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.