An end to the infinite fight

 

Then let’s get the cost of living down

We can’t take it another day more

We’d like an occasional night on the town

And a reasonable bill at the store

 

Let all who are able find work today

There’s a job for one and all

Full employment is the only way

To avoid the next economic fall

 

Let’s deliver healthcare for everyone

We tried once but it just didn’t take

Let’s try it again until it’s done

It is time for decency’s sake

 

Then let’s mobilize for universal housing

In a nation as wealthy as ours

 

Let’s end the era of doubting

We can make polutionless cars

 

Let’s refund science for the warming

Let’s prepare the best that we can

We’ve ignored all of the warnings

Let us finally take our best stand