RIP Norman Lear

Archie Bunker broke the mold,

All thanks to Norman Lear

And we should all be grateful 

For his brilliant career.

It took a lot of guts to raise

The level of TV

From strictly fluff to shows that dealt 

With stark reality.

Of course, injecting humor helped

When bigots were involved

And even after watching, no one’s

Problems were resolved.

Yet subjects were discussed which made

The audience applaud,

From Archie, Edith, Sanford 

To the Jeffersons and Maude.

To younger folk, his contributions 

Might not be so clear,

But every sitcom owes a debt

To gutsy Norman Lear.

Keeping a Promise

Flew home from vacation

(Glad my flight was not delayed)

And started baking cookies

For a promise had been made.

 

Tomorrow night starts Chanukah;

Tradition thus decrees

That my grandma’s age-old recipe

Be trotted out to please.

 

I counted on those cookies

In my childhood every year,

So each December it was

Guaranteed they would appear.

 

My grandson asked about them

So before I went away,

I made the dough and froze it;

That’s the reason why today

 

I hastily unpacked and then

Began to prep and bake.

A promise to my grandson

Isn’t one that I would break.

The World of Coca Cola

At the World of Coca Cola

Were mementos by the score,

All of Coke-related products,

Bottles, cans and so much more.

There were posters from the 50’s,

Coke machines and pins and toys

And collectors’ items for the drink

Most everyone enjoys.

After watching little films and

Taking quizzes just for fun,

Our last stop was in the tasting room

Before the tour was done.

There we sampled many flavors

‘Til at last we’d had enough.

I would recommend a visit,

Though I never drink the stuff!

At the Atlanta Zoo

In all of the United States,

Four pandas still remain,

Until next year, when they’ll return

Back home to their terrain.

So being in Atlanta,

Where these bears are on display,

We visited the zoo and had

A most delightful day.

Of course, we watched the pandas

As they munched on their bamboo,

But there were much more interesting

Animals on view.

My favorites were gorillas,

For we saw them interact,

As they beat their chests at kith or kin

Then sneakily attacked.

The pandas got us to the zoo

And I’m so glad they did,

The way aromas can entice 

To what’s beneath the lid.

City Vacations

To some, vacations mean a beach,

With nothing but relaxing.

To go to a museum 

Would be boring, even taxing.

But both my husband and myself

Prefer to go exploring 

In cities where we’ve never been

To do a little touring.

We seek museums, stores and parks

And neighborhoods to walk through 

Where maybe we will come across 

Some locals we can talk to.

A different setting’s always great,

No matter what it’s costing,

But, unlike basking in the sun,

It’s just a touch exhausting.

Grounded

Writing a poem keeps me grounded;

It’s what I accomplish each day.

With stimuli I am surrounded,

Providing so much I can say.

 

Responding to Nature’s inspiring

As well as the news that that I read,

For what in the world is transpiring

Often gives me the push that I need.

 

My family and friends keep me going,

The grandkids a source of delight,

Supplying me, as they are growing,

With endless incentives to write.

 

But mostly, my poems are revealing

Of sentiments trapped in my brain,

Which, written in rhyme, tap each feeling

I otherwise couldn’t explain.

Only in Congress

Only in Congress could somebody lie

And earn more than a nurse or a teacher,

With tales so outrageous no one could deny

That his chutzpah must be his best feature.

Expelled by his peers (he refused to resign),

Representative Santos insisted 

That he’d done nothing wrong, never crossed any line,

But his logic was crazy and twisted.  

So charged with conspiracy, credit card fraud,

Identity theft and some scheming,

We all should be able to cheer and applaud

As reports of his ouster keep streaming.

My question to Congress is why did it take

Months of fighting to get him ejected?

Though looking at Congress, my only mistake

Is not thinking this should be expected.