I got a message on my phone just the other day

Who was the sender? I am not at liberty to say

She asked me for a favour, you know, a request

I told I would think about it and wished her the best

Some guys will choose to do this without a second thought

I heard that they are hooked on it and do this a lot

I on the other hand have never been that way

Didn’t do it when I was younger, can’t see me doing it today

Of course when we were younger, it would have taken quite some time

I think with all the procedures involved it would be hard to stay out of the crime

It would be hard to cover all your tracks and still stay in the clear

Once the word got out on you, I think most of your friends would disappear

You would have had to really known somebody to get this task done

Someone who did it as a hobby just to have some fun

Back then I know of no one that dabbled in this art

The chances of someone like this was few and far apart

I’m not saying that it didn’t happen, I’m sure it really did

This was not something that you bragged about, it’s something that you hid

If the authorities heard about it, they would definitely bring you in

You couldn’t confide in your pastor, because the church considered it a sin

They’d probably would have told you not to do it and that things will just get worse

They’d would have tried sorts of things because to them it was a curse

You weren’t supposed to do this and now you had a black mark on your slate

Now there are scores of people who choose to do this and will participate

Usually two people share this act from the start

But in many instances, it can get blown apart

This item will be passed around the group if they so chose to share

Some will take some serious interest, while others will not care

It’s not because I’m older that I choose not to try this out

I am stuck in my ways and do not want to go down this route

I will not “expose” myself to what people do today

What do people do with a “dick pic” anyway?

The first thing that I have chosen to say

Is it cold enough out there for you today?

It’s early here but it sure is cold

All outdoor activities for me are all put on hold

This morning the temperature was minus thirty five

The old thermometer sure took a nose dive

Take the wind chill factor and then it’s minus fourty two

Staying here in the warmth seems like the only logical thing to do

School buses are not running so some kids will get to stay at home

They better make sure they are bundled up if they choose to roam

Funny how a day can be so bright and clear

But if you choose to brave the elements, it’s frostbite you have to fear

How many people are aggravated even more?

All because they didn’t plug in their car the night before

They will get everything ready and out the door they will depart

Only to be totally frustrated when their car doesn’t start

The next thing they require is some help in this case

A dilemma that almost every northerner here has to face

Booster cables are a necessity especially at this time of year

Now you are in need of someone’s help and hope they are near

Some people are more resourceful and already have a plan “B”

Let’s face it in this scenario it wouldn’t be you or me

The prepared person would have another battery and off he would go

The majority of us would be there freezing out in the snow

Neighbours, friends, hell, enemies will boost someone in need

It’s just common courtesy, it’s a solemn creed

When you are stuck in the cold and your car just doesn’t go

You’ll find some assistance from people you don’t know

So one way or another, you will not be alone

In case of a real emergency you can still use your cell phone

Chances of you being left abandoned are second to none

You will get aid from almost anyone

So many people have stories that they like to share

Involving friends and strangers that showed how they cared

Even in the coldest days of the winter, a warm hearts still beats within

Be it someone unknown, or your closest of kin

Someone who has a heart and helps you on your way

Seems so appropriate to remember seeing it’s Valentine’s day

I don’t know how many can really relate to the words I said above

Here’s hoping you are able to share this day with someone you love

I am sitting here and have to wonder why?

How so many people are so loyal to this guy?

He is in the news each and every day

I wish he would just leave or just go away

I haven’t even bothered to even mention his name

But you know who I am really talking about, just the same

A man, let’s face it, is morally corrupt

Not to mention his dismissiveness and how he’s so abrupt

He is involved in so many shady deals and still hasn’t had to  pay

You can’t believe a word that he has to say

With all the accusations flying at him from the left and right

Makes me wonder how this man manages to sleep at night

I don’t think this man is in the possession of a conscience nor a heart

I guess this is just two of the factors that set him apart

Most of his associates have been or are involved in crime

Many of his closest ones are now serving time

Yet there he sits, so pompous and so proud

His greatest reward is being praised in front of his crowd

Of course he gets to choose the venue and where he is to appear

No matter what nonsense he spouts, he gets a rousing cheer

He holds the power and rules the land

How he accomplished this? I will never understand

I can’t believe this man is in charge of the place

The fact that he is, is truly a disgrace

Men and women have sold their souls to keep this man in his seat

Even people with common sense, know when it’s time to retreat

This man in public, doesn’t seem to worry about things at all

If history does repeat, it’s his followers that will take the fall

The evidence is sitting there in plain black and white

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

This man has no charisma and a complete lack of charm

Still his group of ass kissers still show no alarm

So when it was time to reach a verdict to each one in his troup

There was found to be only one set of balls in his faithful group

This man had the guts to weigh the evidence and reached the right decision

He didn’t bow to his leader and encourage more division

History will show that he chose to hold his ground

He didn’t pressure to the whims of his bias crowd

Now you have to wonder, what will happen next?

You might not see it coming or know what to expect

The guy that’s in charge will now have a free rein

How could you let that happen? Are you all insane?

You see that in this man’s head he actually believes he has done nothing wrong

Aren’t you all tired of hearing him sing that same old song?

He’s complained that this was all a witch hunt from the very start

This man who claims he’s a “stable genius” is the one that has torn you apart

I prefer to call you “the states”, this is all I have to say

Because as far as the rest of us are concerned, you are not “united” in any way

Have you ever been a part of a close knit group?

Then through no fault of your own, you are now out of the loop?

Then made you wonder what did you do?

Or made you question what things are true?

That made you feel that you did something wrong?

Why you are out and the rest still get along?

Those that you welcomed and went through your door

Don’t wish to even acknowledge you anymore?

That when you speak up in your own defense

The repercussions administered are too immense

They single us out and make up a lie

Then there we are, left high and dry

Though through the years, the decisions they made affected us the most

Now when everyone gets together, we’re like a ghost

Some in the group don’t talk to us at all

Then they expect us to be at their beckon call

They think they are puppet masters and pull our string

When they want you to meet they expect us to drop everything

This group you see doesn’t want to evolve

There’s decades of problems they refuse to resolve

They still cling to instances that happened so long ago

Volumes of pettiness is all that they know

They seem to focus on some members and seem to share the same opinions

There are a few that are in charge and the rest are their minions

Over the years they get to choose who they wish to beret

They always need someone to scorn, it certainly seems to make their day

But when you chance to meet them in a mall or on a street

They can certainly fool the public and act more discreet

At the meetings you attend, they never have any words for you to share

Then when you are an absentee, they wonder why you’re not there

Some choose to just throw in the towel and say “the hell with the rest”

Figuring it’s just for their own good, it’s just for the best

Now they announce to this group that this is a path that they chose

Now the whole congregation is aware and everyone knows

You continue with life and hope things aren’t the same

But the members you left still play the game

Then we think to ourselves, what must we do?

Then you realize, that we must be the glue

The fact that they shot us down, it’s what makes us the bond

They don’t seem to miss us now that we are gone

You sit around and you sure feel some grief

But when it comes down to your own happiness, you feel a sense of relief

You just get tired of the bickering and you don’t want to fight

Just because this group is in unison, still doesn’t make them right

We don’t know how many days on earth we have left to spend

We don’t want to go through life and try to pretend

We all want to be happy and have a reason to live

Some people will never achieve this if it’s not in their heart to forgive

Ontario’s teachers are putting up quite a fight

Some people say they are in the wrong but I think they are right

Money isn’t what this conflict is all about

Ontario’s Premier wants to take a different route

School is nowhere near what it was when we used to attend

Parents should take up the teachers’ cause and help them to defend

The government in their infinite wisdom wants to put more kids in each class

Doug Ford and his Conservatives need a good kick in the ass

They want high school students to do some subjects online

To quote a famous comedian – “Hey Doug, here’s your sign”

You want to congest the class and then send them on their own?

We have to stop all this stupidity before the first seed has been sown

The trouble today is that children aren’t getting the attention that they need

They grow up and reach high school and some can barely read

More educational assistants are required for kids with special needs

Now you want to put more kids in this classroom and expect them to succeed?

The emphasis should be on the children and the needs that they require

Teachers need more of the one on one so they can instruct and inspire

There are so many of us adults living here today

That had a favourite teacher that was able to show them the way

The path that should be taken is to lighten the educator’s chore

So they can answer all their questions and let them study more

More recognition should be given to educational assistants that are with them in the class

The work that they have to perform is indeed a delicate task

Remember these same people aren’t paid when school is on a break

Filing for Employment Insurance is a labour they have to undertake

This means that they only pay into their pension for part of the year

They literally put their lives on the line and need to work longer to make it a career

Lately I’ve been intrigued and have been reading some of the posts online

One person’s comment was “If they can’t handle it, why don’t they just resign”

I just sit back and shake my head at all the crap that is said

The thought that came to me I will share with you instead

This goes out to all the trolls that have chosen to constantly beret this profession

I’m going to try to stay polite and use some discretion

There is something so ironic that I think I need to share

Just so you will understand and maybe finally become aware

Those of you who publish all your comments and think of being so bold and bright

If it wasn’t for these people that you harass, you wouldn’t be able to read or write

Christmas is over and a new year has begun

The Bills and the Patriots seasons are done

Buffalo blew their lead and in overtime lost in the end

New England even with “Brady” could not contend

Who wins the Superbowl? I haven’t a clue

I just want to say I am proud of what Buffalo was able to do

Rookie quarterback Josh Allen and this team had quite a year

I’m confident that in next season’s playoffs they will appear

Of course the question about Brady is was this his last game?

I wonder how his ego will be without all of this fame

Whether he goes or he stays I could not care less

I’ll just leave it to the so called experts to continue to guess

Now let’s talk about hockey, you know, Canada’s sport

Two tournament championships I like to report

The Spengler and the World Juniors our nation both won

It’s nice to know that as far as this sport goes, we are still number one

If anyone watched the Junior’s comeback, they accomplished quite a feat

To witness that third period’s heroics was definitely a treat

So the new year has started and I made no resolutions

I am not in the business of trying to offer any solutions

This year is still into its infancy with so many days to go

What it has in store for us, we never know

Here’s hoping that everyone’s ups outweigh their downs

The times that you smile outdistance your frowns

That  this year you accomplish something you couldn’t before

That when December thirty first comes you are wanting for more

For those who experienced so much suffering in the year that just past

I hope you are able to find some sense of relief and hope that it will last

I wish much happiness and goodness that it fills your heart

If not in its entirety, at least a small part

I have no comprehension of how you are coping  or how you must feel

I can only state that I’m sorry and pray you continue to heal

I hope the following weeks and months will help in your quest

I only have my condolences to offer and wish you the best

So “Happy New Year” to all is what we are supposed to say

I hope this proves to be true and I’ll be on my way

It’s now a week before Christmas and I wish to announce

I’ve finished all of my shopping without leaving the house

Shopping at the mall is something I would not dare

I sit in front of the screen munching on a chocolate eclair

The hustle and bustle of the store is something I dread

That why I prefer the online shopping instead

I don’t want to put up with all that holiday crap

If you have any sense of what you want it can be done in a snap

You can find anything you want it doesn’t really matter

I am even considering ordering my holiday platter

I feel I have more control of my secret stash

I can shop any site as long as it doesn’t crash

It’s become so convenient as most of us know

You can perform this task no matter where you go

Some chose not to do this because it’s something they fear

They feel all transactions should involve a cashier

This adventure could go pretty quick

Especially if you already know what to pick

Whether you decide on buying socks or even a board game

Your charge for the postage will still be the same

If you order enough, you can qualify for free shippin’

These are just some words of advice that I chose to slip in

Internet shopping is not for us all

Do it or not? You make your own call

I recommend that you give it a try

Everything you want is there to buy

Hackers could expose you this is so true

Don’t let them scare you from what you want to do

If you have good security you can still remain aloof

Most sites are secure and bulletproof

I still do lots of shopping in my hometown

Sometimes there are things that just can’t be found

Locally is where I spend most of my loot

Sometimes you choose a different route

If there is something that you lack

Try cyberspace because you can still send it back

You can still do your retail therapy if you are still wary

Just cruising the internet for some, can be very scary

It’s up to you how you spend your dough

It’s up to you where you choose to go

You may meet your deadline by the skin of your teeth

You may take the high road or crawl underneath

It may affect you so much that it upsets your belly

You may get so wound up that your feet feel like jelly

The purchases I made were all done by myself

The presents are wrapped and now sit on a shelf

I finished shopping early so I could stay ahead

It gives me more time to enjoy this holiday instead

Some will shop until they go bezerk

I will just sit here and try not to smirk

Is it nice to be done? Yes I suppose

It has given me time to finish this long prose

As I am getting near the end I am beginning to whistle

This poem is getting longer than your Sunday epistle

This entry doesn’t seem to be going the way that I thought it might

I’m just going to say that I’m finally finished and I’m going to call it a night

Two weeks and counting until Christmas day is here

Then follow up with seven more and we’ll be into a brand new year

Time seems to be going quick and there is no time to waste

Hope you are able to enjoy yourselves in spite of all this haste

As we all get older, the time just seems to speed up on us all

But remember when we were all young kids, the time would seem to crawl

The days would seem to linger because we were excited for the day

Counting down the minutes to the time Santa would arrive upon his sleigh

Cherished memories remain and we can each recall our favourite ones

Stories that we have passed along to our daughters and our sons

Christmas holidays when we were young consisted of playing out in the cold

Get out and get some fresh air was the creedo we were told

Our parents had us bundled up and we had all that energy to burn

The more we ran around, the more internal heat we would churn

The local playground was the focal point where most of us would meet

If you weren’t in attendance there, you could play your hockey on the street

There was always plenty of kids around to play this wonderful game

In turn you got to know each other because the teams would never be the same

Sometimes there would be so many kids that you could seldom make a play

But that factor never seemed to bother us because we were out there the whole damn day

It’s funny how the cold never seemed to bother us when we were all young

We played in temperatures so cold, out parents feared we would sear a lung

This of course would continue throughout the winter season

Hell, we played outside all the time, we didn’t need a reason

Christmas holidays seemed so long because you were hoping for that special present

I’m just happy that I enjoyed those days because for others, recollections aren’t as pleasant

Take the time to observe the children this season when you can

Watch the smiles and glee on their faces and then you’ll understand

Just soak up all the happiness they exude and then without a doubt

You’ll realize Christmas is for children, that’s what it is all about

I started writing a poem but it was going nowhere

Seems I was concentrating on the weather and I didn’t want to go there

I looked at the entry that I posted last time

Then I realized that it’s been almost two weeks since I last posted a rhyme

I can’t seem to concentrate on a topic that I want to write about

I need to post something to end this short drought

So let me ramble on and continue on my way

Not sure where I’m going or what I will say

Looks like I’m going to just jot down what comes into my head

Perhaps you’ll want to quit now and reach for a book to read instead

So if you are still undecided and wish to give up

The first thing that comes to my mind is the “Grey Cup”

To Canadians it’s our “Superbowl” that is competed for in the late fall

I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t watch it at all

This is the first time I never viewed one single play

Believe it or not it is still bothering me today

I’ve watched every championship since I was a boy

It is a Canadian ritual that we should all enjoy

Ottawa when they were the “Rough Riders” was the team I would back

Followed them when they were the “Renegades” and now the “Redblacks”

I guess I followed them because my father was born there

Cheering for them was something that we both could share

We sat next to each other when “Tony Gabriel” caught that touchdown pass

Never really knowing that championship was the “Rough Riders” last

It would be fourty years before they would win again

But it was officially the “Redblacks” that was their name

It was so huge back then that Canadian networks would have a broadcast that they would share

Both CTV and CBC would each have two quarters while they were on the air

Now it’s on TSN and you have to pay for in order to view

Back then there was only three Canadian Channels that we knew

It’s sad to think that you have to pay for the channel in order to now watch this game

No wonder the “Grey Cup” isn’t as big as it once was, it’s such a shame

Regular cable will broadcast NFL games by their major networks to all

Which game do you watch? That’s really your own call

Each Sunday at one pm you have your own choice of four

When these games conclude, stay tuned for some more

You get them all through the season and the playoffs as well

But if you want to watch CFL I have to pay? What the hell?

The “Superbowl” is the biggest sporting event and it’s free

Then us Canadians have to pay for the “Grey Cup”? I just don’t agree

Maybe that’s why our football interests are now south of the border

When we want to watch our Canadian teams we have to put in an order

It’s too bad that’s the way things have evolved

I don’t know if this problem will ever be resolved

Maybe things aren’t as bad as I think they appear

I promise I will watch the “Grey Cup” next year

At the start it looked like I had nothing to say

I’ve come to the end of my rant and I’ll call it a day

I did manage to keep it on one topic after all and will now lay it to rest

It’s nice to vent out my frustration and get it off of my chest

Saturday November ninth in the year two thousand nineteen

Would mark the last time “Coach’s Corner” would be seen

Seems like Don said something that was controversial about immigrants in our land

I decided to review what he said and try to understand

So I watched the full segment just for curiosity sake

In order to see for myself where he made his big mistake

The presentation towards our forces was certainly sincere

He always pays tribute to this fine group each and every year

This is only my opinion but I think he added his own spin to what he said he heard

He was told that poppy sales were down but after that things get blurred

Whoever mentioned this to him I think they meant Canadians in all

So Don decided to mention our immigrants and set them up to take the fall

He didn’t say it while in a rant, in fact he said it nice and plain

Unfortunately he said it near the end and had no time to explain

Then two days later on “Remembrance Day” they decide to fire our guy

Now everyone who’s been loyal to him are left to wonder why

Ron MacLean in the following week tried to explain it all

He said Don had refused to apologize and that was his own call

MacLean in his own defense said he couldn’t quit because it would mean he agreed with what was said

He decided to keep his job and try to diffuse the situation instead

Let’s face it, Don Cherry has been a mainstay because he can be so open and raw

I think things have accumulated and what he last said was the final straw

He had to be aware of the way things are and when to tow the line

If he would have kept things in check, things might have turned out fine

Who knows what they will do to fill the hole that’s there

I haven’t watched intermissions in years so really, I don’t care

Already a monument has been vandalized because they got rid of Don

Others are threatening to cancel Sportsnet now that he is gone

So let us just say goodbye to Don Cherry and wish him good luck

Who knows maybe next week will see the return of Peter Puck

So seriously, what has happened this past week is a total shame

But nothing will stop Canadians from watching our National Game