Trump
by Ted L Glines

Let's have another investigation
more tons of paper regurgitation
get the buzz from every faction
do everything but don't take action
meanwhile people - starving dying
all the while that you are lying
and we know that you don't care
about the problems we all share
but Donald Trump - he knows the way
to set the record straight today
these politicians make him tired
he'd sneer and yell - thumbs down -
“You're fired!”

Author's Note: Here in America, our Constitutional Republic is a unique and wonderful form of government. But we seem to have developed a situation where the elected officials feel safe in their jobs, where they do not have to DO anything except make rhetorical speeches, call for “investigations” and relax in wealth and power-security until the end of their terms. Maybe we need someone (like you or me) to oversee them - someone who could kick them out of office if they failed to do their work, thus forcing the voters to elect replacements who would be motivated to actually solve our problems. What a thought!

Two Black Cats
by Ted L Glines

This humid morning
I met two very skinny kittens
out by the dumpster
while disposing of my trash
and they liked me
feral twins
black fur and yellow eyes
wild but they allowed
my scritches and my strokes
and I think I loved them ...

Two black kittens
followed me back home
and they cried
underneath my trailer
because I had promised
something ...

HUNGRY-MAN
Beef Patties
with creamy gravy,
Mashed Potatoes,
Green Beans
and a Brownie!

Two black kitties
ate the green beans
licked the brownie stuff
(can cats eat chocolate?)
and enjoyed my scritches
my rubs and hugs
and they went off
to the side
to groom themselves
licking and stroking each other
and looking at me
hopefully
and I knew
I had been captured
enslaved
by
two skinny black kittens!

Tricentennial Reunion
by Ted L Glines

'Twas in seventeen-oh-five
we brought divisiveness alive
created witches from old hags
dipped them - hung them in their rags
we spread our fallacy like paint
'til life took on a bitter taint
we found the blemish in them all
made them rue the day we'd call
and with each successive test
they were damned and we were blessed
we made the cases intertwine
while drinking hatred just like wine
our bleary judgement without heart
paring families apart
as our wedge of discontent
spread across this continent
like some fungus verdure spreading
stinking - hating - fearsome dreading
now we stand here trading cheers
for the pain of all those years
so I raise this toast today
beloved brethren - let us prey!

Author's Notes: In  1705, as a result of some wild  stories told by a 16 year old boy,  three people died and others were cruelly  tortured. Patrick Morton,  the son of a local blacksmith, made allegations and  accusations  of witchcraft against some of his neighbours in the scenic fishing  village of Pittenweem in the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. One  of the accused was  Beatrice Laing, the wife of a former town treasurer,  who Patrick accused of  sending evil thoughts to torture him. No-one  thought to question his story, and  Beatrice was incarcerated,  alone, in a pitch dark dungeon. After five long  months, and several  trips to the torture chamber, she was freed, but died soon  afterwards,  alone and friendless, in St Andrews. It is three centuries later.  When you get inside the mind of Bigotry, it feels somewhat like  this, especially  bigotry which has aged and ripened (rotted) for  centuries - as fallacies of  ancient times morph into "truths"  of today. "And the beat goes on ... the beat  goes on ..."