The recent shutdown of the government showed who has the real power in Washington, and it isn’t the Republicans. There are those who say the Democrat victory was a Pyrrhic one, but I’m not so sure. I think the talk of an Obama Pyrrhic victory is just Republican whistling past the graveyard. Republicans do Pyrrhic victories, Democrats don’t. I have often thought I am doomed to live to be 115, spending my advanced middle age living in a declining socialist paradise. I was too optimistic. The decline is here already, and Paradise is just around the corner. Right now I’d take any kind of victory, no matter how Pyrrhic.

When a victory is Pyrrhic
Then the music can’t be lyric
For the notes sound hollow in a minor chord
But the question’s who’s the loser
Not Obama then the Cruzer
Who drove the train with no one else aboard
I suspect we know the answer
It’s that artful Senate dancer
Mitch McConnell who got something for his State
Got some pork and got some gravy
‘Nuff to float Kentucky’s navy
Now the voters plan on giving him the gate
Yes Obama won the battle
Paid no mind to Repubs prattle
There was nothing Pyrrhic ‘bout the whole affair
The Obama State is here and
We have nothing left to fear and
We’ll just all relax and love Obamacare

Read ‘em and weep, oh Obamanoid. Despair, if you are a patriotic American and not an Obamanoid, at the sheer incompetence of the administration, and the man, who never should have been elected president of this country. Despair of the looming catastrophe of Obamacare, despair of Benghazi, Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and the complete and utter failure of the Obama foreign policy that has now led the Saudis to announce they are through with the United States because the president can no longer be trusted to keep his word or even to tell the truth. Through tear dimmed eyes a disillusioned Obamanoid gazes sorrowfully at a worn photograph of a smiling Barack Obama and sings softly of her disappointment. With apologies to Tony Bennett.

Because of you our romance had its start
But now I feel there’s no song in my heart
Because of you the sun won’t shine
The moon and stars no longer mine
The sorrow is never to part
I only lived for your hope and your change
And then you turned into something real strange
Because of you my life is not worthwhile
And I can’t smile
Because of you
You turned into someone I didn’t know
You broke my heart and I did love you so
Your cheating lies I didn’t mind
I knew it was because you’re kind
But now I must tell you to go
You do not care for the country at all
You do not care if it’s Springtime or Fall
Because of you my life is not worthwhile
And I can’t smile
Because of you

A great power, Carthage or Rome, Athens or Persia, Britain or the United States, is born in heightened, flaming energy and heroism, determined to climb the beckoning golden mountains shimmering brightly in the distance. Noon finds them standing on the snow capped peaks, masters of all, unaware that the sun has already begun the slow curving glide to the horizon. By mid-afternoon the once flaming energy has abated, and with the coming of dusk, the day is done, and sleep is upon them.

The dawning paints the night sky gray
And rising with the sun
The man takes up the growing day
And Empire begun
The shining mountains, caps aflame
Rise in the morning mist
He knows those mountains he must claim
‘Fore entering the list
At noon he stands on heights so cold
The morning long he climbed
The treasure peaks of shimm’ring gold
With icy diamonds rimed
Into the late day sun he sits
Upon his lofty throne
The sun the sun of Austerlitz
The world was his alone
Unto the dusk his word was king
His bidding instant done
But others struggled for his ring
And come the setting sun
The man now old laid burdens down
And entered into sleep
And dreamed the dreams of past renown
With memories to keep
While others, younger, come the dawn
Saw golden mountains glow
And to the ice rimed mountains drawn
An empire to grow

The Obama administration has hired call centers in Mumbai, India, to handle questions about Obamacare. This is rich. The incomprehensible explained to the non-comprehending by the non-understandable. But not to worry, this is all part of the larger plan. The last thing Obama wants is for the public to understand what’s in Obamacare.

Obamacare is good for you
Your Foddah and your Muddah
Until you find Mumbai is too
The black hole of Calcutta
I tell you that Barack is sly
He sets it up so that Mumbai
Becomes the keystone of his plan
Of perfect health for every man
And every woman, pet and child
And all in reach and eas’ly dialed
Connected swiftly to a voice
You listen closely and the choice
That is presented sounds quite good
But that’s because you understood
Her words to say not what she said
But something different instead
And so you sign on dotted line
And thus avoid Obama’s fine
And then you find to your dismay
Obama had it planned this way
Confuse the caller more and more
With English accented so poor
That left is right and right is left
All proving that Barack is deft
At pulling wool down over eye
Oh yes the man is very sly

Saudi Arabia has turned down the invitation to sit on the UN Security Council, in protest of Obama’s cozying up to their mortal enemy Iran. Are the Saudis truly upset with Obama? Probably not. They’re just going on record, for they know full well Obama does not have the means to gain his ends. They understand that makes the situation dangerous, but they are confident their money and influence in the region can contain the loose cannon in the White House.

George Bush gave Texas Howdys
To his friends the oil rich Saudis
And son W of course did much the same
And the Saudis they were loyal
Just so long we bought their oyal
It meant nothing, just the way you played the game
But Obama knowing nothin’
Of the feudin’ and the futhin’
That went on between the White House and Riyadh
Had his eye on a grand bargain
With Iran and so his jargon
Always ended with the words So Help Me God
Words that left the Mid-east scoffin’
As Iran prepared the coffin
For our friends and allies ‘Bama set adrift
Mid-east teeth were set to gnashin’
Some amused and some with passion
And the Saudis let it known that they were miffed
Now it’s come to O’s attention
That his very least intention
Causes hurt and doubt with those who thought us friends
But Obama is contriteless
As in Gaza he is sightless
And the Saudis know his means won’t buy his ends

Dark events cast dark shadows, darker than the night, unrelieved by dawn. Large shadows and small shadows, energetic shadows and indecisive shadows, all moving fitfully across our limited field of vision, indistinguishable from the dark, miasmic mist rising from the fetid swamp.

What do we know of past events
What of all future discontents
Knowing we naught of present tense
Only the shadow knows
Shadowy figures in the dark
Silent so that the dogs won’t bark
Carefully voiced the hushed remark
Options lined up in rows
Options the public will not see
Actions the shadows will decree
Followed by who knows what will be
Darker the shadow grows

The United States and Israel recently held a top secret missile interception test over the Mediterranean, which was, of course trumpeted by the White House as a complete victory for the Obama Administration in that it showed to Iran and others that the Israel rocket, the Sparrow, could shoot down an incoming missile. But everyone knew that, for a Russian spy ship was in the vicinity, capturing all the telemetry, so whatever it was, secret it was not. Which raises the question, what was the real purpose of the test?

Whose eye is on the sparrow
Whose vision is so narrow
That tiny birds like sparrows loom so large
Perhaps an interception
Or possibly deception
We know not and know not just who’s in charge
The Israelis aren’t saying
Who sits by and who is playing
Or just why whatever flew or why it did
Our directed gaze so narrow
That a Ouija board or Tarot
Could not answer questions carefully so hid

We live our lives unseen, hidden from Creation. Would the world and our imperfect perception of it be any different if the sun had indeed circled the Earth as many once believed? Would the dawn look any different? To ask is to answer, and therein lies the truth of life and destiny. The truth is not vouchsafed to us, there is only doubt and dim and fleeting glimpses of the wonders of Creation.

How wondrous is the stately tree
A lake, a glen, a meadowlark
A frozen stream, its icy banks
Concealing creatures with life’s spark
A consciousness of who they are
And where they are in God’s great scheme
All are alive, and such as we
Together share in Heaven’s dream
We walk the Earth and stride the stars
Imagination’s silver ships
Will take us where the distance becks
And shower nectar on our lips
The universe’s magic glow
The beauty of its wondrous mien
Is ours to share with all who live
And who, like us, live all unseen

It appears Senator Cruz and the GOP rebels have dragged the Republican congressional leaders kicking and screaming into a fight for the life of the country. Speaker Boehner now says he was for fighting the socialist takeover of the country all along, and I’ll take him at his word, but actions always speak louder than words, so we’ll be watching him, as he has been wont to flutter in the past. Boehner and the Republicans must fight, and they must fight now, or the country is forever lost to the radical Left. Just remember, Mr. Boehner, you are only on retainer.

It’s a no brainer, Mr. Boehner
Yes you must stand up and fight
Here’s your explainer, Mr. Boehner
We are in for a long night
We’ll be the gainer, Mr. Boehner
So we beg you do what’s right
I’m no complainer, Mr. Boehner
Just turn out the White House light

King Barry the First gnashes his teeth in rage at the infuriating way them dirty rat Republicans refuse to surrender, refuse to give up the fight against Obamacare, refuse to raise the debt ceiling and give him a blank check to add on more debt, refuse to call or text him begging his forgiveness. I spoke to him briefly, and this is what he said

My email server always says
I have no messages
And even though I am the prez
I’ve angst and stressages
I check my smartphone frequently
To see if there’s a text
Perhaps one written piquantly
 I’m really getting vexed
That Mr. Boehner gets my goat
He won’t cave in at all
I even sent a little note
I even made a call
These jihadists, these slimy Pubs
Obstructed me for days
But I will show them where it rubs
And change their filthy ways
I’ll win this one, this shutdown war
I’ll make them crawl and moan
And then I’ll even up the score
I’ll not answer the phone