Royce Levi Australian Teacher and Author

On Political Virtues and Vices

Old Soldier

For an 87-year-old protester, June 2025

One old soldier still found a cause
A reason to fight as in past wars
So when a fascist spawned a military parade
He rebelled to prove he is still not afraid
Boldly he came forth putting courage to the test
In the face of that folly he could not rest
Anger had stirred him with powerful velocity
As the narcissist leader revealed his pomposity
There stood the arrogant boss of the land
Swathed in fake glory wrought by his own hand
Yes on a platform stood the brash ghoul
Saluting the troops as a hubristic fool
It happened to be his own natal day
So the chance for more kudos came into play
But our veteran was in no mood to rejoice
So he mocked the march with his stoical voice
Arrest was the outcome of his subtle portrayal
As that former brave soldier resisted betrayal
Heed this now citizens in the face of inanity
Passive acceptance will betray humanity
If you treat fascist folly with obeisant drooling
Each half-wit will continue his risible fooling
Follow then peacefully this veteran’s bravery
Join the cause to denounce the stark knavery
Free the world from such unjust promotion
Let integrity feel your overt devotion
Banish self-promoting lunacy to the moon
Sing the old soldier’s vibrant tune
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
All imposters are unnoticed when banished afar

On The Rule Of Law

Impeach the monster said the leading light
Though he is so strong and loves to fight
He rules the land breaking many a law
And that’s what justice seeks to punish him for
Supremacy’s the reason for his presidential act
To stay in power he distorts every fact
So the people rebel and march in the street
While this leader’s disciples kiss his feet
This boss has a temper and a tongue that is blazing
The fact he’s in power is truly amazing
He ignores every phase of the Constitution
While the tainted Supreme Court is his institution
If you contradict him he grumbles and glowers
While he avidly ignores the separation of the powers
His brain is something many scholars impute
The principal reason is it’s so minute
This man is a bully and flaunts his authority
Though strangely elected by a vacuous minority
He has plenty of weight to throw madly around
Should you dare to object you’re to penury bound
He sings his own praises to promote his survival
He’s in love with himself and has clearly no rival
He poses as a pacifist but takes part in war
Calls dead soldiers losers and suckers what’s more
Vast power for the chieftain is his rule of law
And that’s what his regime was created for
There’s money in it too for him and his friends
As he reaps a foul harvest that never ends
So gather round black hats and do a great deal
Cash in on the justice that is never real
Have the moron put more on the future you crave
And become the nincompoop’s pay dirt slave

The Power Of Small Voices

For Al Green

Look at him, that hero with élan
Bravely defying a demonic man
Impeachment is his courageous cry
Justice is that which must not die
That boss he is an obvious sinner
By abusing the law he’s a ghastly winner
Just look now at his many vile acts
You cannot deny indisputable facts
Have you noticed the ill-famed flimflam
A university that is a sham?
Business records shrewdly hidden
Another crime that must be forbidden
Daniel’s storm was indeed not funny
So the the errant paid up hush money
Thirty-four’s a number demons applaud
So many times to be guilty of fraud
And yes there’s the monster’s famous ill will
On January 6 on Capital Hill
There were missing documents found at his home
Perhaps the work of a counterfeit gnome
That man is over assertive and pushy
Loves a kitten that he calls pussy
He’s a liar, liar with pants on fire
Teller of tales that his henchmen desire
Play-acts to set tariffs but it’s just a story
That makes TV news and brings him fake glory
To end all war he spreads the word
Another fake claim that’s quite absurd
So there dear thinker now is the time
To praise a champion who hates crime
It’s our hero Al and he’s not too late
To lock his enemy inside Hell’s gate

On A Disastrous Casting Vote

Were you there when that vital vote was tied?
Did you weep when the casting vote applied?
Do you comprehend the damage that was done?
Deplore the folly wrought by that iniquitous one?
Yes a diabolical partner was essential
To support a bleak offence that’s presidential
Bring suffering then to all the ailing masses
That’s how a supporting puppet now harasses
New costs for medicine now are a sickening aim
This is the deceivers’ ugly wicked game
Food support is banished from the needy
The funds instead are grafted to the greedy
Student loan costs savagely now will rise
A fact not hidden though they eulogise
There’s a slush fund too for the evil ICE
Whose actions reveal an epitome of vice
The O. of M. and B. *gives all its wealth
To a cunning schemer who uses it himself
An ugly ruse turns business law askew
To win the consequent votes of a chosen few
The grimy rich all gain by these new laws
With tax cuts all fair mindedness deplores
Clean energy is a lost dream of the past
That leaves all wise ecologists aghast
Electricity costs will rise beyond the moon
Which proves this leader is a feeble loon
The environment will suffer infinite decay
That fills all nature lovers with dismay
Shame! Shame! Shame! A casting vote brings blame!
For a deadly deed that sullies a sadist’s name

*The Office of Management and Budget

On Immigration And Customs Enforcement

Take this advice; it’s a vice not nice
There are few more shameful than the agents of ICE
They’re deployed to reap the dividends of sin
Where racist mythologies atrociously begin
They shatter families without just cause
Punishing outcasts who oft fled wars
Habeas corpus the treasure that is gold
Is ignored by these boors with guilt untold
They are agents of folly as their scheme denotes
Invented by a tyrant to win him votes
Racism’s the fruit that these fraudsters crop
Propping up violence that never seems to stop
Sending the innocent to a foreign prison
It’s as if Weltschmerz** once again had risen
Alligator Alcatraz is an ugly gaol
Where demons of injustice let justice fail
American citizenship is no apt defence
Untrue blame or guilt is the stark pretence
Lives are ruined on orders from that man
Families distraught by this deadly plan
Native born are punished without hope of redress
Swept aside like refuse cloaked in ugliness
Many thousands suffer this gloom of animosity
As a leader postulates with fake inane velocity
Just listen to the catch cries echoing around
Citing made up crimes in a land where lies abound
So angels of truth arise; let your voices leaven
Name and thrust these demons out of sight of Heaven
Forever…

**Weltschmerz is a sense of weariness, sadness, or melancholy at the evils or perils of the world.

royciebaby

Moments of Anger

Beyond Reason

Interest flows in the hoodwink season
In the methods used to deceive beyond reason
Denialism that ignores human rights
Is a reason the firestorm of anger ignites
So gather round all you seekers of veracity
And give this poor world a change capacity
If people are dying with no moral cause
The finger of blame points to anger not applause
If houses, hospitals, schools are now rubble
The givers of reasons are in serious trouble
A worthy cause is the claim
But the killing is just the same
Revenge, revenge, revenge
It’s for justice that you avenge
Yea, O yea, O yea
It’s all you can manage to say
There you have it, your vindication
The frail defence of your guiltless nation
You didn’t start the war
So that’s what your killing is for
But heed this now
It’s a crime I vow
It is hard to find a misdeed more evil
If you search the records from time primeval
Pain and suffering is your legerdemain
You drop on the innocent like falling rain
But now beware a punishment is rising
To put an end to your eulogising
Your criminal deeds are now so well known
You will face a future cataclysm on your own

Betrayal

So, you are to change your allegiance
Switch political parties to be precise
Elected in one, you cross over
To a bigger party currently with more power
Shame on you; this is a betrayal
Disloyalty to the citizens
Who voted for you in the other category
You are a Judas in modern garb
Stella Kubler* on steroids
Your new found strength is a sham
A pretence, a feint, a fiction, an act put on
The votes you get henceforth
Will be pieces of silver
Rage on, then, usurper to counterfeit glory
Spread mendacity in your name
Build a reputation on tremulous ground
Dream on of ill gotten supremacy
Watch without pity your former allies
Crumble in dismay in the civic arena
That hostile place
Where survival is linked to duplicity
And triumph so often flows from mendacity
So now your name is written on the wall
For all to see in the drama’s curtain call
You bow and acknowledge the applause
As the lion of approval loudly roars
Sheer dominance seems yours in this ovation
But alas only halfwits show such elation
On with it then. and change the government rules
To bring false joy in a parliament of fools

A Jewish woman who betrayed other Jews to the Nazis in World War II.

Childhood Shame

See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 18:10).
Villains!
Murderers!
Vicious malefactors!
Eternal opprobrium on you
There is no panacea for your villainy
The children of Gaza suffer in ways that send you to Hell
Killed or maimed by you
As an outcome of your deliberate intent
So Shame! Shame! Shame!
Look at your victims
So innocent
So naive
So sorrowful
So vulnerable
You the warmonger now
The deliberate militarist
The coldblooded sabre-rattler
Are guilty of a crime fit for eternal damnation
You trespass into a world of love sans guilt
Sans compassion
Sans regret
As the angels rattle on your window
E’re they die amidst your evil mastery

Defiance Of International Law

On the forcible interception of the Madleen, an activist vessel bearing life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies for Gaza.

How dare you
Arrest in international waters
A peaceful vessel bearing aid to victims
Of a wicked and demonic war
You are pirates who rule the seas again
Lawless, conniving persecutors
Who take the law into their own sullied hands
To promote their own destiny: unseemly power
Look around you at the shame they sought to rectify
These brave, humble, caring souls
Who ran the gamut of your anger
The endless conflict you have created
The cataclysm designed to give you victory over truth
Their courage is a light that shines upon them
Their concern for your victims
Is a warning bell that rings around heaven
But heed this now
This deed of yours is exposed
The beacon of veracity radiates around you
Reveals exactly what you are
An abetter of fabrication and callous chaos
A cruel and ruthless inflicter of human suffering
So set them free
Liberate them to carry out their plans
To be the epitome of justice
A voice of kindness amidst cruel deeds
A last flower in a garden of destruction
An inducement to end a brutal and savage conflict

The Sovereign Of A Tortured Kingdom

Look at you
The Monarch of Infamy
Lording over the land like a Julius Caesar
Or more accurately, an Adolf Hitler
There you rule
With your epitome of brain-dead disciples
Lackeys allied to you for their own advantage
Obsequious, undaunted by their own vices
Loyal to you regardless of your violations
O My! How clever you are!
Cunning is a better word
A less periphrastic way of putting it
No, even that is not precise
Self-seeking
Self-serving
Self-obsession
Or egomania
There, that’s closer to the truth
Not complete though, for you are a certified criminal
So rule on vile culprit
Give your empire its manifest destiny
Make imperialism your moving frontier
Shake your fist at friends to foster your own industries
Punish lawyers who find you guilty
Sack officials who are not obedient and loyal
Invent invasions so you can defile immigrants
Tell lies with the aplomb of a triumphant padrone
Promise mastery that never ensues
And all will be fine in your world
Until all your wicked, evil, sinful drones
In the end share in your inescapable demise

royciebaby

Angst

On The Rule Of Law

Criminals despise the judiciary
And love to exploit a defenceless fiduciary
Some plan harm for virtuous judges
And violently proclaim their sordid grudges
Have you seen that vociferous gangster
Who rules the domain like a deranged prankster?
He is in fact the boss of the land
But all that he does is underhand
He twists the law to meet his needs
And his legal yes-men hide his misdeeds
His criminal record is easy to find
Fraudulent business deals come to mind
He’s cunningly orchestrated his power
To threaten the world in his witching hour
It’s exactions here and exactions there
Warnings and menaces everywhere
Kindling hatred and consequent fear
Demanding payment throughout the year
So look out for him in his posture grim
Heed him not; don’t let him win
He is a scar on the human face
The laws he enacts are an utter disgrace
Spread the word bring triumph gestation
Throw the flock knowledge through education
Give his crimes mention snd raise the alarm
Reveal to the populous his deadly harm
Have the bells ring out an accurate warning
Announce the arrival of a new day dawning
Summon the sages; let all people hear
It’s the voice of truth that lawbreakers fear

Core Values

So you want to be elected
And you’ve just lost in a landslide
Get back to core values you say
The true spirit of the Party
O dear me
That would be disastrous
Let us look and see what they are
First, the myth of free competition
When exclusive control for the few is the aim
A reflex action
Next, a balanced budget
Above all beware of social spending
Cut outlays on pensions, health and education
And to Hell with the ne’er-do-wells
Then excise the poor and fund the rich
Letting silk stockings prosper tax free
Next we have small government
Ah yes! That is your answer to your shame
Privatise everything
Sell off the family jewels for the good of the rich
Fund only important matters:
Defence and keeping our borders safe
Ah yes, enemies are such handy assets
All hail to the Military Industrial Complex!
It keeps the money flowing in
So there
Now you have it
The spirit, the soul, raison d’être of the party
A way of life that must be protected
What our soldiers fought and died for
The leitmotif of our future electoral success

Lament For Gaza

Pity for Gaza’s not antisemitic
Censure is valid from any sane critic
Ethnic cleansing cannot be excused
The reason for it here leaves one so bemused
Children should not die of cruel starvation
Countless innocents don’t deserve privation
Civilians perish here time after time
There is no doubt it is a war crime
So label the black hats and ring those bells
Drown out the cries with your death knells
Name the dead on the last standing walls
You need to be quick before each one falls
Yes buildings are shattered; streets are clattered
With wreckage as if no function mattered
Hospitals, schools are brutally demolished
The laws of decency are cruelly abolished
Justice is the claim and fake worthy causes
Are not valid when compassion pauses
So the blameless die in shocking numbers
Without the validity justice encumbers
O yea! O yea! O yea!
What is the outcome of this? you may say
Where is the decency, probity, propriety?
Where is the fair play in that society?
What is the culprit’s excuse for these deeds?
The reason he ignores all key human needs?
The answer alas is justified revenge
One more crime for a felon to avenge
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
A cruel exploitation of questionable truth
It’s another reason for this tragic blight
Those two wrongs can never make a right

On The Senseless Signatory

He wields a pen as a sword of shame
Destroying lives for him’s just a game
Look at the way he signs the paperwork
Shows it to the cameras as a queer quirk
Writing his name with the demeanour of a god
How ludicrous he is and decidedly odd
He looks so important, a pig in a poke
If it weren’t so distressing it would be a sick joke
He seeks to create a distinguished ambiance
But all he has is a fleeting transience
Signing this and signing that
He’s a wild card, the Joker, a camouflaged brat
The results of his actions are lives destroyed
Just look at his face; he’s so annoyed
His countenance reeks of vast indignation
It portrays him as boss who rules the nation
His every gesture reeks of power
But the juice of his gimmickry is deadly sour
He changes lives with each showy gesture
Killing peace of mind with every investiture
And so on he goes
Creating pain and hiding the woes
Routine for him he’s turned into display
For so many victims creating dismay
His admirers revere him and bow to his wishes
In his broken world they admire the fissures
That is the way his pretence flows
Where it will end nobody knows
This fool has created a fake identity
A weird, strange outcome for a nonentity
Some of us long for a different direction
And yearn even more for the next election

There’s Danger In The Stranger

Beware! Take care!
It’s a foreign monster with curly hair
He’s different, a stranger
Thus he must be a danger
This is our home, our native land
There’s no place here for this alien band
So call out the guards; put him away
In a privatised venture where misfits must stay
Hide him, deride him
As no one can abide him
He’ll poison our blood
So nip him in the bud
This realm is ours to foster and keep
This dream of intrusion would ruin our sleep
So begone intruder, it’s time to go
Your presence here is nothing but woe

Wait a minute… There’s a thought
By a genius cunningly wrought
Racism’s present throughout the land
You can use it in a manner underhand
Just attack immigrants with harsh laws
And the voters will rally around your cause
Assault without mercy and publicly defame
Then electors will rally around your game
This covers your tracks with no overt guilt
And you win a ballot with no blood spilt
So sock it to ‘em with subtle abuse
Put covert prejudice to cunning use
If you can, with élan, give indefinite detention
And your evil intent won’t get a mention
That will be a brilliant defection
A masterly way to win an election

royciebaby

More Thoughts For Our Times

Fake Statesman

Look at me; can’t you see
My ignominy
That truly shapes your destiny?
O yes, I am such an overt winner
But in so many ways I am a sinner
I mark every day with cunning display
Of overt virtue that’s always astray
I pose as a saviour with misleading behaviour
Flooding people’s minds with deceitful gravure
I’ve no regard for the common man
His troublesome welfare’s not part of my plan
Instead my attention at fever pitch
Is solely designed to favour the rich
So I defund welfare and sack humanity
And cancel rich taxes with sheer inanity
I foster lies to promote my schemes
As my image is tainted by my evil dreams
This gives me power and I rule the land
With counterfeit glory and an iron hand
I construct a government that bows to my will
With obedient puppets ready for the kill
So justice is bent to match my needs
And I’m never punished for my sordid deeds
To pay tribute to myself with my lustful desire
I conspire with ire to build an empire
I crush refugees as if they were foes
And denigrate migrants compounding their woes
O how lucky you are to have your quorum
Secure in the hands of a victor ludorum*

*Latin for an overall champion. Literally “victor of the games.”

Homeless

Dear Sir, my teacher
I am so glad to be your pupil
You are kind to me and hear my story
So I thank you
With all my heart
I must tell you Sir,
That I have lived in my short life
In five countries including this one
Yet nowhere can I say I feel at home
My true home was Yemen, land of torment
I left it in a quest for peace
For a new homeland
With a longing for gentleness and harmony
All in vain
Here in your land as elsewhere
I am a stranger
Difference breeds animosity
And I feel it every day in my bones
My family has trouble speaking your language
Though I speak soundly and have learned it well
Immigration has an evil name to some
People seem O so aware of differences
In what we eat
In what we wear
In how we speak
And there is a subtle warning
In the term border protection
So many leaders decry foreigners in their policy
So here I am Sir
Still longing to belong
And yes, dreaming of a home I do not yet have

The Affluent Dangerous Idiot

On A Rightist Ruler

There he is, emerging from perdition
Changing a world to fit his ambition
But see the people defy him
Bravely in unison deny him
Thousand upon thousand marching in defiance
Proving they have for him no compliance
Read the banners reflecting their pain
Displaying resistance again and again
No more
They implore
Persistence is war
Justice is what laws were created for
Rebellion is in the air
And truth is a universal prayer
See how this scapegrace has risen
With behaviour fit for a prison
Winning support with fake pledges
With lies decorating the edges
Crushing all opposition
Such a deadly position
So there, now it’s true
There’s but one thing left for us to do
Rebel! Rebel! Rebel!
Send the mobster off to Hell
Stand! Stand! Stand! In the name of truth
Let far play provide the absolute proof
Have no one suffer below him
Let the media make sure we all know him
Make the power of integrity cast him aside
To harness the truth as a rising. glorious tide

University Assault

On a recent attack on universities

University: From universe: universus ‘combined into one, whole’, from uni- ‘one’ + versus ‘turned’ (past participle of vertere). Source: OED

How dare you seek to extinguish this sacred fire
That lights the learning all academics desire
Defunding courses because what they teach
Creates learned persons beyond your reach
Condemning students for speaking their minds
About evil deeds no punishment finds
Imposing your will as a ghastly priority
Based on the whims of your authority
Rave on then fool with your rightist rule
Your deeds condemn you as an overt ghoul
Just now we have finally heard enough
Of your deadly orders and irate bluff
You say you’re the source of truth and fairness
But you show no signs of righteous awareness
You menace, intimidate, bully and curse
And that is the reason you’re exposed in this verse
You demand obedience and approved teaching
But your condemnation is so overreaching
Your actions remind one of the Carlsbad Decrees
When Metternich made scholars fall to their knees
O the mind has mountains the studious climb
And the consequence of study is so often sublime
There is no place there for intrusive hands
So begone dull fool who never understands
Be silent not violent and earn an ovation
For the only way you can serve this nation
And let academe become a divinity
A unity beyond infinity

Solitary Wanderer

Ah! I am so lonely
My home is now a cauldron of death
And I have left it far behind me
Now I travel the world
Seeking refuge
Where kindness quells my loneliness
My fear
My alarum kindled by danger and hate
My quest for belonging takes such a long time
It seems like aeons
I wander and I wonder
When I will find freedom from hate and peril
Not here it seems
Unfriendly comments are everywhere
Looks askance
Tales of my false iniquity
Myths about my ominousness
So I linger furtively on this foreign shore
Longing for kindness
Praying for justice
Pleading for a chance to share all that I am
In a venue of hospitality
How I long to tell my story
Be an active part of a new community
A catalyst for love and true understanding
An agent for positive change
For enriched ethnicity
In the wonder and variety of another culture
So punish me not for being a stranger
Please. Please. Please.
And do not send me to El Salvador

royciebaby

A Rogues Gallery And Some Anger

On A Hostile Malefactor

Hatred galore
Then hate some more!
Make rivals tremble and sigh
It’s your modus operandi
Study that politician
Who has no contrition
But simply curses
And then reverses
The traditions developed through time
And makes their destruction sublime
So fascism is not dead
The evidence here brings dread
Just observe it
And may you not deserve it
Just look at the pomposity
How he bristles with animosity
Tariffs to the left of him, tariffs to the right of him
So many loathe the very sight of him
He even hurts friends
The folly has no ends
So the carnage rages
The mechanism engages
As a new order surges ahead
Where justice itself is dead
But showing the world who’s boss
Inevitably leads to loss
Watch then while vandals carve up the culture
As kindness and love are food for the vulture
Hey there! What now? Will you like it or lump it?
Or will you boldly blow a mutinous trumpet?

The Quisling* Syndrome

Just look at you
Selling your souls to a triumphant winner
Even though you know that he’s a sinner
Hitching a ride on a flash bandwagon
Although you can see it’s pulled by a dragon
You know he’s a liar
And fervent denier
Of justice, truth and fairness
But you hide your keen awareness
Because there’s power in it
So you glower in it
To become his follower
And a guilt swallower
So rally round the flag boys
And join the clique that destroys
Cash in on his success
Share the wonders of his excess
Help then the Party to win
A triumph based on sin
But beware
Take care
This potent idol who leads you
Only needs you
Until he reaches the top
Then his loyalty may stop
What then will you do?
To your fickle allegiance stay true
Or weep in fitting privation
At the savage death of a nation?

*Quisling is a term used in English to mean a person who collaborates with an enemy.

The Chainsaw Fanatic

Small government
That is the catch-cry
It is so easy to discover why
It’s for riches, affluence, assets, wealth
For the wrecker by his cunning stealth
Just look at his carnage as tradition dies away
The chainsaw roars and the victims give way
Note well the way that fanatic operates
And how each political crony cooperates
Destroying lives with demonic proficiency
Giving power to himself in the guise of efficiency
What a proposition
To destroy competition!
Careers ended, aid suspended
To fulfil vile schemes as he’s intended
Now what do vandals need to make their day?
Why, removal of all that stands in their way
On with it then again and again
Tear futures apart and don’t mind when
Brandish your weapon and reach for the sky
Break people’s hearts and don’t explain why
Marshall your troops in a covert invasion
Hide the reasons as a cunning evasion
And thus a deadly new era dawns
While all morality the demolisher scorns
Each worker is asked for job justification
Knowing the future is on probation
Then comes the chance to retire and be paid
Or else your dismissal will not be delayed
Martial law is here now beyond dispute
And the oratory’s confirmed by a fascist salute

On The Autocrat

Just look at him
With his counterfeit vim
His deeds are insane
Inspiring the inane
Chaos is his illicit joy
Even though he’s loved by the hoi polloi
He puts his cruel hands on tradition
Replacing it with his vile sedition
Changing the face of society
Into gross impropriety
See there today the fate of education
Destined for near obliteration
Note well too his destructive pen
Expunging treasures again and again
Immigrants against their will must be sorted
Then without trial the chosen deported
Farewell peace and inspiring diversity
All hail to hate and unjust adversity
Down with justice and respect for the law
That’s what dictators were created for
Notice that judge who condemns him with truth
Punished by threats of impeachment for sooth
So we cast aside separation of the powers
To create a tyrant’s witching hours
And that autocrat here has tendency criminal
His respect for villainy is clearly subliminal
Notice how the fool links up with others
Treating despots as long lost brothers
Observe too his bribery and deceit
Rewarding supplicants if they kiss his feet
There can be no doubt that this misfit will fail
If the winds of justice we turn into a gale

The Power Of Anger

On A Boiling Cauldron

Aha!
So you crave power
You hunger for control
You desperately want to rule
Then be hostile
Yes, repeat needed, be hostile
Expose your anger for all to see
Spread the word
You tolerate no attack on authority
You’re ever ready to protect yourself
So commit a crime
Then destroy those who prove your guilt
Endure committal
Then persecute the judge who committed
Despise the media
By branding the reported truth as fake news
Persecute the poor
Embracing the rich and powerful in partnership
Expand angrily
Seizing control of other vulnerable nations
Berate failures
By eulogising your own sham business acumen
Be a PR guy
Spreading nothing but fear of yourself
Wield the big lie
Telling it often so potential rebels believe it
Condemn the unholy
By dissembling with a loud, fallacious holiness
That’s it then. It’s fie, fie comply or die
Autocracy forbids you to question why

royciebaby

Thoughts On Our Troubled Times

All Blood Is Red

Immigrants are a blight
Hated with cruel spite
Described with derision
Often sent to prison
But all blood is red

Take your foreigners away
They bring us dismay
And are so unlike us
Differences strike us
But all blood is red

Note that political tactician
Totally without contrition
Who claimed they eat dogs and cats
Stopping just short of rats
But all blood is red

Lies about migrants’ crimes
Distort the news of our times
So aliens steal our careers
And employment is in arrears
But all blood is red

Do you have the intention
Of causing indefinite detention?
Imprisonment without offence
With no avenue of defence?
But all blood is red

Then heed this plaintive ditty
Showing troubled souls need pity
Man is a varied creature
Difference is a feature
But all blood is red

Might Is Right

On A Recent Political Clash

So you want peace
Then you will have to release
All thoughts of fairness
From your awareness
Because might is right

Are you aware of the latest alliance
Involving the compliance
Of two vast powers with each other
Against you, a fragile brother
Because might is right?

Justice might be your aim
In this warlike game
Then you’ll need to absolve the invader
The true guilt pervader
Because might is right

There is such hostile gimmickry
Steeped in bellicose mimicry
Naming as the transgressor
The victim of the aggressor
Because might is right

This according to the sages
Is repeated down the ages
Villainy is superior
While probity is inferior
Because might is right

So watch the villain win
A victory based on sin
As justice is overcome
By the beat of an angry drum
Because might is right

An Address To The Nation

Thank you, I pause
For your applause
You can see it’s true
What I vowed to do
The promised revolution has begun
For our greatest land neath the sun
Loud cheering follows
Echoing in the hollows
From an eager claque*
Acclaiming every remark
And now my lies will begin
Are you ready?
Careful aim, steady
Call government jobs sinecures
Make sacking the best of cures
And label the consequent deficiency
A high form of efficiency
Point two
Adding to what’s not true
Is the trade war
I am working for
And I have to begin it
As there’s money in it
So tariffs will be raised
And my power will be praised
There, that is my introduction
To the rest of my obstruction
Get ready for more fabrication
As I expertly demolish the nation

*Claque: a collection of sycophantic followers hired to give support to a public speaker. A modern French practice drawn from ancient theatre.

The One-eyed King

There he is, the liar
The mobster in king’s attire
The mogul
Whose fans ogle
The demon
Fiasco rests its beam on
The conquistador
Who crucifies the poor
The henchman of the rich
With ambition at fever pitch
The mindless rogue
Whose passion is in vogue
Notice his schemes
That put to death dreams:
Fight with all your might
Ignoring what is right
Make aliens your foes
Destroy them with cruel blows
Abolish careers in your way
To make your enterprise pay
Invent story after story
That promotes your glory
Seek powerful foreign friends
As loyalty ends
To make crimes worth more
Cunningly bend the law
That’s it then; life’s a rage
In this so called prosperous age
No! Please reject those winners
And name the sinners
Then speak up boldly and raise your voice
Only then will your third estate rejoice

The Unhinged Wrecker

On so-called efficiency

Look at him
So confident, so grim
Wreaking havoc with impunity
Because he’s got immunity
From a frangible god-like Thor
Who hides what he’s doing this for
What then is their plan
Pursued with such elan?
Why it’s control and power
For a boss in a tower
What then is he doing
This wrecker who’s not ruing?
Why crucifying kindness
With outrageous blindness
By ending helping-hand careers
Thus giving rise to tears
Turning the globe
Into a Scrooge-like strobe
Pulsating through the night
Without respite
Gone is the aid to the needy
Replaced by schemes for the greedy
Children’s lives will be ended
When this support is suspended
Old folks and the ill
Will be further grist for this mill
Ah me! Relief given
Is pain riven
So bells must not chime
To pay homage to this crime

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Some Way-out Definitions

Fascist

You will always know him
As you’ll be just below him
He’ll pose as your friend
Your troubles to mend
Promising reform
Beyond the norm
He’ll prophesy change
To rearrange
The shape of a sham dystopia
That depends on your myopia
He will foretell
Your relief from Hell
If his wisdom you note for him
And then blindly vote for him
He’ll be ostensibly religious
Declaring God prestigious
And then unleash the catastrophe
Of outrageous blasphemy
He will never admit he is wrong
Instead his response will be strong
Spreading hate against his foes
Blaming them for your woes
Next, ostensibly on patrol
He will scheme to get control
Like a vulture freed from its bower
He will swoop to ensure his power
All government conventions
Will be changed to suit his intentions
Foreign affairs
Will face stark repairs
Henchmen will get all jobs and then
He will make your homeland great again

Coup

It’s a radical change this
Masquerading as bliss
Excessive power is the notion
Cunningly set in motion
Vast wealth can be an ingredient
Slyly and wryly expedient
So look for a tycoon
Who craftily calls the tune
Note also a titular head
Who leaves all opponents for dead
Watch then for his action
And the death of each rival faction
As valid laws are effaced
So that justice is replaced
Then the workforce might be depleted
With unwanted careers deleted
Making all government small
With no human rights at all
In this new and ugly aeon
That an autocrat rests his knee on
Look around you
Intolerance will surround you
Does power rest with electors?
Or are they merely defectors?
Is there free rule for you?
Or for just a chosen few?
Breaking things and killing people
That is this church without a steeple
Look now at the dying ways
Of democracy’s last days
Then it’s time to hail the new potentate
As the intruders violently obliterate, everything

Autocracy

You will know when this takes place
A megastar will control your race
His image will be always there
You will see it everywhere
He won’t have gentle followers
They will all be obedient wallowers
Flocking to his side
And pleading for a ride
Dissenters won’t survive
You’ll obey to stay alive
This controller will be an egotist
If you deny him he will shake a fist
And cast you aside
With nowhere to hide
To force you against your will to agree
That he is no doubt the epitome
Of all things fine
Almost divine
What of the spirit of the land
The volksgeist do you understand?
Why, it’s filled with annoyance and rage
Like a lion within its cage
Enemies are grist for the mill
As they bend the flock to your will
Thus it’s all hate for common foes
And convenient war will end all woes
So there you have it, autocracy
Replacing ill-starred democracy
A message for the ages
Besmirching history’s pages

Plutocracy

Ah yes, it’s not really new
Government by a wealthy few
But just look around you
The evidence will confound you
There they are
Each like a Russian tsar
You can count them on your fingers
But how the awareness lingers
Because they rule your life
Causing you recurrent strife
How do they do it?
Let us here construe it
They own everything that matters
Government bureaux are in tatters
Business is at fever pitch
Making them more and more rich
And the obeisant government relaxes
Every rich soul’s taxes
You don’t need an encyclopaedia
To learn they own the media
If you are just a humble wage-earner
You’ll be nothing but a struggling learner
And if you fight with a rich employer
You’ll be too poor for a lawyer
So there, that is the picture
Stocks and shares are the right mixture
For a happy and fruitful existence
With not a trace of resistance
So hi there you dictators
I am one of the infiltrators
I simply want to inquire
Will you say yes to satire, no strings attached?

State Of Emergency

There he is, the el supremo
Who has just dispatched a memo
That gives shocking directions
To cancel all elections
So, that’s it then
You may not remember when
A leader was such an ace
That no one could take his place
So a plebiscite was not needed
And government still proceeded
It has happened before
During a war
And now with great urgency
In a fake emergency
Yes, it’s brute force again
In the lion’s den
So all hail to the principal
The one and only invincible
Who had an impossible dream
The eternity of his regime
That now is a reality
With an autocrat’s conviviality
So when he says you won’t have to vote any more
You know what he is working for
For now the glorious thing
Is that he’s become a king
Is he for real? Yea!
Is he a hero? Hooray!
Does democracy matter?
No! It’s but idle chatter
And what of tomorrow?
Why, that’s a mourning soaked in sorrow

royciebaby

A Golden Age: some gimmickry of our times

God Save The King

Look at me
Wow!
A new age you can see
Now!
I am so very bright
And my mind is ruthenious*
I am always right
As I am a genius
I persuaded the ignorant mob
To vote me into power
I did such a wondrous job
That it’s now my victory hour
You can hear the angels sing
Let the church bells ring
For I am the king
Although I’m a fool
Who dropped out of school
I’m still determined to rule
So heed my song
I can do no wrong
And obey if you wish to belong
Share my dream
Fit in with each scheme
To be part of a glorious team
Yes, this is a golden age
Where power is all the rage
So obey me or rot in a cage
And let the voices ring
God save the king

*From ruthenium: a rare hard silvery-white metallic element occurring in platinum ores and used especially as a catalyst and to harden alloys.

The New Croesus**

To a not elected overlord

What’s my pitch?
I’m a son of a bitch
Who is very rich
What am I famed for?
It’s not what I’m named for
But what I should be blamed for
I tear people apart
Break many a heart
And make justice depart
Yes I take toll
When I’m on patrol
As I have control
They’ve given me power
To make people cower
And turn the milk of life sour
By the big chief I’m appointed
With a title anointed
To make our land disjointed
Sack many a webmaster
To ruin lives faster
And change their success to disaster
Yes I’ve made every person compliant
Will persecute the defiant
And promote only the pliant
Thus will begin a new age
Derived from the hate and rage
Dispensed from my doctrinaire stage
All aboard then! All aboard
Bow your heads as autocrats applaud
Then let fly with a, “Praise the Lord!”

**Croesus was the very rich king of Lydia ruling from 585 to 546 BCE. He is said to be the first to mint gold and silver.

The Deputy Goon

I’m the deputy goon
Some say I’m a loon
As I sing a discordant tune
I convinced the boss
I would be no loss
And I’d never do a double cross
So we rule the world together
I’ll be loyal to him forever
Though his brain is as light as a feather
On the matter of lies
I must advise
It’s no surprise
That they need a mention
As my cool invention
To help me get attention
So I tell them non-stop
To remain at the top
And give all my rivals the chop
Now what about my orations?
Well, I insult other nations
And damage our foreign relations
But this doesn’t matter
As my idle chatter
Befogs them with the skill of a hatter
Yes, we’re a very good team
With many a hair-brained scheme
That fulfils each psychotic dream
Now we control the multitude
And mend what’s misconstrued
With astonishing promptitude
So it’s all hail to the king
From his deputy underling

Media Secretary

Hello
I am not seedier
I am not greedier
I’m the boss’s voice to the media
Now he lies a lot
Speaks so much rot
That makes it a difficult job I’ve got
So I often have to lie
That I cannot deny
So now I’ll tell you why
The problem when he airs a delusion
It necessitates the sharp inclusion
Of from me a deceptive allusion
So my lies must fly thick and fast
As I’m chained to a dangerous mast
And a true word could be my last
There we are then
I’ll say it again, again and again
I am in a lion’s den
Where my only salvation
Is my imagination
That so far has evaded elimination
I am a spreader of fiction
Portrayed with elegant diction
To avoid undesirable friction
And so the illusion thrives
As a government survives
Cutting truth up with sharp knives
So all praise to my nation’s capacity
To prosper from its mendacity
As I strive on and on with tenacity

Guilty Representative

Now my leader’s a base criminal
But his crime to me is minimal
As his power is so subliminal
He’s a master at persuasion
Skilful with evasion
And plans to abet invasion
The masses all adore him
Investors all restore him
While his enemies deplore him
So I give him my devotion
With intense high emotion
To make certain my promotion
He has such potential
Is so influential
That to me he’s just essential
So I make him my star
Though he may go too far
With behaviour well below par
But why choose morality
When there’s overt neutrality
In political duality?
So I stick with the outlaw
Who knows nothing of law
And it’s he that they all vote for
So I reap success
Despite his excess
Without redress
You may think that I am guilt ridden
Doing things that are forbidden
But my sins are safely hidden
So drain the moat for me
And cast your vote for me, now

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A Smile Or Two

Poor Brigit

Bright means “exalted one”
So no wonder she sought fun
She solicited status from the highest master
But the consequence was a disaster

The job she acquired was aide to the president
She in no time at all was a White House resident
Troubles ensued with alarming rapidity
As she struggled to deal with her boss’s stupidity

The trouble from the first was that master’s behaviour
So she tried with compassion to act as his saviour
At every press conference when he told blatant lies
She said in her commentary ’twas code in disguise

In a pivotal speech he foretold a take-over
Poor Brigit endeavoured to create a makeover
He said he’d buy land and Green would be grand
She said we would name it Red White and Blue Land

That boss he was mean and blew his own trumpet
When she tried to advise him he called her a strumpet
She smiled in return with courageous zeal
He said, “That’s OK darling let’s do a deal”

But alas he continued with his foolish ways
Said, “I’ll help any country as long as it pays”
Many nations grew hostile and trouble was brewing
So poor Brigit resigned with disaster ensuing

Fools Rush In

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Alexander Pope

Hey there business man
How come you’re so wealthy
Mind your own dumb business
My methods are quite stealthy

My ways are my secret
I keep ‘em under cover
I don’t tell the taxman
Or even my lover

But I’ll tell you what I’ll do
Because I am quite fair
I’ll voice my coming venture
If you’ll buy a share

So come along my friend
Here is the prospectus
But it must stay our secret
So no rivals can bisect us

Now here is the plan
That we’ll carry out soon
We’ve organised construction
Of a garage on the moon

I know that this may seem
A deed of sheer depravity
But the source of all our wisdom
Is that orb’s lack of gravity

Everything will be so light
This sharply reduces the cost
And there are no dangerous roads
That perilously have to be crossed

And there’ll be no troublesome cars
At this early juncture
So you’ll even miss the boredom
Of having to mend a puncture

No roads, no cars so you may be puzzled
By our preterm energy burst
But cars and roads will be there one day
And our station will be the first

What’s more that venue is ideal
For atomic power to be placed
As no better site than the moon could be found
To dispose of nuclear waste

There is a move in the market
With preference shares all rising
So be quick and buy some
I am not eulogising

Come along Charlie in now for the kill
Or you’ll miss our lunar trick
And be regarded by the common herd
As a dawdling lunatic

Complex Simon

Complex Simon met a rich man
Going to a fair
Said Complex Simon to the rich man
What have you got there?
Said the rich man to Complex Simon
Show me first your money
Said Complex Simon to the rich man
My poverty isn’t funny
Complex Simon was a-wishing
He could be a winner
But the only hero he could find
Was that rowdy right-wing sinner
Complex Simon went to look
At his glamorous political party
They promised to improve his life
And make him hale and hearty
They told him lies that hypnotise
Not one of them came true
So now poor Complex Simon
Knows where the cuckoos flew

Five Limericks

I
That man had lived for many years
Troubled by countless fears
He voted right wing
Gave the neocons a fling
And now he can’t pay for his beers

II
There once was a famous believer
Who was a successful deceiver
He just couldn’t stop
Telling lies at the top
So he’s now our envoy in Geneva

III
Loud-mouthed Peter
Was a cheater
Who told the story
Of his counterfeit glory
So now he’s an ill-famed word-eater

IV
Once upon a time
A big wig did a crime
It brought him shame
Notorious fame
But the last true words here don’t rhyme

V
There once was a man named Perce
Who tried to write a verse
He failed to rhyme
Time after time
So he buried his verse in a hearse

It’s A Funny Thing That

That head of state was a fool
Who broke nearly every rule
He sought the votes of the farmers
Dressed in silk pyjamas
It’s a funny thing that
He told more lies
Than stars in the skies
So when truth pleased him
No one believed him
It’s a funny thing that
He had passion strong
For ideas that were wrong
If a bucket had s- -t in it
He’d be sure to put his foot in it
It’s a funny thing that
He dealt with Mexicans badly
And their leader begged him sadly
Her plea, “We pay mañana”*
Brought a tariff on every banana
It’s a funny thing that
His mistress and he had a fight
That lasted half the night
Until he did something shocking
Put a spider in her stocking
It’s a funny thing that
And so the years rolled by
As he gave forth many a sigh
Until he found his last job
Making lucre with a lawbreaking mob
It’s not a funny thing that

*Tomorrow

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