Oil Sands Battle

Is it really worth it,
To be worried about,
Something like the affect of the Oil Sands,
On Canada's devout,

Desire to protect Mother Nature?
Probably I'd say, 'yes',
But there's another reason to fight them,
That tends to generate more true duress,

It is the chance that the economy,
Is being affected,
That the high dollar's killing worker's jobs,
Like Mulcair predicted.

It's the fear that,
The people might just rise,
Tree-huggers, unions and the struggling class.
The blues need more prop'ganda I surmise!

Must Go

There was something to say,
Now it's lost forever,
Without no time to meditate on it,
For there are no flowers,

Of inspiration or self-direction,
Just a vague impetus,
To get something down on this blank, white screen,
Lest the day go by without some genius,

Which is certainly not coming out here,
But at least it's something,
Some legacy, if but only in mass,
Like the whole history of the clergy.

Or like the bomb,
I have yet to see one,
But am in awe of the earth's quantity,
And their potential for its destruction.

So Two Thousand

So, I have reached a goal,
So, I've flipped to the past,
So I can resume the song in my head,
So many years since last,

So few people listened to it I said,
So what? That's just my show,
So I will continue per my instinct,
So there'll be something only I'll know,

So extremely obscure and unwanted,
So one day I could say,
"So, looking back now did I do something?"
So, look, this is the day!

So many years,
So many more to go,
So that I can reach ten thousand one day,
So deep in my heart, that's really my goal.

The Sickening Story of Comfort Women

This is a sad story,
You prob'ly shouldn't read,
'Bout total disregard for human rights,
A decades old foul deed,

Women made to 'comfort' mil'tary men,
Under a lot of stress,
Intended to purge their virility,
Amidst wartime's unnatural duress.

O'er two hundred thousand of these women,
Contrived into sex slaves,
Fuck you, "they're a necessary system,"
They're pawns of the depraved.

Now here they are,
Not many still survive,
With no recognition of their suff'ring,
Reliving the dread each day they're alive.

Good Morning

I'm up very early,
I have a job to do,
Can't think of another situation,
That I'd do this, can you?

I like to go for early morning walks
Softly through morning dew,
Or the odd traipse across forbidden lands,
Believe me, I have risked more than a few.

But what else will get you up early dawn,
Your body begging you,
For rest lest you bring on some fatal sick,
And incomplete thoughts, too?

It's of course work!
Dare I say it anew?
One spends most of ones life working to live,
Does that mean spending most of your life, too?

The Way To Think

This is just no way,
To express one's deep thoughts!
Here I am with two kids to entertain,
Watching, "What say, the fox?"

I should be in an arm chair, my eyes closed,
That's the way one thinks!
Not distracted by the random thoughts of,
Children randomly thinking of odd things,

Things they know nothing about for they're new,
The children, not the thoughts,
Innocence isn't the route to wisdom,
One once must have once fought.

I must get free,
And learn from my own past,
Hist'ry's proved things should be done as it's been,
The best way is the way it was done last.

Grumps

There're a lot of runners,
In old Boston MA,
Sidewalks, parks, even through the public T,
Night, morning, through the day,

They're running up your ass, towards your balls,
Wearing all sorts of garb,
Spandex, camel sacks, toques, mitts, fanny packs,
Sprinting through intersections like retards,

Splashing!   Weaving! Being all fit and stuff,
Enough to make you sick,
They could all jog right into the harbor,
I wouldn't give a lick.

'Cause here's the thing,
I like to run also,
But when I'm the guy having to watch it,
It's like seeing a car accident show.

What's Joy?

There are often last days,
The ends of an era,
That when passed seem like only just a dream,
You know what I mean, ma?

Days that make you wonder if real'ty's,
In the past or to come,
Or if one's most fantastic fantasies,
Really are less than weakest perception.

Aren't there people who drink away life,
Reliving the hey days?
You look at them, shake your head with pity,
Think they hold truth at bay.

But who are you?
A different person,
You've no clue what brings joy to someone's mind.
D'y'even know what's your mind's predilection?

Missed One

How do people do it,
When they have lost themselves,
Caught up in journeys led by their bodies,
Their souls left on the shelf,

No time to think about the world they're in,
As if time has an end,
Like what you do to keep your flesh alive,
Is existences be all and all end,

Thinking only about what must be done,
In service of someone,
Who only wants it done to serve themselves,
Again, ad naseam?

It has e'er been,
For many in this life,
With moments of deep self-realization,
That we're the creators of our own strife.

Feeling Good!

When there's not enough hours,
Or minutes to get done,
What has to get done by a certain time,
And you're feeling tension,

As someone once said to me in that case,
You're not feeding the poor,
Which really provided some perspective,
And made my shoulder blades achy no more.

Then I walked down the street, a snowy day,
Cold enough to freeze balls,
Said, "no," as I passed a man with a cup,
On my way to the mall.

It was so true!
I'm not feeding the poor,
I am too focused on not feeling like,
I've responsibilities anymore.

A Helping Hand

Sometimes things transpire,
As if the universe,
Has heard your calls and wants to help you out,
No matter how perverse,

Through intervention of the highest shock,
From places yet unknown,
Circuitously provided by those,
Who know not the act'ul truth of their role,

And if these things happened all of the time,
We'd call them normal things,
But it's instead divine intervention,
Not commonly believed,

But I've seen it,
Sure, not everyday,
I've also never seen the earth's insides,
But it's as hot as the sun, so they say!

Use Your Brain

Something's brewing up there,
The seed of an ideer,
I'm hoping if I just leave it up there,
It will come out all clear,

Just spew out of my brain a finished thing,
'Cause I've been laboring,
Even if my consciousness don't know it,
Like that Lee don't know Jones' plans, oo wee!

What else do you think the brain is doing,
While you're muddling about,
Using hardly any of its power,
Like your kids when you're out,

It is plotting,
You better know its plans,
And get it started on some useful ones,
Or live like a pair of arms with no hands.

Intrinsic Value

It sure feels like Christmas,
In this Boston Starbucks,
I know because the song playing says so,
But I don't care that much,

I'm immune to these messages of joy,
These purchasing prompters,
It's a shame that buying can't be forgot,
I don't think that's what humans were made for.

We're made for loving each other so that,
We can keep on growing,
Making cool stuff that improves the world,
And improves our knowing,

Instead, somehow,
We've attached some value,
Completely exterior to all things,
As if nat'rly it was always meant to!

You Are Unique

It is overwhelming,
Trying to stake your claim,
When everywhere you turn there's another,
Person seeking a name,

Like in order to succeed in this world,
There are mountains to climb,
Made of millions of bodies climbing, too,
Pulling on your clothes to try and get by,

Of course it all depends on where you are,
Amidst this mountain range,
There are those who find helping hands who help,
Them find wealth and fame.

They're lucky ones, 
They may have talent, yes,
But no more than many others who work,
And find themselves in the mountain's abyss.

If I Should Die

If I suddenly die,
Check the veins in my head,
Sometimes I feel a pain in diff-rent spots,
Something pops, and I'm dead,

Or maybe check inside my intestines,
Sometimes after I eat,
My stomach hurts, there's sensitivity,
'Cause I've had dairy products or some wheat,

Also, I've always thought this nagging cough,
Was due to the weather,
Or pollution particles in the air,
Like a tickling feather.

That could kill me.
Look, all I am saying,
It's possible that I could one day die,
But no autopsy should you be paying.

Meh

What does it mean when dreams
Get more lucid and real,
As if you're slowly transitioning to,
A world where you just feel,

A world where people don't worry about,
Whether you make sense,
As if what is really important is,
One's act'al existential exper'ence,

Which is what it is I like about you,
You are just like a dream,
Forgetting what I did a minute past,
Exac-itally like me.

Now I forget,
What we're talking about,
So let us just discuss for a minute,
How dreams leave you feeling no fear or doubt.

You Are What You Eat

Should I have eaten Poo
Pad Pong-Garee last night?
I can't say I'm feeling fantastic now,
Though I'd left not one bite,

But now I'm halfway between believing,
Something has gone awry,
And that I'm just tired this early morning,
That this will pass by the time I arise,

Then there's the crab-induced lucid dreaming,
Spawning self-reflection,
Like the discomfort one feels from Peyote,
An hallucinogen.

I guess we'll see,
If I get through today,
Then this event's helped me form who I am,
Which is a Poo Pad Pong-Garee-No-Way!

Fighting for Health

Cold, cold, please go away,
Surely, I can fight you,
If my mind asks the body just rightly,
There will be no more flu,

'Cause that is how every ailment is fought,
No matter what docs say,
If mind controls everything body does,
Then battles for health are under its reign,

So maybe I need to send some pills down,
To begin the parlay,
Or meditate, I really don't care which,
I don't have time today,

Nor the next, too,
I am a busy guy,
If my body can't get that through its head,
I'm going to have a talk with my mind!

On Track

It's hard to stay focused,
That's all I've got to say,
Thinking about thinking about it more,
Will just ruin my day.

That being said, you could e'er take the tack,
That focus could arise,
In spurts like the expulsions of geysers,
Or in escapes like the blink of the eyes,

As long as your mind doesn't lose the thread,
S'there's no need to return,
But only find yourself where you left off,
With no need to relearn.

Then all's the same,
As if you went years,
Without a break in your concentration.
Time's real just when memory interferes.

In A Rush

Sometimes things just work out,
Like the world wants it to,
Like there's a force that controls everything,
And has a hard-on for you,

As if you’ve discovered a connection,
Not explained by science,
As if there's anything that couldn't be,
Like those ignorant claim with defiance.

E'en if God himself took me to his pad,
As if he existed,
I'd search through his medicine cabinet,
To prove he could be dead,

Without his meds,
Just like any of us.
Th'only reason he's seemed unknowable,
Is he's keeping us from the IRS.

Good Morning

This one's a throw away,
Just have to get it done,
Like when you need to clean your plate with bread,
Because it's tradition,

But does that mean you've attained quality?
Well, you have in a way,
Making such an act nat'ral as breathing,
Is like modifying Mom Nature's ways,

Or telling the world you're something not right,
According to its laws,
Like so many things that are now nat'ral,
Solely, only because,

Someone once dared,
To stand up for their rights,
Stating that what they are is just alright,
Then also being brave enough to fight.

Back on Smack - I Mean Track

Now that engrossment's gone,
Like Mandela's demise,
Ukraine and Thailand protests, Jung-on's unk,
Have been moved down the line,

We'll return to Rob Ford,
The police have released more evidence,
By order of a judge,
And everyone's suspense,

So now we know that he's done heroine,
Not really a big shock,
He offered five kay and a car for him,
On film while smoking rock.

He's still all smiles,
Nor will police arrest,
Begging the biggest, ultimate question,
Is he forgiven by the elect'rate?

R.I.P. Mandela

How d'you fit such a life, >
Into sixteen short lines,
Already taken up by these three here?
Words compromised for rhymes.

Born of royalty, a runaway, too, -
Forenamed "troublemaker",
Tata was a boxer, runner and proud, -
He'd early int'rests in the black future,

Learned g'rrilla warfare in Ethiop'a, -
Were you aware of that?
A lawyer asking for arms from China, >
So justice could be had.

A time's product.
Think what we could all be,
If our great minds need not fight injustice,
Or for human rights, love and liberty.

The Yemeni Knot

Ex President Saleh,
Likened ruling Yemen,
Sim'lar to "dancing on the heads of snakes".
They event'lly bit him,

Aft thirty years, end of two-eleven,
Protests forced him away,
Sprung up in the midst of the Arab Spring,
No amount of dancing could help him stay.

No surprise the agile mind needed to rule,
Look at where Yemen sits,
'Tween strict Sheikhs to the north and chaos south,
Al-Qaeda in its midst.

So, who's to blame,
For this latest car bomb,
And continuous gun fights in the streets?
There may be too many snakes to pick one.

Changing Time

Sometimes there is no time,
Like literally, none,
Like if your deadline was the death of you,
You would now be no one.

Like even if you knew that you had time,
To live when you've finished,
Even if you thought you had fifty years,
Your whole mind's focused on what you've been dished,

Like time itself is compressing your spine,
Like it is something real,
Like moments of it's only what matters,
No longer how it feels.

There was a time,
When all it ever did,
Was feel like something after it had passed,
'Cause that was the only time that mattered.

North Korea Shake-Up

Chang Song-thaek has been fired,
Dismissed by his nephew,
In North Korea, a place so tight-lipped,
The story mayn't be true,

But if it is, the news is double-edged,
Like torturing satan,
Can you justify a horrendous act,
If it is a just compensation?

Not that Chang was an abs'lutely bad guy,
Or his ex'cuted peeps,
Midst the dearth of ninety-eight he coolly,
Fed the people bark and leaves.

That's pretty smart,
P'haps a sign of genius,
Jong-un should've sold him to U.S. banks,
To teach them how to more better squeeze us.

The Ukraine Is Not Weak

Twenty-two years post r'lease,
From Soviet control,
Ukraine's baggage has not disappeared and,
Russia's gotta red soul,

Well, it's more like the old pow'rs still got juice,
And the Ukraine still needs,
Vast economic benefits from them,
Free to walk, but still only on its knees,

So the people've stood up, demanding deals,
Be made with the EU,
Riots, protests of hundreds of thousands,
Stormed gov'ment buildings, too!

Even in Risk,
Its pressures are varied,
Constantly needing to nurture new ties,
And those to which it's already married.

More Thailand Upheaval

It's a course in protests,
Trying to understand,
The course of events leading to latest,
Gen'ral strikes in Thailand,

Since ending monarchy in thirty-two,
Thailand's had the gamut,
Mil'tary rule to moc-democracy,
Leading to today's confused government,

Led by the sis of ex-leader Thaksin,
Who mil'tary did end,
Now saving her 'gainst calls o'er TV by,
Ex-deputy PM

Khun Thaugsuban.
Now riots in the street,
Are fought with tear gas and water cannons,
'Til either c'rruption's or c'rruption's defeat.

The Way of the World

Watching the Avengers,
Kang has appeared to them,
Claiming Captain America troubled,
The Time-Space contin'um,

The Hulk calls Kang a "Stupid Future Man",
But can't overcome him,
The Captain's willing to die if it means,
Saving civ'lization.

Thor, Iron Man, The Wasp, Hawkeye, et al,
Cannot defeat this man,
Who sounds a lot like actor James Earl Jones,
But seems like a villain.

Just goes to show,
No matter what one says,
Actions will always speak louder than words,
Utilitarianism's the way!

About My Body

I have tiny nipples,
Which I once thought was odd,
For it seemed that everyone around me,
Had a big-nippled bod,

Which meant, of course, that I was not normal,
Something was wrong with me,
But now that I've got a little older,
I find advantage that they're so tiny.

Firstly I avoid chafing when I run,
Which act'lly isn't lots,
And besides, my chest is so damn hairy,
Shirts cannot reach my dots.

Still, I love them,
Two less things to fret 'bout,
Which leaves just an infinite bunch of things,
About my body about which to pout.

What I Know

Sometimes when I'm thinking,
'Bout abs'lutely nothing,
I wonder why I try to think at all,
When not is so freeing,

And so much is put upon memory,
I've never needed that,
It's only ever caused me stress at times,
For peeps 'bout whom I don't give a rat's ass,

Then there is pressure just to understand,
I know many people,
Who haven't needed that skill in their life,
Have food on their table.

What do I know?
Enough just to get by.
I'll let the ones with the capacity,
Be soci'ty's answer to random whys.

An Honduran Election

Election time again,
In the cocaine turnstile!
Aft' the two oh nine controversial coup,
There's more to make you smile,

After inexplicable silent hours,
Smack mid 'lection updates,
Honduras claimed an irr'versible trend,
The National Party holds the mandate.

The wife of ousted Zalaya, Castro,
Once leading Hernandez,
Lost to him and election observers,
Have issued no comment.

Who really lost?
The Honduran people,
E'en now mired in vi'lence and corruption,
Democracy here's been pretty feeble.

Good Luck for Ford

It's no surprise the polls,
Have remained high for Ford,
Much to the chagrin of so-called thinkers,
Who think voters want more,

But in fact they just want less for themselves,
Mostly want less taxes,
And while Rob gets paid, but can't change a thing,
What they see's that council now relaxes,

Free of the tether Ford put on the train,
Property tax goes up,
Yes, partly to pay for the Scarb'rough subway,
Which is the mayor's luck,

'Cause there's no plan,
He never worked with one,
The budget was in surplus when he won.
Now the city's cash-strapped with dwindling funds.

A Confederacy of Dunces

You just can never know,
No matter how good y’are,
If what you do’ll be appreciated,
While your mind is still thar.

Take John Kennedy Toole for example,
Pulitzer Prize winner,
For A Confederacy of Dunces,
Posthumously published aft’ self-murder,

The book was rejected time after time,
And John was sensitive,
Though loved by students for his charisma,
Ain’t filled a will to live.

But if he did,
Imagine what he’d write,
A genius nurtured and art supported,
A mind let to feel that living is right.

Riding The Snow

Well, the snow's come again,
There's no turning back now,
Like jumping of cliffs, then changing your mind,
Or reversing a vow.

You can always gather  all of your friends,
And truckloads of shovels,
Maybe some battery powered heaters,
Remove the snow and begin your revel!

What's the point, there's a surfer with one arm,
Strong in her God belief,
Selling swag, getting married on TV,
No snow, no frigid grief.

But it was hard,
Whether on waves or snow,
One has to learn the path they're meant to make,
E'en though many never actually know.

Lands In Dispute

If you're in an airplane,
China's declaration,
You have to answer a couple questions,
Or risk annihilation.

If you're over the Diaoyu Islands,
An area they've named,
East China Sea Air Defense ID Zone,
So its state sovereignty is maintained.

But Japan also claims these islands theirs!
They call it Senkaku,
Both asked U.N.C.L.O.S for it,
In nineteen eighty-two.

What will happen?!
From war they both won't hide,
Over this gas-rich sea bed between them,
And symbol of nationalistic pride.

JFK Today

It was fifty years ago,
Eleven 'fore my birth,
Still etched in my mind as if I was there,
Enduring nation's curse,

Many stories have been written claiming,
The real truth of that day,
Who really shot President Kennedy,
Cuba, Mafia or the C.I.A.

Would but my own death be shrouded as such,
In so much mystery,
One way of ensuring eternal life,
Of someone's memory.

So, R.I.P.,
Thanks for keeping alive,
The thought that there could be a president,
Who'll truly fight on the peoples' side.

A Day Early

There'll be no time at dawn,
When I'm up anyway,
To fulfill my oath to write a new Wath,
Each and every day,

A task meant only to last 'til year's end,
A semi-random date,
To fulfill an arbitrary desire,
Based on a love of numbers I'll ne'er sate.

In a world that appears to put more weight,
On one 'stead another,
Which is something that is hard not to do,
As human, I gather.

Yet, still I say,
"I will put value there,"
And this is based on nothing but my heart,
A conundrum I sometimes just can't bare.

You Are What You Eat

Sometimes my belly hurts,
Us'ally after food,
A pain wells up at the top of my gut,
And it does not feel good.

I know it has something to do with me,
And what my body likes,
But I've never taken the time to see,
What disagrees with me that I might bite,

It's a funny thing when your body talks,
And you don't understand,
Sometimes I think listening to it does,
Make me less of a man,

It kinda does,
Or, less of a human,
For everything that I cannot eat,
Is insult to my digestive system.

Put Myself Out There

I put myself out there,
'Pressed my thoughts to others,
Who didn't ask for what I had to say,
It affected my nerves,

So much so that I have lost confidence,
Not, though, in what I do,
More balking at the task of reaching those,
Who would agree with my poems as true,

Both in message, also in sentiment,
It's a very rare thing,
To have such a combination of both,
And to get peeps list'ning.

And then there's time,
Both amount and qual'ty,
The factors for communication awe,
Not to mention one's own morality.

Foggy Tuesday

How much can you be tied,
To what others do do?
Well let me tell you, 'cause I'm sure you've thought,
Without them there's no you.

It is true your life would have no meaning,
Without those around you,
Nothing you do doesn't have as its goal,
Participation of at least a few,

No matter what, you want recognition,
The only way to know,
That your actions actu'lly have value,
Even just for show.

So, yes, you need,
The others in your world,
However, you can always weigh yourself,
Against those who love life more than they should.

The Door

There is a door somewhere,
Painted white, that is old,
Some time long ago it ope'd to a home,
With tales ne'er to be told,

It has windows that at one time might show,
Horror, joy and sadness,
These are never absent from any life,
That has reached as far as adolescence.

The same door has moved and now opens to,
A room with naught to share,
Until life spends any time within it,
A new life it must bear,

That it thought done,
The wood had opened up,
Just to find new 'life' and a coat of paint.
Would it could scream out all the acts it once snuffed.

Faith In The Existence Of Others

It is time I join in,
On the conversation,
Assume what I have to say is as real,
As th'rest of the nation,

As if my mind is not sep'rate from those,
Billions of other folks,
That express their experience of life,
Through their naturally expressive form.

Isn't this the goal of each, everyone?
Whether written or said,
Whether rearing, working or murdering,
Lowly or richly bred?

I do not know,
If it even matters,
If anyone understands anyone,
Or if it's all just meaningless chatter.

Second Chances

As you're getting older,
And you finally accept,
That your body will die far, far before,
Your brain would like to let,

The world starts slipping by,
'Cause there is far, far more you'd like to do,
So people remember,
What's it like without you,

For heaven forbid you don't leave your mark,
Because everyone thinks,
It's a far, far better thing that I do,
And everyone else stinks,

But it must be,
A land far, far away,
Where everyone is given equal rights,
And given the chance to have to express their say!

Sorry, Can't Ignore Ford

Don't need the BBC,
To catch up on Rob Ford,
Just wait five minutes in a crowded room,
The topic's in full force,

This time he said 'pussy',
He said 'PUSSY' to a room of news hounds,
Other than stunned gaffaws,
The 'ffect was to dumbfound.

Now when he speaks in the council chamber,
The councilors turn their back,
He's threatening to sue is former staff,
For what the police asked.

If there's no crime,
He's managed to create,
A new tone at Toronto City Hall,
Which, if he's re-ellected's, here to stay

Ford's Beyond Reproach - Far Beyond

It's all come to a head,
Mayor Ford's been called out,
By council after a police report,
Revealed sev'ral more counts,

Information gleaned from former staffers,
I should just make a list:
He drank on the job, they'd go buy him more,
Too, they got called names like, "liberal bitch",

One night he was seen with a prostitute,
Racial slurs were common,
One staffer refused a drive home from him,
After he chugged, like, rum.

Well, 'twas Vodka,
I changed it for the rhyme,
'Cause there's not much else I can add to this,
It's gone past something I can criticize.

Please Do Not Read This

So here we go again,
Life has decided that,
Although I've managed to squeeze in some time,
Think at all, no I can't,

Just pump out the words as if they they've meaning,
There's not much difference,
Than most of the words born into this world,
'Cept these are writ for all to scoff at hence.

So who is in the right in this event?
Surely, it can't be wrong,
To express your thoughts for expression's sake,
In a poem meant as song!

Maybe it is,
Your time's also precious,
I think I'll title this accordingly,
To keep the good relationship 'tween us.

Under the Wire

I almost f'got today,
Now it's almost over,
Like everyday leading up to this one,
The next, and moreover,

There are distractions all over the place,
Because it's late at night,
And I usually write in the early morn,
My head cleared by the early morning light,

Now, I'm afraid, there is not much to say,
But, I cannot stop now,
I've a quota for the rest of the year,
And time is counting down.

So there you are,
A hobby become task,
If I don't write a Wath each day 'til Jan,
I'll have failed a self-imposed random ask.

Happy Remembrance Day

Is't hypocritical,
That Iran had to spake,
'Bout not advancing its nuclear program,
With nucl'ar-weapon states?

Who're also the Security Council,
Permanent member states,
Whose interests are so, so divided,
Some say the United Nations is fake,

That it's an opiate for the people,
That the goal's peace, though fake.
What a topic for this Remembrance Day,
Ninety-five years today,

Sixteen mil dead,
Nineteen wars to today,
Since "the war to end all wars" was finished.
Musn't known human'ty when that was spake.

Help From The Storm

Your heart has to go out,
T'the Philippine islands,
Slammed by devastating Typhoon Haiyan,
The worst hit is Tacloban,

Power went out and the estimates said,
That one hundred were dead,
Then that increased to one thousand had died,
Now thousands and thousands estimated.

Homes destroyed and many people displaced,
This is what Nature does,
We spend time waging war against ourselves,
Like She belongs to us,

But She doesn't,
We're all at Nature's whim,
We would do good to remember this fact,
And save for international helpin'

All Is One Part 2

There's something I's thinking,
I can't remember now,
A thought of such depth and great importance,
Nothing's been as profound.

Perhaps you've had the same experience,
Moments of clarity,
If but ev'ryone at once had that thought,
For that moment we'd fin'lly have world peace,

If but we had a button we could push,
That would unlock our brain,
Recognizing the thought that we all share,
That makes us all the same.

Is this the case?
Is there something "human"?
Maybe we're all made from a diff'rent cloth,
Whose deep thoughts share no common connection.

The New WWF - World Wrestling Ford

It's purely fantastic!
Enough to enthrall,
The wrestling sideshow taking place o'er at,
Toronto City Hall,

First up's the Iron Sheik,
Who visits the office of Mayor Ford,
Decrying his crack use,
Which the Sheik's used before,

Then there's the footage of Rob's wrestler rant,
Who shows up the same day?
Brutus the Barber Beefcake with advice,
'Bout Rob changing his ways!

It's just surreal,
I'm really hoping then,
That the Honky Tonk Man enters the ring,
A once rival of Ford's ally Hogan.

Speed of Life

I don't have much time, now,
And it's not going to stop,
Plus there is all this time I have to spend,
Eating, sleeping and stuff.

It's enough to act'lly make you crazy,
If you stop and think through,
How long it takes you to know what you want,
Then the remaining time allowed to you,

So the best thing to do is just forget,
Try to live in the now,
That's the point made by seers of many years,
Though it's not that clear how,

How in one's life,
You can change th'speed of time,
I've been living in the future so long,
It feels too late to change the speed of mine.

Step One of Twelve for Ford

I guess I can't ignore,
The latest from Rob Ford,
He stood in front of the world yesterday,
And he gave this report:

“Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine,” the man said,
Embarrassing, but smug,
He said, "I kept this from my family,"
But more, "Especially from my brother Doug,"

But he won't step down as T.O.'s mayor,
"The past is the past", yo,
"I was elected to do a job" and,
There's a lot more to go.

He might be right,
Act'lly may be his goal,
There's so much to distract from his record,
Voters may not see'ee's not fulfilled his role.

All Is One Part 1

There is a phrase I know of,
Something like, "All is one",
The notion being we're all composed of,
The same kind of atoms,

Or quarks or whatever named particles,
That are viewed from effects,
And general theories of how they move,
We've just not been able to see them, yet.

Though there's more to the sense of this saying:
If you break yourself down,
To the trees, to others, to ev'rything,
You're intrinsic'lly bound,

We are all one,
Hurt one's to hurt you more,
So, to be willing to hurt someone is,
Self-sacrifice of the highest order.

Fall Back

I don't know what it is,
P'haps 'cause it's unnat'ral,
Can't get my head 'round daylight savings time,
Especially this Fall.

I woke up at five thirty this morning,
And when I think of it,
Can't solve if I'm up earlier or not,
Which then makes me feel like an idiot.

And when I go to bed at eleven,
Is't ten or twelve at night?
Can't believe I have to spend my dear time,
Figuring out this plight!

And for what, y'know?
Either way, I've to live,
I'd rather spend my time contemplating,
A conception that is more inclusive.

Happy Birthday To Me

Th'moon ate the sun, today,
In a rare eclipse event,
First the sun was seen surrounding the moon,
Then was no more present.

The first is Annular turned to Total,
All on my birthday,
A good sign for those with sun in Scorp'o,
Portending positive change on the way,

I also put on some old clothes today,
Bought eighteen years ago,
To wear for my interviews with authors,
On CBC Rad'o,

Those were good days,
When the world seemed larger,
Though as the moon gets out of the sun's way,
P'haps more options will be uncovered.

Before Thy Judge

Just 'cause you think someone,
Is an absolute git,
Does not mean you've spoke some absolute truth,
Or that you've sucked the tit,

Of Mother Nature's abs'lute perception,
There's really no such thing,
Just state your views to the git in question,
And you'll see what "point-of-view" really means.

Your experience or station in life,
Gives you no upper hand,
Who you are's completely arbitrary,
As're the ones that you've panned.

Please excuse me,
For stating the obv'ous,
But if you're looking for a better world,
You'd do better being like everyone else.

I Don't Think Ford's Done

It's hard not to report,
As if the world don't know,
That the footage of Mayor Ford's been found,
Of him smoking crack, yo,

It's been the linchpin that's never been there,
Though, 'spite what the news gleaned,
Rob never said that it didn't exist,
He said it's one "that I have never seen..."

Now you have to wonder if it matters,
I know we care downtown,
We pinkos who listen to those maggots,
But those living around,

Everyone else,
They think he's a great guy,
Nothing's come out but that he may smoke drugs,
Which you could argue's his personal life.

Happy Harrowing Halloween

There is nothing scary,
'Bout Halloween no more,
With all the answers we've had from science,
We're 'magination poor,

Like when my son was out at recess time,
And he looked at the wall,
He said a ghost came out of it, and then,
He lost track of 't chasing a soccer ball.

He didn't consider what it might do,
Which is a ghost's power,
For they have no physical properties,
Worthy of a cower.

What we need is,
More faith in the unknown,
Recall that the knowledge that we possess,
Is a scratch from inside a coffin's dome. (ooOOooOOooOOoo)

The Evil Trees

There comes a time each year,
The very air changes,
Warmth flies away to some far, far off land,
Replaced by cold ranges,

It's a little season we all know 'bout,
I like to call it fall,
The death season that kills all plants alive,
Except for those that the devil does call,

Those evergreens come to mind as evil,
Something that doesn't die,
To me reeks of deals with unsav'ry sorts,
Planning to steal and lie.

"And why", you ask,
"Am I harshing on trees?"
They have gotten away for far too long,
Feigning nice, while causing atrocities!

No Real Anger At Spying Allies

Let's just all be honest,
It's really no secret,
That all countries spy on ev'ry other.
You take what you can get,

In relation to your abilities.
So when the wall's thin, your ear's pressed to it,
You peak at my email,
Just 'cause you can do it.

The only reason countries are "angry",
Is to pretend they don't,
Also practice this nefarious act,
So the public don't know.

Plus, they all talk,
Germ'ny's slap's a nudge, too,
Saying, "let's just get through this discomfort,
Then get back to doing what countries do."

Hey, Let's Rape The Land Again!

Thank god for First Nations!
Would us explorers think,
To consider our effect upon the land,
Being consummate dinks?

Elsipogtogs've rallied,
For many, many days,
'Gainst Fracking that will surely be happ'ning,
If SWN is left to play,

Willy-nilly on the band's property.
You know what Fracking is?
Pump scads of gallons of chem'cal water,
Deep in Nature's abyss,

Then extract gas,
Now you can walk away.
Ethics again is completely ignored,
In the name of our economic gains.

Friendship

Friendship's greater than love,
It spans 'cross space and time,
It doesn't matter the last time you met,
Everything is e'er fine,

You can express your love to a good friend,
With no fear of 'ssumptions,
No obligation to see the other,
No unreasonable expectations,

Friends remind you of the person you were,
And are a reflection,
Of how true you've been to who you once were,
With no discrim'nation,

I pity those,
Who've sacrificed friendship,
In the name of finding success in life,
From some notion that there's no room for it,

The Mind's Death

N'matter what your mind says,
It has little control,
Over the body in which it is housed,
When it decides to go,

Like when you have cancer beyond repair,
You're alive with an end,
More predictable than the av'rage guy,
So there is no luxury to pretend,

That you might live to a hundred and five,
Many people do that,
To put off doing what their heart desires,
Just a trick in their hat,

Like mind cancer,
Spreading lies in your thoughts,
For what could you call it other than death,
When your true dreams and desires just rot?

Summing the Senate Spending Scandal

Looks like prorogation,
Didn't succeed, this time,
In stifling debate on a gov scandal,
S'Tories could realign,

Like the robo-call prorogue of oh twelve,
Do you remember that?
What about Afghan detainee treatment?
"Prorogue Two Thou-Nine" was where it was at!

 But now parl'ment's back, and so is Duffy,
Claiming what I had thought,
That Steve was in on the expense pay-back,
Though he says he was not.

And how 'bout Pam?!
She really seems upset.
This is just two sens of one hundred, five.
We haven't even scratched the surface, yet.

Meditating Again

I meditate again,
Though, I have started slow,
All the reasons why I used to love it,
Once more begin to flow,

Like the thoughts that visit me as I sit,
Solving varied problems,
As if they're there in my mind all along,
And I just wasn't able to find them,

To do it I get up extra early,
But that's, in fact, okay,
For ev'ry minute of meditation's,
Extra pep in the day.

It reminds me,
Who I am, what I love,
To think I left it for so many years,
It's proof we're being oppressed by our gov!

A New Place On The Map

They're eighty-nine more towns,
'Til the Olympic Torch,
Makes it to southern city Volgograd,
Where a bus has been scorched,

By an Islamist suicide bomber,
The video's online,
From a group led by Doku Umarov,
A Chechnyan rebel with a thousand lives,

Who has lifted a moratorium,
On attacks on Russia,
In order to disrupt the Sochi games.
Now you wonder, donchya,

Why, when you think,
Of the world map these days,
Do countries appear and then disappear,
Based on the violence and deaths that's been staged?

Who Has Time To Worry?

Have you seen the pictures?!
The smog's thick as pea soup,
In the Heilongjiang province town Harbin,
Poor Beijing's had a coup.

It's news like this that puts into perspective,
How fucked up the world is,
If there weren't genocide and famine,
All decent folk would be incredulous.

But a person has to choose his battles,
Well, many have no choice,
It is hard to decry the sky falling,
When the state took your voice,

Or killed your child,
Or foreclosed on your home,
Add human desire to make sense of life,
Most just want the news to leave them alone.

The Resilience of the Suicide Bombing Trade

There's so much I don't get,
About so many things.
Let's try suicide bombers in Iraq,
'Cause of recent killings.

The thought is that these are Sunni Muslims,
Mad at the Shia gov,
For keeping them out of pol'tical posts,
Security forces showing no love,

So over five bombs killed more than eighty,
One at a funeral.
This just in the last two days alone,
Suicide bombers all.

Not to be terse, 
But, how can someone see,
How so many innocent people die,
And think, "suicide bombing is for me."?

Guinea's True Hope

Quotations, when used well,
Can be beautiful things,
Like in, Guinea ruling party "wins",
Known as the RPG.

One of the most "stable" nations around,
At least in Africa,
Since leaving "Soc'lism" in the eighties,
After thousands fell to its agenda,

Still, it is a nation of immense "wealth",
Its people the most poor,
These "elections", delayed three years just prove,
What fighting might be for.

Though, Europe's "there",
E'en though it's broke with France,
They've got a "think-tank" called the Crisis Group,
To save itself from its own failing "plans".

The Privacy Bullshit

What is all this hoopla,
About one's privacy?
Furor abounds about the NSA,
Spying on you and me,

Reading our pers'nal emails, taping calls,
Not in our minds just yet.
What's the danger of this information,
If you really stop and reflect on it?

We should really just have nothing to hide,
What we act'lly resent,
Are either things we've done that aren't nice,
Or anti-'stablishment.

But think 'bout this:
Wouldn't life be quite grand,
If there was no fear of being who you're?
Then there'd be no privacy to demand.

Just Because You've Proved Time Doesn't Not Exist, Doesn't Mean It Does

There is much evidence,
That Time really exists,
Through the observation of change through time,
That's not tricky, is it?

The fact that if you take a canister,
Then you fill it with gas,
And the molecules begin all lined up,
They will get pretty mixed up fairly fast,

Somehow shows us that Time is a real thing,
'Cause chances are they won't,
Return to the shape from whence they did start,
And often they just don't,

Yet one believes,
That given etern'ty,
They must return, I guess infinite times,
Which is the real problem of this theory.

Acts Of Kindess

What is the impetus,
When you own a business,
To do something that atch'lly costs money,
Simply out of kindness?

Well, it is never just a 'simply' thing,
That's just not the world's mood.
As Gord Gekko in the film Wall Street said,
"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good."

Though it might feel good to be generous,
It's more like fantasy,
Cap'lism makes sure it eventch'lly hurts,
'Less you get tax receipts.

'Cause you're so rich,
And have more than you need.
There's no other way human's could progress.
No soci'ty'd be, with n'imp'tus for greed!

Allah, I Say!

What about Malaysia?
A country to be cheered,
Rich in exports from disk drives to palm oil,
With beaches to draw tears,

And yes it's had some problems in the past,
But in the world's grand scheme,
From anti-communist, British col'ny,
It is a country-in-turmoil's wet dream,

Sure, the gov's main opponent's been charged twice,
Then acquitted twice, too,
Of sod'my, who supports democracy,
And who dares to argue,

And now 'Allah',
Can only be uttered,
By law, by citizens who are Muslim,
Still, as nations go, hard to find better.

Here Comes the Debt Ceiling

Not since the gold standard,
Became the U.S.A.,
Has the world economic 'stablishment,
Had such a chance to play.

I'm sure the Tea Party Libertar'ans,
Are tickled pink because,
America can lead the way again,
Creating a "no-tax, cit'zen's-the-boss,

"Maintain-your-own-roads, defend-your-own-land,
"Government-just-make-war,
"And-use-the-spoils-to-generate-more-spoils,
"And-help-the-poor-no-more."

Is that so bad?
Doesn't the world need help?
Capitalism hasn't been the best,
At ensuring we are all in good health.

It's All About Land

In news you rarely hear,
But which seems will ne'er stop,
In places like South America,
Where land's stolen a lot,

By rich land owners with impunity,
Except Señor Luedy,
Charged for the Felisburgo Massacre,
In Brazil, ninety-four, 'gainst MST.

But he can appeal, and 'til that is free,
These guys are rarely charged,
And even then, it's the smaller big guys,
You're safest when you're large.

Same here, I guess,
Look at the U.S. banks,
Millions of foreclosures, a big land grab,
While the gov'ment gives them bail-outs of thanks.

Speaking So The World Hears

Now I am just writing,
'Cause I know if I don't,
I will feel the world is passing me by,
Because I missed the boat,

Because it's hard to keep on expressing,
Because people don't hear,
Because there's so much begging to be heard,
Because we're all driven by the same fear,

Which is that life doesn't really matter,
Whichever route you take,
Which is true unless you can make your mark,
Which is so hard to make!

I'm not afraid,
To admit that I'd like,
Recognition for the thoughts in my head,
And the way I have decided to write.

Is It A Cult Party?

It's just hard to believe,
They're people that exist,
Enough to shut down the U.S. gov'ment,
With such a callused fist,

With such blind belief in their own beliefs,
That there's no compromise,
That the life of he who don't share their views,
Is so quickly forgotten if it dies.

Ask Boehner if he thinks the Tea Party,
Cares if he is ruined,
They must have something pretty bad on him,
Given what he's doin'.

"Abs'lutely thrilled!"
That is how Bachmann feels,
When the government is pushed to default,
Party leaders will ne'er be short of meals.

The Workers Punished Again

When I was in Boston,
I said to this old joe,
"Hey, Congress closed the U.S. Government,"
He said, "How would you know?"

But seriously, folks, people lost jobs,
Like in national parks,
That probably take in more in a day,
Than the employees take home for their work.

They're no CEOs that have been let go,
Homeland Secur'ty's safe,
As far as I know, Congress makes no less,
The budget's biggest waste,

Which makes me think,
Why don't the laws protect,
Rights of the people to a living wage,
And punish leaders for being inept?

Will The US Shut Down?

I wish I knew hist'ry,
'Cause I'm willing to bet,
That this threat to shut down the U.S. gov,
Is not a newborn threat,

And I'm not talking nineteen ninety-six,
Let's try Amer'ca's birth,
The one preceded by revolution,
Creating the most unique place on Earth,

Where they live together, but are not one,
Look at Obamacare,
How dare he propose an easier way,
To make hosp'tals more fair?

That would be wrong,
Everyone for himself,
If you can't afford med'cine for your kids,
Then maybe you should check your mental health.

David Bowie is here

When I was in grade one,
My sister Sue helped me,
Win a jack-o-lantern contest at school,
Well, the work was all she.

I won a gift prize for a record store,
My very first album!
Sister two said, "buy Rush, Exit Stage Left!".
I tended to value her opinion.

Then Susy went to the store with my prize,
Bought Bowie's Changes One!
I was angry, then I listened to it,
And all anger was gone.

Now it is thirty years,
I've got thirty Bowies,
His words will live forever in my mind,
All from a pumpkin with ears made from leaves.

The Green Peace Pirates

Some of Russia's comments,
Are a bit of a lark:
The ship "was loaded with electronics,"
Ya, so the ship could work.

But I guess what are they supposed to do?
Green Peace was scaling walls,
Trying to get on their arctic oil rig.
These activists really have some big balls!

So now all thirty of them are in jail,
And I have to admit,
I'd know naught about Prirazlomnaya,
But for these mad pirates,

Nor would I know,
That there is no good plan,
Barring the 'useless' Nuuk Declaration,
For cleaning oil spills in this pristine land.

The Role of News

So now there's al-Shabab,
In Arabic, The Youth,
Militants who practice Sharia law,
For Somalia's good,

Formed to keep out Ethiopian troops,
Helping the government,
That replaced the old Islamist leader,
Ex-President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

There are many stories like this around,
Waiting to hit headlines,
Lots of women stoned and crowded malls blown,
Aid denied all the time.

So now we know,
Our brains put aside space,
To acknowledge injustice in foreign lands,
Until another headline takes its place.

As The Rain Falls

As the rain outside falls,

As the train rambles by,

As my eyes hurt by the light of this screen,

In the darkness of night,

As production continues through all hours,

From countless artists' hands,

Reflecting this world from their own eyes' light,

Reaching the eyes of very few humans,

As the solutions can't keep up with the,

Problems that we create,

Inventing things with no care for the world,

As we still procreate,

As the rain falls,
Finding the eas'est paths,
I wonder, will life ever provide me,
With all the things for which I've ever asked?

A Bio of al-Assad

Did you know that Assad,
Wasn't to be pres'dent,
'Til brother Bassel died in ninety-four,
In a car accident?

Pres. Bashar was an ophthalmologist!
That's a doctor of eyes,
But then he was fast-tracked through the army,
Took five years to make colonel, for this guy.

In two thousand he became president,
People hoped he'd reform,
It soon became clear he had no intent,
To dev'ate from the norm,

Now civil war,
Two-years old and growing,
With Russia and China firmly on side,
No hint of waning resolve is showing.

Risk For Gain

Is there any value,
Pushing the envelope,
That moment your body is telling you,
It's uncomfortable?

Is it saying that if you go further,
Something's sure to go wrong,
To take what you have and to be happy,
Don't risk enjoying the success too long?

Or is it presenting to you the chance,
To grab for the brass ring?
Something out of reach when you're comfortable,
But sure worth the stretching!

Here is the thing,
You'll surely never know,
If you don't risk the comfort that you're in,
Which you may really not want to let go.

The Throne Speech is Coming

The Throne Speech is coming,
The one that will unveil,
The strategy of the ruling Tories,
After years of no fail.

The one that will try to set the debate,
For the next election,
Forget Mulcair, this one's against Trudeau,
The dope-smoking hippie politician.

So, after proroguing the parliament,
And dissing the lib'rals,
For not having policy of their own,
For what will Harper call?

For more fairness,
For normal consumers,
Their right to buy goods without confusion,
So we can reach our debt-cap that sooner.

Miley and Dolly

This guy Steve Moccio,
Wrote the song Wrecking Ball,
As performed by Miley Cyrus, naked,
Licked sledge hammer and all,

But there's something funny going on there,
In the song's last motion,
She tried to break her love's walls, but then says,
As if she did, "I should've let you win."

Despite not actu'lly being let in,
"I will always want you,"
How did she see something inside of him,
While never breaking through?

Like Julliette,
Is it folly of youth,
Can't people be Islands in the Stream, or,
Is Billy Ray's daughter singing a truth?

Dream's Reality

I dreamt I lost three teeth,
Symb'lizing anxi'ty,
For somehow losing a part of yourself,
Is not a mind's party,

Which makes my own mind twirl with vertigo,
'Cause I don't even know,
Where my body ends and the world begins,
So can pieces of me be said to go?

Maybe what losing teeth should really mean,
Is forging a new bond,
Meshing somehow with the environment,
In a way yet not found.

We are all one,
From toes up to the teeth,
Expressing reality's potential,
Whether in waking or just in our dreams.

Syria Safe From Scrutiny

Barack's wiping his brow,
Changing his underwear,
For once, Russia's opposite intentions,
Will work in his favor,

Syria agrees to stop chemicals,
Russia won't veto that,
Meaning that congress doesn't have to vote,
And veto Obama's call for attack.

Isn't it great when everyone looks good?!
Even Mr. Assad.
Doesn't even look like he'll have to pay,
For the kids he hurt bad.

What about that?
The hundreds burned to death?
And the many more dying ev'ryday day,
While our world leaders drink to their own health.

Shurman Gets The Axe

Some say Peter Shurman,
Was sacked by Tim Hudak,
Not because of his living expenses,
But for something way back,

In two thousand and eight when he refused to,
Resign his seat to Tim.
A past favorite of leader John Tory,
Shurman prob'ly seems like a threat to him.

'Cause the details of the costs Pete had claimed,
Were cleared by the leader,
Reviewed, I'm sure, by the PC watch dogs,
To help protect Peter,

Which it did not,
Because the rules must change,
At least that is what Tim is now saying,
Which, if he act'lly likes Shurman, is strange.

The U.S. Conscience

Why is it the U.S.,
That must lead all conflict?
Forget the ethics of Assad's regime,
No one don't condemn it,

Even Russia says if it's chemical,
The world must do something,
Not that Putin's rushing to find the truth,
Losing his Syrian ally would sting.

But really, from both Bushes to Barrack,
Johnson in Vietnam,
Maybe it's just the hype of Amer'ca,
Like Miley's awards stunt,

That makes it seem,
That they're the only ones,
Who wage war without U.N. approval,
And have ulterior motivations.

Dissecting Life

Life has many stages,
Not hierarchical,
Although some you would like to leave for last,
Like congress sexual,

Others you can take or leave, like some films,
They were enjoy'ble, yes,
But did not improve your knowledge of things,
Nor did they contribute to your success,

Then there are the bittersweet ass-fuckers,
Excuse the language, mom,
These are the ones you wish didn't happen,
But preceded good ones,

And it might be,
They were needed, though mean,
Maybe they changed you in prep for the next,
Most fantastic, unbelievable dream.

Same Old News

I sometimes think humans,
Have never really changed,
Though rhetoric's said we've grown more humane,
The news remains the same.

The Snowden leaks reveal the NSA,
Has hacked the U.N.'s mail,
The biggest intel org in the U.S.,
I'm sure they just ran out of crooks to tail.

Of course the salaries and overhead,
For the team that did it,
Could likely have fed a small city or,
Pulled house-poor out of debt.

And then there's war,
Happening all the time,
Ninety-five years post the one to end all,
That could have taught us how to just be kind.

Disingenuous Syrian Resolve?

Barack added a word,
And it's 'significant',
'Bout chemical weapons in Syria,
And being militant,

It was just the use of arms chemical,
That once marked the red line,
But with hundreds of apparent victims,
His rhetoric's become more serpentine.

'Course the U.S. is in difficult times,
Failed wars, mid-east fatigue,
While roaming U.N. weapons inspectors,
Appear out of their league.

Or do they stall?
Reluctance on both sides?
The world just doesn't want to get involved,
While Assad's regime has something to hide?

Final Stand for Marijuana Laws

It was two thousand two,
When these nine senators,
As directed by our fine government,
Published this drug report.

This report states dope has no ill-effects,
No ifs, ands, buts or hows,
That Canada should let the world know this,
So Steve made it more crim'nal up to now,

While Trudeau says let's legalize this drug,
That he has smoked it too!
The Tories say he's a bad example,
Crim'nal's what crim'nals do.

Now time will tell,
If Canada's spirit,
Will vote Justin down as a law-breaker,
Or give Marijuana rights a new writ.

Quebec Government Plans to Ban Religious Symbols in Public Buildings

What is my religion?
I tend to follow Hume,
He believed morality’s grounded in,
What’s best for me and you.

This guides my life and I would fight for it,
If you pushed me to that,
As tribute to Hume and reminder, too,
I wear this orange, turbany-like hat,

It also serves as a message to all,
Who get what it’s to mean,
That if you want to get to know me read,
Morals Enquiry.

But now’s I’ve said,
If I visit Quebec,
Does Marois want me to take off my hat,
When at the bath house. Ain’t that ‘Putinesque’!?

A Rare Murder Charge for Cop James Forcillo

Forcillo's not surprised,
That charges have been brought,
Against him in the case of Sam Yatim,
For on YouTube he's caught.

Sammy's standing in an empty streetcar,
Twenty cops at the door,
Forcillo must have had somewhere to go,
And couldn't wait for Yatim anymore.

Nine shots he let fly, some after Sam fell,
Of course he lost his life
'Fore the Taser was used. That must have been,
One scary looking knife.

But James is shocked,
The call's second degree,
Meaning he wanted to kill that young man.
How many more shots he think he would need?

Two Million Have Now Fled Syria

One hundred thousand Kurds,
Enemies of Assad,
Have fled northern Syria to Iraq,
'Cause Turkey's all filled up.

Most are children escaping violence,
No food and high prices.
The U.N.'s not sure of this sudden move,
Though, there's been more fighting with Islamists,

Who're also anti-Assad, which just proves,
Vi'lent begets vi'lent,
Iraqi-Kurdistan says it will fight,
If Kurds are under threat.

It's too complex,
To really unravel,
States, terr'ists, rebels, allies and the world,
Trying to draw it all out just baffles.

Let's Just Stop Talking About It, Please

There's just too much to say,
It's so very tiring,
Trying to keep straight Ford's drug connections,
Instead of just firing.

Lisi, Price, Kordas, Kasim, Smith and Basso,
Need anymore arise?
It's not that he knows people of this ilk,
It's that Rob's smoked crack with some of these guys.

There is a point when circumstantial facts,
Tip the scales to one side,
And there's no amount of weaving this stuff,
To show he hasn't lied.

I want fairness,
And benefit of doubt,
But with no attempt at showing he's true,
It's probably time to show Rob Ford out.

Wallin's Wiggle

Pam has come a long way,
Since her days with the Corpse,
That's the CBC, if you didn't know,
Needed one syll'ble more!

Now she 'wants to be a milli-onaire',
Though maybe can't be blamed,
I've a feeling once all the senate's checked,
Many more expense fraud names will be named,

To her credit, her story's been the same,
Since Duffy had the stage,
She defends the spirit of her costs as,
Why the senate was made,

It's her duty,
When invited to speak,
Though I'm sure she wishes Deloitte had not,
Let facts of her doctored calendars leak.

Be All That You Can Be

Be all that you can be.
How will you know when y'are?
Why, when the world is bowing at your feet,
Like planets to a star,

Like mere animals envious of us,
And the way that we think,
Manip'lating Mother Nature herself,
Pushing her del'cate balance to the brink.

You'll see those 'round you and pity their state,
For they've not found the key,
That unlocks one's full potential, unless,
They're, too, all they can be,

Which might be true,
There're many realms to run,
In fact, we may all be all we can be.
God help the destiny of us humans!

Who Rules Democratic Egypt?

This is where ideals clash,
This Egyptian chaos,
It's a fulcrum of pow'r in the Mid East,
So U.S. is hands off.

The army has always been in power,
And we may never know,
Why they really thought to dethrone Morsi,
But I doubt 'twas the will of the people.

El Baradei has left the government,
A Lib'ral, in protest,
Of the army killing hundreds of those,
Protesting the gov'ment.

It breaks my heart,
People dying for what?
To hang who they desire on puppet strings?
Naming rights were never so dearly fought.

Rethinking Ford-Bashing

Wait! I may've spoke rashly,
Regarding our mayor,
True, it's no big deal to have a good time,
That's what fest'vals are for,

But he was supposed to be somewhere else,
In an official way,
Not slurring words standing beside his car,
'Bout which there are other things you could say.

So when he was rounded up by his staff,
With taxpayer's police,
It's 'cause he was already late for work,
Job shirking, if you please.

If I did that,
Drinking during work time,
I would be warned, at least, if not let go,
Doesn't he have a Staff Handbook, like mine?!

Unwarranted Ford-Bashing

There's really not much else,
Except for Wallin's costs,
Oh, and various protests 'round the world,
Making the news like Rob,

Walking Bloor with a thousand other drunks,
Still nice to everyone,
He should have had a person with him,
That was the mayor's real aberration,

Because he was just having a good time,
He is a normal guy,
No more problems, too, than a normal guy,
Though, much harder to hide.

I take issue,
With the idea that,
He was wrong to enjoy the city fest,
Or that there's a way a mayor should act.

Morning By The Lake (7:30am)

The water's so calm now,
It is shimmering glass,
Random fish kisses visit from below,
Eas'ly missed, they're so fast,

My shadow's long, even sitting down low,
Warmth on my other side,
Few are awake to see this other lake,
Still, too many to proclaim it as mine.

There is one resting there in a dinghy,
Shirt off, hands behind head,
More walk the shore as I write what I see,
Others listen from bed,

For what's not there,
Like the roar of the waves.
Oh, what's missed by those who participate,
Just in the bustl-ing part of the day!

An Ode To The Wind

I really like the wind,
Espesh'lly at the beach,
Or with my head stuck out of the window,
Driving at a fast speed,

I remember one time feeling the wind,
It pressed against my skin,
The sensation became a part of me,
As if the feeling had come from within,

Since that exper'ence, I've wanted it back,
Though many years have past.
What was it about me in that moment,
That my mind could surpass,

Reality?
Or maybe it was real,
The air stopped moving for those few seconds,
So my body could know what it can feel

To Be Seen

Does there come a moment,
Singular from the rest,
In a life that seems to repeat itself,
As the least glamorous,

After which, you can def'nitely look back,
And thank your lucky stars,
That the universe had mercy on you,
Allowing you to define who you are,

Giving you power over people's eyes,
Letting them see your mind,
Recognizing in it what's in themselves?
That's all for which we pine!

To be open,
For others to enter,
To feel that others actu'lly exist,
And that we're all in this together.

The Life of Rod Zimmer

Liberal Rod Zimmer,
Born nineteen forty-two,
Joined the senate in two thousand and five,
Was a fundraiser, too,

Almost Manitoba's Lieutenant Gov,
A business man at core,
Known for his wife, born nineteen eighty-nine,
Has battled throat cancer and now much more,

So that he's quit, leaving a senate seat,
Most prized of gov'ment posts,
Little to do and much money to make,
A party's 'thanks', at most,

Which begs the ask,
What will the P.M. do?
He who has paraded senate reform,
Who has some 'thank-you's to offer out, too.

Who Is The Enemy?

Where the fuck is Yemen,
And what 'bout Pakistan?
Isn't Iraq still in the Middle East,
Was''t Bin Laden the man?

Now there's al-Qaeda's al-Zawahiri,
A name I'll have to learn,
Breaking out soldiers from foreign prisons,
To start a new campaign of slash and burn.

U.S. drones are causing their own havoc,
A war we never see,
Until the enemy is so pissed off,
Everyone must flee.

Can someone please,
Explain who the foe is?
I'm pretty sure Iran's now moderate,
Should I be worried 'bout Mauritius?

Russia's Isolation

Snowden's now in Russia,
Protected by Putin,
A country once known to help Amer'cans,
Wanted by Pres. Truman,

Now discrimination against those gays,
Those who would support them,
And anyone who thinks it is alright,
Is written into Russian leg'slation,

Months before the world will visit Suchi,
For the Olympic games,
Though Putin told the I-O Committee,
Athletes aren't the same,

They will be safe,
Because there's a curtain,
Between what normal Russians must believe,
And what others know's at the rainbow's end.

Goodbye Nonna, July 31, 2013

You'd always get a smile,
Commenting on her skin,
Telling her how young and healthy it was,
Like it glowed from within.

We were never very good at talking,
Because of the language,
My Italian was never very good,
And she never tried too hard at English,

Still, I always liked to visit nonna,
Whenever I was home,
We'd sit and play Scopa and Briscola,
Having homemade cookies and espresso.

So now she's gone,
No surprise, still a shock,
I'll miss that woman named Italia,
And a world where she would answer my knock.

Intimacy

What's intimacy mean,
In the context of mind,
When even if you entered another,
You couldn't tell the line,

Of when you crossed from your own real'ty,
'Cause all you ever know,
Is what you're experiencing right now,
The only data by which you've to go?

Like anything true Faith is required,
The only route outside,
The only way to gain a deeper look,
At life before you die.

And where to place,
This most precious virtue?
It must be with someone who understands,
The presuppositions that define you.

When Death Knocks

She can't get over it,
These conditions of life,
That will not change until death visits her,
With old age or the knife,

So most waking hours are now occupied,
And I bet sleeping, too,
Going over the same old arguments,
Of why the world should be structured anew,

But nothing will change 'cause it only does,
Once everything's embraced,
And you recognize how you fit in it,
Managing just with faith,

But she will not,
And things will never change,
She's built a prison up around herself,
Filled with self-pity, angst, regret and blame.

New Roads

It is never too late,
To in some way evolve,
It is not like humans have reached the peak,
Or have nothing to solve,

If we did, our brains would surely just die,
Our bodies would just go,
Doing what needs to be done to survive,
Desiring nothing further to know,

Which is not the case with anyone,
No matter what you think,
Despite how some people choose to behave,
We all live on the brink,

Of learning more,
About why we are here,
And just like nations choose new ways to be,
We all can be more, if we conquer fear.

Congratulations to the House of Windsor!

The whole world's now talking,
'Bout Will and Kate's new son,
Born July twenty-two, two-oh-one-three,
Six ounces and eight pounds.

Now this one's third in line to become king,
(Thank god he's not a girl),
With no power other than symbolic,
Oh, and enough money to buy the world,

Born of a tradition marked by incest,
Though, granted, not lately,
The Monarchy has had no juice since the,
Seventeenth century.

But they're still loved,
By most those of England,
Still an excuse to stay within in one's class,
And avoid excessive revolution.

Good-Bye Honest Eds

Everyone in T.O.,
Knows that bright, dazzling sign,
Dollar store wares and Walmart-savvy staff,
It is one of a kind.

Now sixty-five years old, it's up for sale,
And it won't stay a store,
Probably hasn't made a penny in years,
Free birds given at Thanksgiving no more,

Instead this hallmark of the Mirvish clan,
Becomes prime real estate,
Another piece of land to develop,
Lots of money to make.

It's always been,
A symbol against greed,
A reminder that things can just exist,
Without making it something that you need.

TR - The Relativity of Simultaneity

Einstein had a theory,
'Bout the nature of time,
And how simultaneity's a joke,
Perpetrated by mind,

For how could two things be said to happen,
In two places at once,
If light couldn't even travel from one,
Before the other attained completion?

'Cause nothing exists that we can't observe,
Rather, that's all we got,
So, you can't say anything about things,
Whose proof cannot be sought.

But what happens,
If we all become blind,
Do we measure things by the speed of sound?
Why can't we judge by the sight of our mind?

Why Carry On?

It's not really easy,
Anything that you try,
Everything demands some kind of movement,
And effort from the mind,

Not that it's necessarily easy,
To sit and do nothing,
You'd have to pump most people full of drugs,
Not to accept what life is offering.

So here you have life's greatest conundrum,
The drive to continue,
Against the forces constantly pushing,
From every side of you.

What is this force,
That makes us carry on?
Is it the love we carry for others,
Or the need for self-preservation?

If My Dreams Were Reality

How real's the real'ty,
Of the dreams when you sleep?
We already know that nothing happens,
Outside of what we see,

Of course you can't cut yourself in a dream,
And find blood when you wake,
And you could never fly in the real world,
Like in the world your sleeping body makes,

But if you slept for the rest of your life,
And only had your dreams,
With no access to the world outside you,
What does real'ty mean?

It means you're free,
To make it what you want,
No one's yet been able to say for sure,
What's really reality and what's not.

Wake Up

If you are really tired,
And cannot really think,
You want to finish what you are doing,
To let your mind just sink,

You have nothing left in you to get done,
Even the simplest task,
Because the body was never designed,
To exceed the limitations of facts,

You do not feel responsibility,
For the things that you should,
And no longer wish to do anything,
You once wished that you could,

Then take a break,
You're doing something bad,
You're not being what you were meant to be,
And trying to use things you never had.

Writing in Bryant Park

I'm in a big city,
About eight million strong,
Sitting in a park surrounded by trees,
Surrounding a green lawn,

I'm plugged into the garden's free power,
Riding the free wi-fi,
The sound of traffic mixes with the birds,
Mingling with the scent of that homeless guy,

Sweat beads on my knees like Neanderthal,
Resting beneath the trees,
Contemplating how I fit in this world,
Versed just by what I see.

And what I think,
Was thought by him also,
This is the wor-ld that was left to me,
What will I leave to others when I go?

Too Late

It's been far, far too long,
And yet, not long enough,
Sometimes missing something until you cry,
Teaches you about love,

And it can also give you perspective,
On what is important,
The one way to triangulate yourself,
Is to walk towards where you once pointed,

Like when I pointed at that little kid,
Smiling at the big dog,
His parents telling him to be careful,
Him, living in a fog,

And here I am,
Sitting drunk and alone,
Thinking of all the things I could've been,
If I wasn't taught to fear the unknown.

To Succeed At Life

What does it really mean,
To be living your dream?
I've been alive for almost forty years,
And I've still yet to glean,

What I'd want if I could have anything,
And maybe that's just fear,
Of actually getting it, and then what?
Or of never actually getting near.

There's always quotes from folks like Roosevelt:
"It is hard to fail, but,
"It's worse never to have tried to succeed."
Here's the hard to crack nut:

You take one path,
Amidst infinite more,
Or you keep your options open for life,
And live with hope you'll find out what it's for.

Egyptian Army Stages An Uncoup

Now that's democracy!
Of the most direct kind.
Maybe we should have a military,
Keep our gov'ment in line.

Like Morsi, Harper would have to step down,
An example for jest,
Dave Johnson could be interim PM.
Quebec would love election by protest!

In fact, why give leaders a term at all?
Just lead until you suck.
If Morsi had done what he said he would,
He'd not be out of luck,

And not uncouped,
Though, could be a bum rap,
Who knows what happens behind those closed doors,
Or if the people know what they're mad at?

What Will Be Snowden's Fate?

Well, there's Venezuela,
Ecuador would help, too,
If he can make it to their embassy:
Pereulok No. one-two,

But of the other twenty-one countries,
None will lend him a hand,
'Pressured by the U.S. vice president',
Replies Edward Snowden,

They 'frighten those who would come after me',
'Bad political tools',
While the media machine does also,
Paint him traitor and fool.

Well, he's safe now,
For a while, if you care,
Says president Putin, Moscow never
'hands over anybody anywhere'.

Happy Pride, Politicians!

This weekend's pride parade,
Was a 'who's who' affair,
Like, 'who's that old guy in the purple lei?',
Oh, that's Thomas Mulcair!

He's shaking hands with that lib'ral heartthrob,
Not talking 'bout Bob Rae,
Though he was there in beads and holding signs,
That anywhere else would be called risqué,

Of course I'm talking about young Trudeau,
White pants and casual shirt,
Laughing and smiling beside Premier Wynne,
This public'ty don't hurt!

Especially when,
One was clearly absent,
And let's be fair, he would be hard to miss,
That's no way to rep T O's government.

How Not To Offend

There's a sentence I know,
And someone pointed out,
That no matter who in the world said it,
It's offensive, no doubt,

I don't know where the ref'rence book resides,
That lists these sentences,
But she said that it would still be racist,
Coming from the mouth of Malcolm X's.

I'd love to get me hands on this bible,
'Cause I always just thought,
You can't give, you can only take offense,
That's apparently not,

How the world is,
That is Solipsism,
To have a soci'ty with no conflict,
You must have access to this syllogism.

Guess Who's Back In Hudak Town

I swear I'll eat my hat,
If the rumours don't fly,
Because Broten's leaving Etobicoke,
About another guy,

A guy who has called the Conservatives,
And told them that he's free,
Ready to serve in a blue government,
That will fix the errors of McGuinty.

Yes there's some rumours already around,
'Bout this Ward Two Counc'llor,
Regarding the sale of pounds of hashish,
Round 'bout age twenty-four,

But he's past that,
And this is his home town,
The fact that nothing's come of the Globe claims,
Should make Tim Hudak come right back around.

The Super Moon

Tonight's a Super Moon,
Though I may not see it,
This rain's torrential like I've never seen,
And I was excited!

To feel its pull from the closest it's been,
Or will be for the year,
A power invisible yet so strong,
Proves one's influence grows as you grow near.

Because we all have our own gravity,
Some greater than others,
When with ones of a particular ilk,
Norm'ly known as lovers.

Like you and me,
When our orbits did cross,
My heart overflowed from a vi'lent tide,
And I wish-ed the sun forever lost.

TR - Perfect Circle

They say the circle,
That math'matics constructs,
Cannot exist in the world where we live,
Because perfect we're not,

These formulas are what the world strives for,
When it creates shapes,
But nothing will ever fall on the points,
That math'matical equations create.

But is there a statement that could be writ,
If we knew everything,
That could perfectly describe a circle,
That's act'lly existing?

'Cause if there is,
Then why cannot there be,
A circle that's created in nature,
That's pi times diameter, perfectly?

TR - Intro

So far there's nothing new,
Time is an illusion,
Though, ev'ryone in hist'ry's allowed that,
It's something we live in.

Now, I am not a mathematician,
But, like Lee has advised,
I'll do what scientists do when they read,
Skip things until something is recognized!

And what I see coming is an old trap,
Set for the good-hearted,
Trying to escape presuppositions,
As made up as art is:

He may back up,
Though I hope he does not,
Into claiming there's a different dream,
In the made-up world against which he fought.

Clean Trudeau

Trudeau's got a great gift,
From the Conservatives,
Who've attacked him for taking cash to speak,
From charities that give,

'Cept for one that couldn't due to its bills,
And asked for its cash back,
Not really a professional request.
Really, what kind of charity is that?

So, this minor scandal is created,
Allowing Justin to,
Actually reimburse the money,
Despite having been true,

To gov'ment rules,
And claiming the income,
Whether deflection or attempt to smear,
Stephen Harper's cronies got this one wrong.

Turkey's Turn

Looks like the Arab Spring,
Is still alive and well,
Well, 'well' is of course a relative term,
And only time will tell,

And time says Turkey has shook with earthquakes,
But never have they killed,
In numbers close to what violence has done,
In the name of the secularist will.

Now police forces fire water canons,
On those in Taksim Square,
Another civil war viewed by a world,
Wond'ring if it should care.

Like Erdogan,
Doesn't care 'bout the world,
'Cept for the thirty-year-old wish to be,
Part of the European Union's fold.

In Defence Of Our Country

I love Peter MacKay,
And I will tell you why,
Though his career's marked by stumbles and gaffs,
Still's a char'smatic guy.

Do you remember he led the PCs,
Promising to Orchard,
No merge with Canadian Alliance,
Then to attempt to move Free Trade backward?

And the cost of the F-Thirty-Fives was,
Almost twice what he said,
The Defense Department never looked great,
With Peter at its head.

Now CSE,
Is tapping all our phones?!
He said us Canad'ans' rights are safe,
But now, seems exceptions may've been condoned.

The Ontario Liberals Hang On

So Wynne wins the budget,
And McGuinty steps down,
Which is impressive, because the latter,
Hasn't much been around,

Not even for the latest budget vote,
Though that was all Horwath,
Again, giving this government new life,
'Cause they'll never get support from Hudak,

E'en if she was backing poor blind puppies,
He would still say 'No deal',
For how could a government that's not his,
Really get what he feels?

Then there's the gas!
And the destroyed emails,
If they had to have an election now,
To win, they'd need Tim to eat puppy tails.

The Good Ol' Ford

Welcome back old Rob Ford!
And good-bye Robinson,
This hearkens back to the good early days,
When he could do no wrong,

When library committees were fair game,
Given to friends of note,
When Mammoliti put thumb up or down,
To let council know which way they should vote,

When people still believed the gravy train,
Was out chugging somewhere,
And Nunziata's antics were allowed,
From the speaker's chair.

He's got new life,
And confidence, too,
He's even scheduled his own Ford party,
To show the world what Ford Nation can do.

Bedford vs Canada

The con side to sex sales,
Is the exploitation,
Women forced into selling their bodies,
For rent compensation.

People argue that no one would do it,
If given the option,
A profession linked to drugs and vi'lence,
It will get worse with legalization.

So, the girl whose body is her asset,
Should rather live in shame,
Told by the law that what she was born with,
Is not hers to exchange.

My instinct says,
That jons are predators,
But why should the government help them thrive,
By stripping their prey of food and shelter?

Blue North Strong and Free

The PM's new paint job,
Of his official jet,
In colours that remind one of Tories,
Will ring a bell, I bet,

How about the stimulus spending signs?
Maybe not Torie blue,
Still thousands of signs that stimulated,
Excitement over what the gov did do.

Then they put Torie logos on big cheques,
Presented by the Feds,
If they started making self-attack ads,
They'd think they were struck dead,

Sent to heaven,
Treasures dropped in their hands,
Like a magic world where NDP rule,
And decide to paint their own jet orange.

The Upstaging of Millard

It is a big circus,
That could trump Bosma's case,
But even with his constant, "Next question"s,
The Ford drama's not waned,

While on the next page, the saga goes on,
Now it turns out Millard,
Signed over three properties to his mom,
'Tween arrest and body found in his yard.

Now, this timeline could all be innocent,
Though the experts say, 'naw',
But these rich man's games with money and lives,
Is like a soap op'ra!

And let's ask this:
'How many folks you know,
Are connected to two suspicious deaths,
Then after a third, sheds a new condo?'

A Second Life for the Fords

Well, well.  Oh my Gawker!
What is the story now?
Is the video police evidence,
Or is Rob saved somehow?

Should eyes ne'er feast on the crack film again,
Then business will go on,
Of course, until Smith's murder file is closed,
The papers will still have speculation.

There is still the story of brother Ford,
Though no one seems to care,
E'en Ontario's Blues will take him in,
Once that's a dead affair,

For, here's the deal,
Like Woods once did note,
I quote, "Winning takes care of everything,"
And I think the Fords could still get the votes.

Justin's Tack

At his FCM talk,
In Vancouver, BC,
Québécois Justin Trudeau proclaimed that,
The senate should still be,

As opposed to Mulcair, who says kill it,
That is much, much too harsh,
Especially for Quebec's twenty-four seats,
Justin's struck the NDP at its heart,

And massive reform, this Lib'ral points out,
As if his foes don't know,
Would take years to complete for it entails,
Constitut'nal reform,

'Just be open!
Like when I ope'd my books',
Though he may not want to invite too much,
Lest someone actually decides to look.

Harper's Next Step

I'm sure Stephen Harper,
Is not a happy guy,
He prefers to be executing plans,
Not explaining thick lies.

He prob'ly told Mike to pay back the funds,
When he learned back in Feb,
His team got scared and tried damage control,
Steve not knowing what they did, like he said.

But Mike's got a hist'try of dirty claims,
And Steve likes to stay clean,
Though he's also good at turning scandal,
Into opportun'ty.

Or just kill it,
Like the stim'lus spending,
So far he's distanced himself from Duffy,
Let's see what's next after just defending!

The Grass Isn't Always Greener

Yes, life's always changing,
It's nicer or meaner,
But despite what's said about other sides,
They're not always greener.

Just because you can always find someone,
Who's happy where they are,
That's not proof it's the same for everyone,
You can't take an observation that far.

So, some people aren't where they should be,
Others happily are,
The question is how to find greener grass,
Before life gets too far.

Maybe you can't,
The world may need both sides,
Some meant to regret what they didn't do,
In light of seeing others in great lives.