No More Mister Civil Guy

The President, let’s hope he thought,
While waiting for his time to come,
This Mission Church, superbly wrought,
Yet in a place that’s troublesome,
In Boston’s dodgy Roxbury,
Though where Ted wished the eulogy.

That the Roar may Never Die

When first his public life began
With household name and well-known look,
I thought for such a sinner man
Inheritance was all it took
To get himself a Senate seat
Though tossed from Harvard as a cheat.

Payback Time!

Back as far as Alexander
Afghans proved themselves unruly,
Crushed, perhaps, but in all candor
Even we can’t rule them truly.
Mongols, Arabs, Russians, NATO,
No one’s made a go that I know.

Scottish Rights

Disgusting how in Tripoli
A man who bombed Flight 103
And brought the Pan Am liner down
Is welcomed home with such renown
It makes one think that he is not
The only Libyan in the plot,
A fall guy. Others, too, it’s said,
Ensured two-hundred seventy dead.

Silence that Speaks

Troy Davis has another chance,
For eighteen years, his home death row.
Eyewitnesses have changed their stance.
So did he kill? Most now say no.

Protecting the Protectors

The VA and the Pentagon
Have fused compassion, smarts and cure
To focus clinically upon
An ill as long as wars endure:
Post-traumatic stress disorder,
Cleaned-up term for age-old horror.

Look Who's Talking

How can we blame him? Think of it!
His Doubl’ya recalcitrant,
Determining as he saw fit
Affairs of state as president,
Although in doing so he snubbed
And, boss Dick Cheney, wrongly rubbed.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver 1921-2009

For those who haven’t all their wits
Through not one failing of their own,
Delight can come in little bits.
To have it all’s a goal unknown.

Herself from birth she lacked for naught,
Which gave her luxury of means
To help these folks who’d never sought
To rise above confined routines.

This is the Captain Snoozing

Why didn’t Sully get a call?
He used the Hudson, after all
To ditch his US Airways plane
And well-deserved prestige attain.
He herded passengers out first;
As last man out, he risked the worst.

Marion the Licensarian

So sad when people start out well
And cavalierly think success
Can license them the capital
To make their life a public mess.

A champion of civil rights
And marcher throughout Southern states,
A black man vexing violent whites,
He placed his life in dangerous straits.

August of the Fourth Reich

Reform of health care might be near
If lots of those who fight reform
Must shout so others cannot hear
Debate within the civil norm.
In beer halls, Brown Shirts used this ploy,
Too dumb to reason, just annoy.

Pillow Talk in Chappaqua

Don’t forget South Carolina.

Don’t bring back my damn angina!

The Petty New Party

Though not important on its own,
Near one in four of us declare
Hawaii hasn’t fully shown
Barack Obama’s birthplace there
Is certified beyond a doubt.
State records clearly bear it out.

2009: An NYSE Odyssey

On Wall Street, nine financial firms and banks
That Washington (read you and I) bailed out,
Are five billion dollars into old pranks,
For five thousand dealers, but please don’t shout.
Those million-dollar bonuses are through.
I’ve found a remedy (for me and you).

As Good as New

Uncle Sam as new-car salesman
Struck a chord with old-car owners,
Doling funds to get some action,
Cash for Clunkers, no more loaners
During tenth-year check-up service.
Rather, some more showroom business.