Today's Timericks. Republicans maneuver to block vaccine mandates, undercutting a policy widely seen as an effective tool to end pandemic

 

Vaccination mandates cause/Republicans to flout the laws/Not for them this base command/that quells freedom in our land/So they cough and soon collapse/with their comrades blowing taps.

Wall Street sell-off intensifies with Dow sinking nearly 900 points on China, other economic worries.

(WaPo)

Here we go again; the Dow/is more mixed up than fresh chow-chow/First it rises; then it dips/it crumbles like potato chips/If I a broker were to be/I'd study laws on bankruptcy.

Climate change lets mosquitoes flourish — and feast — in Los Angeles.

(WaPo)

Nothing is impervious to/mosquitoes but the carcajou/or wolverine with shaggy pelt/upon the hot and dusty veldt/In Hollywood mosquitoes dine/on ev'rything but turpentine/The blood of starlets is quite sweet/but agents taste like luncheon meat.

Haiku. 詩人は頭痛がする

 

The green plant hopper

on my sunny patio

is greener than grass

日当たりの良いパティオの緑の虫は草よりも緑に輝いています

Sand in the spinach

grates between the teeth and tongue --

my hasty cooking

ほうれん草の砂が歯と舌の間をすりおろす --
私の料理は不注意すぎる


A baby sparrow
still begging mother for food --
this late in summer!
スズメの赤ちゃんはまだ母親に食べ物を頼んでいます --
この冬は何をしますか？

Today's Timericks. The days of full covid coverage are over. Insurers are restoring deductibles and co-pays, leaving patients with big bills.

 

Out across the landscape bleak/hear them holler, hear them squeak/Patients with such doctor bills/that they move to Hoovervilles/Covid kills in many ways/starving some in these grim days.

For years, the Netherlands has held the world title for having the tallest people on the planet. But new data from the office for national statistics suggests that the height of the average Dutch person is shrinking. And scientists are puzzled as to the reasons.  (WaPo)

The Dutch no longer scale the heights/giving us a case of frights/They do not loom or tower o'er/like prehistoric dinosaur/They've lost those inches, say the blogs/cuz they stopped wearing wooden clogs.

Southern Baptist Convention now requires coronavirus vaccines for new missionaries.

(Wapo)

When the gospel you must spread/better live than almost dead/God will bless the missionary/still, things just might get too hairy/Microbes can't tell saint from sinner/They could make the Pope their dinner.

Haiku. じゃがいもの皮むき

 

Peeling potatoes --

in the blood of scraped fingers

the spuds become washed

じゃがいもの皮むき

スクラップされた指の血で洗礼を受けた

Peeling potatoes 
and chopping onions today --
there's no hot water
じゃがいもを皮をむき、玉ねぎを刻む --
今日はお湯がありません


Peeling potatoes --
peeling onions and carrots --
I'm out of bird seed
じゃがいもの皮むき
玉ねぎとにんじんの皮むき
鳥の種はもうありません

Haiku. 雨の中を歩く

 

Walking in the rain --

the asphalt turns puddles black

as my sandals squish

雨の中を歩く

黒い水が私のサンダルをスキッシュにします

Walking in the rain --

the sad sound of gutter pipes

cheers me up greatly

雨の中を歩く

空の排水路は今や陽気に聞こえます


Walking in the rain 
soggy green bushes huddle --
a long winter soon
雨の中を歩く
ねばねばした緑の茂みが集まって、「冬は長くなるだろう」とささやきます

Today's Timericks. Chris Gilliard grew up with racist policing in Detroit. He sees a new form of oppression in the tech we use every day.

 

The internet is full of cops/having fun with their black ops/While upon you they do spy/they will nab you by and by/for infractions or much worse/They know already of this verse!

Senate Republicans say they will vote to allow a debt default, leaving Democrats scrambling for plan to avert economic crisis.

Mitch McConnell, standing firm/causes Democrats to squirm/He don't care if we go bust/That other party he don't trust/And so our frail economy/will go 'ker-plop' for all to see. 

Fast-food customers are back, but workers are not. It’s triggering major change.

When you're in the fast food aisle/you may have to wait awhile/Understaffed and underpaid/servers are as scarce as jade/Do not tremble with surprise/if a robot serves you fries.

Haiku. 食器洗い

 

Washing the dishes --

the clatter reflects old bones

and white ivory

食器洗い

古い骨と白い象牙のガタガタを思い出させます


Washing the dishes --
the foam reaches my elbows --
my nose is runny
食器洗い
私のせっけんの手は私の鼻水を拭くことができません


The dishes are washed --
stacked carelessly by the sink --
imminent breakage
料理は終わりました
それらは不注意に積み重ねられているため、破損が差し迫っています

Today's Timericks. Trump gave six months extra Secret Service protection to his kids, three officials. It cost taxpayers $1.7 million.

 

When you leave a cushy place/you want to save a lot of face/by keeping perks you don't deserve/which takes a lot of Trumpy nerve/The taxpayers do not get wise/when gouged by Washington wise guys. 

Thousands of Haitian migrants wait under bridge in South Texas after mass border crossing.

Uncle Sam has got a bridge/although there isn't any fridge/where you can stay as refugee/and breathe the sewage air for free/This Texas haven welcomes all/It's Lone Star State's best protocol!

GOP Rep. Gonzalez, who voted to impeach Trump, announces he won’t seek reelection, citing ‘toxic dynamics inside our own party’

Republicans can hold a grudge/like any other hanging judge/When they decide a guy must go/they are not subtle nor too slow/Gonzalez gave old Trump the bird/And more from him will not be heard.

I ain't bought a hardback book/since the last Fort Worth chinook/The price tag is a horrid steal/I'd rather buy a Happy Meal/and a decent red merlot/while reading Kindle nice and slow.

Haiku. 小さなグリーントマト

 

Small green tomatoes

So unripe and unready --

canned and forgotten

小さなグリーントマト

とても熟しておらず、準備ができておらず、すでに忘れられています


Small green tomatoes
stubbornly clinging on vine --
vain hope of harvest
小さなグリーントマト
収穫が終わった後、頑固にブドウの木にしがみつく

Small green tomatoes
rolling around like marbles 
shoved by black beetles
小さなグリーントマト
黒いカブトムシがビー玉を押す間、ビー玉のように転がります

Haiku. 詩人はまだ朝食をとっていません

 

What do sparrows feel?

Never-ending pinched hunger --

eating, not singing

スズメは何を感じますか？

終わらない、歌わせない飢え

What do sparrows feel?
Fear of shadows above them --
tiny hopping feet
スズメは何を恐れますか？
彼らは飛び跳ねるときに彼らの上の影を恐れます

What do sparrows feel?
Their fluttering bickering
reveals petty spite
スズメは何を感じますか？
彼らは羽ばたき、ちらつき、ささいな嫌悪感を示しています