November 4 – On This Day
Allende elected free and fair
Marx makes a mark in Latin America
The CIA gets him out of there
Democracy can embarrass us
The start of the hostage crisis
The logical conclusion
We back the Shah and the price is
Radical retribution
One year later, Reagan’s elected
And I wonder what is America thinkin’?
But compared to what we just selected
Ronnie looks a lot like Lincoln
Nine years ago we elected Obama
And racism was finally gone
Too bad about Hillary’s drama
Or else misogyny would not live on
Speaking of which, in ‘24
A woman governs Wyoming
Seems like there would have been more
But not where we’ve been going
Rommel disobeyed the Fuhrer
And led his troops in defeat
Trump’s aides will go no further
Than to bow and kiss his feet
For fuck’s sake it was Hitler!
Daily he was steeped in blood
You guys quake and quiver
For fear he’ll tweet you up
It was No-Car Day in the Netherlands
The oil crisis of ‘73
Changing weather and we do no better
Than tank-like SUV’s
Will Rogers came to quip
While words escaped Andy Rooney
Sparky Anderson born with a lip
That caused umpires to say “So sue me!”
Tito, Skeeter, Dolly Stark
What a day for baseball names
I bet I could have made my mark
But “Dennis” has got no game
Birthday of Kathy Griffin, she
Is well known for that severed head
Meanwhile there is no publicity
For the Head that left Puerto Rico for dead
Mapplethorpe and Laura Bush
Born this day in ‘46
I long for a world in which it could
Happen at birth they are switched
Laura meets Patti at the Chelsea Hotel
They perform a punk “Oklahoma”
Dubya and Robert get along so well
Their Naked Kiss hangs at MOMA
And in Russia it’s “Unity Day”
It marks the end of “Time of Troubles”
We’ll join with them if Trump has his way
As daily our troubles double
Throughout November I am writing a poem a day in an effort to raise money for The Center for New Americans, an organization that is located in Western Massachusetts and does great work in acclimating our new citizens to their new homes.
You may help out by going here
Also, most of you know I am moving to Oregon at the end of the year. Before I leave I will bedoing two shows. Both will be in Amherst at the NACUL Center at 7:00 on November 30 and December 7. Proceeds will benefit The Center for New Americans.
I will be joined by these fine musicians: Joe Ricker, Andrew Atkin, Dave Haughey, Billy Klock and Dan Thomas.