Verses from newspaper stories by Corey Kilgannon, Michelle Singletary, and Andrew Freedman.

FAMILY FARMS DISAPPEAR WITH THE GRAYING OF AMERICA.

@coreykilgannon

Farmer Brown is laying down;

his joints won't stand the labor.

His kids have all long fled the land;

he has no nearby neighbor.

He'll sell up to a realtor,

to pay his bills, retire --

where once a meadow stood pristine,

they're building condos higher.

***************************

IGNORE CYBER MONDAY: PAY DOWN YOUR CREDIT CARD

DEBT INSTEAD.

@SingletaryM

Merchants hope you will ignore

your declining credit score.

They want you to buy, buy, buy,

'til your purse does liquefy.

Don't think of necessities --

think of presents under trees!

When the bill comes due at last,

you, of course, will be aghast.

But the Xmas spirit will

help you take a sleeping pill . . . 

*****************************

HOW MUCH LONGER WILL WEATHER FORECASTS 

BE FREE?

@afreedma

It seems that private enterprise

is getting in the act,

when it comes to weather

and the way that it is tracked.

The private sector wants to charge

you for your rain and shine.

Will Uncle Sam fight back on this,

or will they act like swine?

Pretty soon we'll need to know 

when local tides are high,

so we can get the pontoons out

and keep thing high and dry.

And when a drought is forecast

for a decade and a day,

we need to know ahead of time

to buy our Perrier. 

The forecast's a commodity,

just like pork belly shares;

we must work to keep it free --

away from Wall Street bears . . . 

Walking Away

President Russell M. Nelson.



"Sometimes we speak almost casually about walking away from the world with its contention, pervasive temptations, and false philosophies. But truly doing so requires you to examine your life meticulously and regularly. As you do so, the Holy Ghost will prompt you about what is no longer needful, what is no longer worthy of your time and energy."
President Russell M. Nelson.

How I wish that I could cut

walking in a worldly rut

quite so often as I do --

do such thoughts occur to you?

How I need the Holy Ghost

as a constant sure guidepost!

Then my time and action would

be devoted to the good

of my soul, and peace would reign

in my heart instead of pain.

So each day I vow to toil

to subdue this mortal coil.

Photo Essay: Waking up to heavy snow. Vol. 3.

The long road

to where I've been --

no thaw is long enough.

Clouds

playing leapfrog

over eternity.

What holds up the trees?

What holds up the mountains.

What holds up the clouds?

Melt water --

a sluggish black

python.

Snow on branches --

it'll fall away

before the sun does.

Wet brown leaves --

a vexing trail

to more wet brown leaves.

Photo Essay: Waking up to heavy snow. Vol. 2

Wearing a white cap --

the wood pile

waits politely.

Everything disappears

to make way

for the snow.

Heavy white branches

blocking my path --

stop, and consider alternatives.

Branches

thread through the sky --

weaving snow dreams.

Pothole --

destined for

a lifeless curse.

Photo Essay: Waking up to heavy snow. Vol. 1

Blending into itself

heavy snow can't caress

so smothers the trees.

No sparrows

wait under the bush --

they're fasting elsewhere.

Is this

white on black or

black on white?

Suddenly the sun comes out -- 

and white

is a different color.

Verses from newspaper stories by Philip Rucker, Katie Mettler, and Joe Heim.

IS THE PRESIDENT WORKING HARD, OR HARDLY WORKING?

@PhilipRucker

When you're in a pickle

and you want to wiggle out,

just look very busy 

and then travel all about.

Voters will think "What a guy!"

and cut you lots of slack;

giving you the cover to

stab others in the back.

When it has blown over

and the mob is backing down,

then relax and go back to

the antics of a clown.

*******************************

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER BIGGEST BLACK HOLE EVER.

@kemettler

Black holes getting bigger,

comets whizzing through the sky;

seems like it's the End of Times --

yet I don't want to cry.

Even with impeachment

looming like the Crack of Doom,

I'm thinking new recliners

for my cozy living room.

Why let cosmic anarchy

destroy my comfort zone?

Life keeps getting better,

now my pizza comes by drone!

****************************

LEWIS AND CLARK STATUE TO BE PULLED DOWN.

@JoeHeim

Statues used to hang around

for centuries, at least;

nowadays they slip away

as if they had been greased.

Warriors, explorers, and 

a host of others, too,

are deemed to be insensitive

and must go toodle-loo.

If I commissioned statues

I would only order those

impressionistic gewgaws

that nobody will depose.

God's Doctrine.

Dallin H. Oaks



God’s doctrine shows that all of us are His children and that He has created us to have joy.
Dallin H. Oaks

The joy of simple snowfall

or the bliss of children's song;

these are forms of happiness

for which we all should long.

Knowing we are children

of a Mother/Father great

ought to keep us loving

and removed from ev'ry hate.

Basic to our cheerfulness

is trusting that the love

of God will keep us warm below

and exalted up above.

The Night Before Impeachment (with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore.)

'Twas the night before Impeachment, and in the White House

Trump was a-snoring -- along with his spouse.

The subpoenas were hung by the chimney with care,

in hopes they'd burn up right into the thin air.

The staff was all nestled in cubicles grey,

fearing what Trump would do the next day.

The ghost of Abe Lincoln did wander the halls,

making a racket with his chains and his balls.

When on the South Lawn there arose such a clatter

it woke up the Prez -- and his wife, for that matter.

Off to the window they flew like a flash --

hoping 'twas Russians with plenty of cash.

The moonbeams did play on Marine One, which sat

awaiting the President's next strange format.

When what to their wondering gaze came along,

but a member of Congress a-singing a song.

She warbled like something by Bela Lugosi,

so Trump recognized it was Nancy Pelosi.

She sang out the names of her fellow subversives,

writing them down in the snow with great cursives.

"Hurry up, Nadler -- Doug Collins, stop lagging!

Scanlon and Lofgren, keep up with the nagging!"

Then like a witch with an aerial broom,

Pelosi flew up into Trump's own bedroom.

She was dressed in faux fur, from her head to her toes,

and she sniffed at the Prez with her cherry red nose.

She was lean, she was gaunt; a rather grim sprite.

She gave dear Melania quite a bad fright.

With a wink of her eye and a deep feral growl,

around the poor couple she started to prowl.

She spoke not a word, but continued to stare --

until the Trumps thought they would lose all their hair.

Then laying a finger aside her bright nose,

she gave a quick laugh and up the chimney she rose.

She grabbed an e-scooter on K Street North West,

but as she took off she got THIS off her chest:

"Happy hunting to all who this night want to see

the end of this scandalous Presidency!"

Verses from today's New York Times. *** Warren Wealth Tax Has Wide Support, Except Among One Group. *** In Afghanistan, Trump Creates Confusion Over U.S. Policy on Taliban. **** Suddenly, the Chinese Threat to Australia Seems Very Real.

@bencasselman  @jimtankersley

When you want the votes to snitch,

just announce you'll tax the rich.

Voters love the siren call

that makes billionaires all bawl.

Once you're in the catbird seat,

voters become obsolete. 

Then the plutocrats will thank

you with money in the bank.

****************************

@MujMash

One thing our president can do

is take a stance and with it screw.

You never know from day to day

just what he'll think or how he'll sway.

His mood swings make all divas look

as boring as a blank notebook.

Just like the weather, get in line

and watch Trump go from rain to shine.

************************

@damiencave  @jamietarabay

Aussies now begin to wheeze

when they think of the Chinese.

They like trading with 'em, but

seems they want to undercut

what Australia stands for, mate,

and a rigid state create.

They don't play fair dinkum, no --

they would change the status quo.

Strangle them with tighter leash,

till they tire of baksheesh.

Photo Essay: White Haiku.

Bleached mountain --

Hard on the outside,

crumbling on the inside.

Snow in a pot --

cold reason

stops all growth.

Whitened woodpile --

sleep,

until the crickets dance.

Frosting

where a tree

once stood.