I’m writing this on the Friday before election day

Not sure how the candidate’s antics will come into play

They have just this weekend to try and polish up their game

If you are to believe them, everyone is to blame

I voted at the advance polls, my civic duty is now done

I’ll just have to wait until tonight, to find out who really won

The Covid 19 was the major topic in this campaign

No matter what side you choose, you had something to complain

The major leaders blaming Trudeau for his poor handling of this blight

Then calling an election?  Well that just isn’t right

Erin O’Toole is catering to the anti vaxers on his travels

This whole strategy he has chosen, is beginning to unravel

His fellow Conservative run Provinces are now overrun with new viral cases

These Premiers are following the same policies he embraces

Now they are starting to lock down because cases have started to spiral

 O’Toole not answering questions about Jason Kenney are now going viral

Jagmeet Singh is using social media on his electoral run

Doing dances on Tik Tok for a little fun

He is catering to a younger crowd to get out his word

Hoping to get more seats, but he should finish third

As far as popularity goes, he is ranked number one

He just can’t get the votes to get this job done

This has been an ugly campaign with some violence as well

The one who comes up on top is still hard to tell

The polls have indicated that this should be a tight race

Not sure if Justin Trudeau will be able to keep his place

I think he will retain his spot, sorry to spoil the suspense

It’s time for all the leaders to work together with some common sense

We have to all get on the same page in order to get this virus under control

Trying to eliminate it should be our target goal

No matter who ends up running our Country, this should be priority number one

The leader of our nation should work to get this chore done

Not let this plague run amuck just to mutate once more

It’s time to tend to this and not put this on ignore

This pandemic is turning into a crusade

If we don’t get control of this, no progress will be made

This won’t be done if we continue to dissent

Face it everyone, this will be an endless event

The show that follows our local news is “Entertainment Tonight”

One evening the co-host was talking with so much delight

She was referring to Jennifer Lopez on this particular day

Emphasizing the rings JLo has collected along the way

From what I was able to glimpse, her rings have increased with every new guy

Paving the way for Ben Affleck on the size that he’ll have to buy

Inferring that he’ll have to top it with more carats if he wants to succeed

Poor Ben will have to shell out more cash for this relationship to proceed

I believe the moniker for this reunion is now Bennifer 2.0

Trust me Miss Lopez you have a long way to go

These aren’t the first celebrities to take a roll of the dice

By having a partnership with the same person twice

If she is able to get a more expensive bangle from Ben

Chances are the quantity accumulated by her won’t crack the top ten

As far as wealth goes, this doesn’t go far

An actress from yesteryear has set quite a high bar

This woman has been married a few times I agree

Meanwhile Jennifer has stalled after three

The woman I refer to was married eight times in all

She also took in a suitor for a second call

Back then you got married because you had something to fear

Getting caught performing adultery could finish your career

Celebrities have a lot more freedom today

Unfortunately their lives are on full display

They don’t have the luxury of being able to go to and fro

The Paparazzi will follow them wherever they  go

Relationships change so much when they are building their fame

Breakups and make ups are just part of the game

This is a compromise that they have to bear

Their entire lives are exposed for everyone to share

In the glory days of Hollywood this certainly wasn’t the case

If you were caught in a scandal, you were put in your place

You couldn’t live out of wedlock, you had to unite

That was the circumstances and they had to be done right

That’s why there were so many marriages and divorces in that day

If you wanted to survive in the industry, it was the price that you’d pay

Elizabeth Taylor was an actress that was one of the best of all time

She was also the highest paid performer when she was in her prime

She was wedded eight times to seven different men

Richard Burton was the one she decided to marry again

Burton bought her two rings that even today are hard to realize

The first was thirty three carats and the second was 66 carats in size

They auctioned off all of Taylor’s jewelry when she left this earth

One hundred and sixty eight million is what they were worth

What would she have done with Jennifer’s bling?

Chances she probably use them for a toe ring

The summer season is almost over, school starts next week

This Covid 19 virus is approaching another peak

Provinces have come up with their own personal scheme

They have set their agendas, at least that’s the way it would seem

Yet the virus is the same no matter where you go

Why aren’t we all on the same page? I’d really like to know

Masks are required almost everywhere

Others are free to roam without a care

So thanks to everyone’s ignorance and insisting on doing things their way

This virus has continued its evolution and appears it’s here to stay

Now that we are about to send our children back to the classroom to learn

This would be the time for all of us to show them some concern

This pandemic is no longer just an affliction for the older folk

We have to show some fortitude and not consider this a joke

The people who are the most vulnerable are the ones who are in denial

Maybe they will come around since the remedy has passed the FDA trial

These same people are responsible for allowing this virus to thrive

Predictions are by year’s end another hundred thousand Americans won’t survive

These are the most susceptible because they refuse to get a shot

Fighting it tooth and nail with everything they got

This pandemic is not particular to any demographic at all

Whether you want to inoculate is still your personal call

Children are now exposed and can be infected too

Attending class without protection is what some Provinces have chosen to do

Then you have the teachers and the working staff added to this equation

Gives some indication on how badly we are failing as a nation

People who are double vaccinated are contracting it again

The reason being that this Covid 19 is getting stronger with each new strain

As long as we sit back and let this plague proceed in this way

It will continually evolve with each and every day

Our leaders prefer to cater to the groups that complain

That is why we continue to lose ground and never seem to gain

We are supposed to learn from our mistakes and try to make amends

Those in the wrong are the ones they seem to defend

Here is the scoop people, the vaccine is the closest thing we have to a cure

Ignoring all the health experts is the wrong path to take that’s for sure

Innocent children are now at stake and some of their lives will be on the line

Those that have been immunized should all come out fine

Choosing to be six feet apart and masked is not the lifestyle that I want to choose

As long as there are enough abstainers, then all of us are going to lose

I don’t know if we will ever get to the point where we feel safe and sound

As far as the gamblers go, I hope most of you will still be around

As far as deadlines go, I have only one

That is to get my weekly poem done

Once that is accomplished I am able to have a clean slate

Then say I will work on the next before it’s too late

I guess when I initially started this blog I had a whole lot to say

If you remember, I used to put one out everyday

Then I just all out resigned and put this project to rest

Revived it and then decided to make it a weekly quest

Then I moved it to Monday from Wednesday and have kept it there

Some may have noticed but most are unaware

I feel a sense of relief when I finally get one done

I still vow to save time and say I will work on the next one

So as usual, I am sitting here on this Sunday morning

Feeling like the losing football team at the two minute warning

Trying to concentrate on a topic that I can put to pen

It seems to happen to me every now and then

The topic will be Canadian Politics that is in the news

Do you have any idea on what party that you will choose?

Locally here, the incumbent should have no problem winning the race

The real question will be who will end up in second place?

I don’t know if it’s the fact that American politics is so damn bad

In comparison ours seems so boring, I guess we should be glad

The crooked politicians in the States are there on full display

The stories just seem to get worse each and every day

Their whole country seems to be ready to split at the seams

So much for the people who want to live the American dream

Canada, on the other hand seems to keep most things in order

Compared to all of those crooks who are living south of our border

We have the same problem with Covid and not all our Provinces are on the same page

The same can be said on an agreement on the minimum wage

Trudeau is gambling on taking it all

Personally, I think he made a bad call

There’s no way he gets a majority government when this is complete

If he loses more support, he could end up in defeat

The Liberals and Conservatives are in for quite a race

The one who holds all the cards will be in third place

Singh and his NDP party will once again have the final word

They will have all the leverage even though they finished third

The number in each party may not be the same

However we will be back continuing this endless game

So maybe in Canada this can pass as a major crime

This whole election will end up being a complete waste of time

Looks like some major companies have decided to pick up the slack

Dealing with the vaccine requirements that some employees sorely lack

They have taken up the initiative to require them to take their shot

Some retail outlets are requiring proof to enter whether you like it or not

 As the Corona Virus waves go, we are now up to number four

Will we ever get to the point where we don’t have to count anymore?

The facts about all of this is out there plain and clear

The longer it lasts, the more we have to fear

They are now instructing social media to monitor their sites

It seems that many people can’t distinguish wrong from right

I can see how easily baffled you could be after surfing on the net

The more time you spend researching, the more confused you will get

Then if you turn on your television to watch a news station

Depending on the source, it can just add up to more aggravation

The trouble is it’s become political on either side of our border

Between our two nations, we can’t seem to get anything in order

Instead of ridding us of the virus, which should be our primary goal

They are more concerned with the latest popular poll

Now Canada is allowing Americans to enter upon our land

While the United States is closed to us, I just don’t understand

It’s not that I have any desire to wander south to visit there

I just think there shouldn’t be any coming and going anywhere

I look at Australia that has been aggressive right from the start

They shut down most of the country because the Delta virus was starting to chart

Being a country as well as an entire continent all in one

Is the reason they can get all of these things done

They have had thirty two thousand infections and nine hundred fifteen people have died

A five week shutdown to the city of Sydney was also applied

They haven’t pulled any punches and have managed to keep up the pace

The majority of the world has handled it with disgrace

So in our situation, perhaps we should let the companies and retailers handle the show

Let the government issue us our proofs of inoculations to be shown wherever we go

This way the politicians can’t try to win by choosing a side

The people of our nation will now have six more weeks to decide

Reward all those people who have taken their second shot

Those who abstain perhaps will give it a second thought

If you require a license to be allowed to drive

Why not issue one, because it might help us all to survive

The Olympic games are over and the closing ceremonies are now done

It was Canada’s best showing with twenty four medals being won

It was already a year behind when it finally did begin

The fact that they accomplished it, could be the biggest win

Athletes had to perform without the luxury of a crowd

Due to the resurgence of this Pandemic, few spectators were allowed

The heat and humidity were at a record peak

There was even the threat of a cyclone within the starting week

The first events started in the pool

As far as Canada was concerned it was the women that would rule

The males would garnish seven medals, the females seventeen

Penny Oleksiak is now our reigning Queen

Her three medals won in itself is definitely quite a feat

Her career totals are now seven which makes her our greatest Olympic athlete

Teammates Maggie McNeil would win three and Kylie Mass win two

Laurence Vincent would also win a pair for sprinting in a canoe

Of the seven men who won, Andre DeGrasse would earn three

He may be our greatest sprinter that we will ever see

In team sports, the women would continue to excel

Eight woman canoe, softball and soccer as well

A bronze in softball, canoeing and soccer they claimed the gold

Julia Grosso’s last penalty kick will become a legend often told

Stephanie Labbe should be acknowledged for everything she gave

We wouldn’t have conquered Sweden if she wasn’t there to make the save

Christine Sinclair, the soul of this team

A player that certainly deserves all the esteem

Twenty one years she has been playing this high level game

She deserves all the recognition and all the fame

This elite athlete hasn’t missed a step it would appear

I don’t think she is ready to call it a career

A professional league is what is needed to maintain this caliber of play

The games that we watched will help to pave the way

The marquis event is the decathlon in the Olympics as we all know

Our fellow countryman, Damian Warner put on quite a show

Breaking the games record in the process as he took the top spot

In custom, this gold medalist is considered the best of the lot

So when it came to elect a representative to carry our flag at the close

This athlete from London, Ontario would be the person that they chose

Five years we had to wait for this but now it’s only three

Here’s hoping the next stadium will be filled to capacity for all the world to see

I have been enjoying a hobby now for fifty years and more

It all started when I visited my friend who happened to live next door

There in their entrance, something intrigued me when he let me in

That’s when my interest in tropical fish would initially begin

The colours and the activity peaked my curiosity right away

I have continued with this passion up until today

His parents said I could have some guppies if it was okay with Mom and Dad

My parents said they had no qualms which made me very glad

I kept them in a fishbowl and they thrived in this small space

My parents thought I would tire of it, but this certainly wasn’t the case

I took care to clean the bowl and not one of the occupants had died

When I got home from school one day, there was a surprise for me inside

My parents bought me a five gallon starter kit and a place to put it on display

It wasn’t even Christmas or my birthday, I can still envision it today

This hobby I have enjoyed right from that day one

It’s hard to believe that five decades have passed since this begun

The initial tank  was the smallest over the years they got bigger still

The one in my basement now takes a hundred and twenty five gallons to fill

So now maintaining this fish tank is quite a chore when it’s time to clean

You are gone so long on this job, people wonder where you’ve been

Now it’s in the basement where I don’t seem to spend much time down there

Other than going down to feed the fish, I have really slackened off with the tender loving care

The live plants have been thriving and I have let them grow

It’s gotten to the point where the fish have no place to go

The tank is dark, it’s never bright

That’s because all the greenery is blocking out the light

What do I have to do to get this aquarium back in shape?

This is a replayed scenario where I can find no escape

I have been going back and forth on whether to continue from year to year

Yesterday the answer came to me and it was crystal clear

I had been in denial unable to make that choice

But when I sat and contemplated, I heard my inner voice

It said this job ahead is mammoth and there is so much of it to do

There was no use in arguing with myself, it was absolutely true

If I set this all up again, months from now I will be back in the same place

This shot of reality just slapped me in the face

I then decided to setup two small tanks in order to put the fish in there

I have so many of them I had to use the pair

I gave my plants to my neighbour Rob who shares this affliction too

Got rid of all the water, sand and ornaments and now I’m almost through

I will finish it tomorrow and then sell it online

Throw the fish in as well, things will go just fine

I have so many accessories, it looks like I’m a hoarder

It would be nice to get rid of everything and finally put things in order

I will put it online and hopefully get rid of it all

If you have an interest, be sure to give me a call

We have been noticing lately when we have a rainy day

A certain brown haired rabbit decides to visit us and stay

He or she, I’m not sure of the sex that it could be

Has taken the opportunity of dining on our apple tree

The tree is small and he can reach some branches without a care

The dog and two of us watching, he pretends to be unaware

It was just so cute to watch him when we first spied him there

But after so many visits, some of these branches are now bare

As a result some tension is beginning to build inside of me

I have to find the means to discourage this habit if I want to save this tree

There is definitely something brewing,  perhaps some bad blood

Now somehow I able to sympathize with Elmer Fudd

That’s the cartoon character that Bugs Bunny used to irritate for fun

The one who could never succeed even though he had a gun

When he decides to drop in on us, his visits are not brief

He forages for over twenty minutes, that dirty little thief

He knows we are all watching as he just continues to dine

Nothing seems to faze him, even when the dog lets out a whine

He’s starting to tear down branches when he reaches up for more

I’ve been tempted many times to let the dog bolt out the door

Chances are my poor dog would end up just getting hurt

He seems to come up limping when he breaks into a sudden spurt

So that isn’t even an option because the dog could come up lame

I don’t want any of these animals injured in this silly game

So how am I supposed to prevent this rabbit from coming in our yard

I can’t take the chance of either one of them getting hurt or scarred

Elmer has been trying to get Bugs for fifty years at least

In all that time he hasn’t got the better of this little beast

Even though my patience now is wearing a little thin

I may be waging a war that I may never win

Years of aggravation is what could possibly ensue

Ignoring him, like he does me, is the best thing I can do

I can’t get into the Olympics, I don’t know what to think?

It’s because my internal sports clock is totally all out of sync

I’m used to major sports beginning on a specific date

The Olympics are officially twelve months too late

I’m sure I’m not the only one who is in this distress

When we get realigned is anyone’s guess

The NFL is the only league that started on time last year in the fall

They had their ups and downs but successfully got through it all

They didn’t play the all star game the week before the super bowl

Despite all the empty stadiums, they achieved their final goal

Baseball threw out their first pitch on time in the early spring

Hopefully they will be able to accomplish everything

The CFL cancelled their entire season, not one game did they play

The season starts off in August instead of on Canada Day

The NHL and NBA seasons have been totally out of whack

They hope to start again this October and get everything back on track

Basketball is in the finals of their playoff run

If the Bucks win tomorrow, the season will be done

Then both of these leagues will have their draft before they start this fall

Seattle Kraken will be a new NHL franchise which will be thirty two in all

Getting these entities back to normal is something I hope they will attain

This is one step closer to getting my life back in order again

This is so fragile because it is dependent on bringing this virus to an end

It continues to strengthen as we try our best to defend

The first event at the Olympics hasn’t started and already three cases have arose

This will be a monumental task of keeping it away from every athlete that goes

This has the potential of spreading worldwide from the start

Perhaps one of these participants carrying it with them when they depart

Sitting on the plane and spreading this Delta variant to the rest

Remember they can be still carrying it and have a negative test

They will have to take precautions and isolate each person when they arrive

This is the safest way of insuring that we all can survive

In this respect, they will all have to endure this and take one for the team

Not the ending they imagined they would have to their Olympic dream

We have to all be this vigilant if we want to rid ourselves of this bad seed

If we can’t work through this together we will never succeed

Two weeks since my second Covid shot and now I’m in the clear?

I should feel safe and now have nothing to fear?

So how come I don’t feel so protected and not quite so secure?

It’s not like all this experts have formulated a miraculous cure

I am now in a position where I should be able to beat this latest strain

If these mutations continue to evolve, do we go through this all again?

Locally we are in stage two, just days away from stage three

Once we get to this pinnacle, it’s all just wait and see

That’s because everything will be wide open for everyone to share

Perhaps after a fortnight we will have another scare

Will the cases continue to drop or will it peak once more?

Will we be relegated back to stage one and continue in this war?

Maybe there won’t be any increase and we’ll weather this storm

After nearly two years of this Covid, what will be the norm?

Will you feel confident enough and continue your life without a care?

Or before you venture anywhere, stop and say a prayer?

Continue to wear a mask when you hit your local mall?

Or will you be confident enough to not wear one at all?

It really is a crapshoot when you gather with a bunch

Personally I am still ordering take out when  I spring for lunch

The cases that are occurring are mainly ones that haven’t received their shot

As we continue to get inoculated, they shouldn’t increase by a lot

The goal is for everyone to join together in this fight

Some just refuse to and just don’t feel it’s right

You can’t force someone to do something that they don’t want to do

We have to honour their concerns even if you don’t share their point of view

I’m hoping that these small groups are able to stay healthy as a whole

The ones who are being inoculated attain the targeted goal

The Delta virus is now sixty percent more contagious than all the rest

Trying to dodge this latest variant could prove a daunting quest

Each strain that evolves is stronger than the one before

That means the chances of catching it increase even more

It’s like a game of Russian roulette, pulling the trigger and hoping for a click

Proceeding with your daily tasks and hoping you won’t get sick

Perhaps I’m exaggerating my point, I just hope that no one does get caught

So if the walls begin to close in on you, please give in and get your shot