Labour Day, the last long weekend of the summer

Back to school on Tuesday, for some kids, that’s a real bummer

Three more weeks of  summer before we head into the fall

This has been the hottest one that I can recall

Much too warm for biking for most of the days

This is becoming a reality not merely a phase

Forest fires are now a regular event

Thanks to global warming, are now becoming more frequent

So many factors that contribute to this plight

I am not optimistic that our world leaders will ever get it right

The summer was also dry, we could have used more rain showers

This would have helped the gardeners with their vegetables and flowers

Still lots of days ahead to enjoy the great outdoors

With the lower temperatures, we should be outside more

Just yesterday I was able to get out on the bike trails

I’m hoping that this spell of weather will continue to prevail

I spent a lot of time indoors in order to beat the summer heat

This seems to be a cycle that we are destined to repeat

Global warming has now gone from bad to worse

Steps to correct this is now totally off course

Some world leaders are in denial and refuse to accept our fate

This subject for some of them is not even up for debate

So what are we supposed to do when this is being ignored?

When it seems that less countries are getting on board?

The window of opportunity is closing and some think it is already too late

If nothing is done soon we may have already sealed our fate

What are we to do when they just don’t seem to give a damn?

There are politicians out there claiming it’s all a scam

So here we have them ignoring the whole situation

Only to anger us more and heap up our frustration

Our lives hang in the balance and our future hangs by a thread

So are we really looking forward to the warmer days ahead?

I was sitting on my porch about three weeks ago

When I was approached at my door by someone I didn’t know

He told me he was working for “Cogeco” and then I sat him in a chair

I told him I was a “Bell” customer and the conversation went on from there

He was a pleasant young man and we both shared our points of view

We chatted for about an hour before we were finally through

He answered every question and knew what he was talking about

So I thought “what the hell”, I’m going to help this kid out

This is a free trial, what  do I have to lose?

I thought, finally a channel to watch our local news

I could watch the “Battalion” hockey games this season

Went with the conversion for those two reasons

The installation was scheduled for Monday of the next week

I was getting pretty excited to get a peak

I would have to wait at home for the installer to arrive

Someone had to be present between the hours of nine to five

It turned out my wife would be the one to hear him knock

The “cable guy” arrived before I finished my dog walk

He did what he had to do, gave me some tips and went on his way

It was only ten o’clock, which meant I had all day to play

The first twenty four hours I wasn’t sold on their brand

Some parts of the controls were hard to understand

I installed their app on my firestick but it wouldn’t go

It wouldn’t work on my version, how was I to know?

This meant I would have to purchase new ones to complete this chore

This would cost me up to a hundred and sixty dollars or more

That money could buy me two more months with “Bell”

So this was no longer “free” as far as I could tell

So I called up “Cogeco” and cancelled my subscription right on the spot

Two days of viewing and I gave it all I got

Boxed all of their equipment and mailed them parcel post

Still remain undecided on which one I liked the most

I’ve been slacking off, what else can I say?

I decided to finally write a poem today

It’s been more than a month since I put one out

There’s been so much happening, I don’t know what to write about

Some may have noticed my absence and were not aware

Others might have missed them or just don’t care

I’ve been spending time with my family and watching lots of sports

Just a note to let you know that I appreciate your support

I have jumped on the “Blue Jays” bandwagon and I am watching them play

I never really followed them way back in the day

I was a diehard “Expo” fan and am still a defender

Still can’t believe they folded when they were a serious contender

It has taken me twenty one years to get over that plight

I was actually excited when they “Jays” came back  to beat Texas on Friday night

It has been a crazy summer and the heat has been intense

“Trump” denying “global warming” continues to make no sense

He’s got a lot of heat on him and he is trying to deflect

In the “Jeffrey Epstein” case he is a major suspect

He is trying to prove he is a shrewd negotiator and is getting nowhere fast

He has so many schemes going to hide his skeletons from the past

The “Nobel Peace Prize” is the jewel he wants the most

As far as stopping wars, he hasn’t even come close

He’s met with all the leaders and says he will bring peace

The wars just continue in “Ukraine” and the “Middle East”

As for events in our country, here’s some news you might not like

Air Canada’s flight attendants are officially on strike

Looks like they are digging in hard to get what they deserve

They want to get paid for the actual time that they serve

Lots of duties that they perform are now being done for free

Will they be successful? I guess we will have to wait and see

As they often say, the timing couldn’t be worse

It’s now time to hop in your car and go see “Canada” first!

I ran into this swarm three weeks ago to be exact

Not knowing if I was safe or under attack

They seemed to be everywhere that I went

Sometimes totally surrounding me and causing torment

I just chose to shun them and continue on my way

Ignoring their advances each and every day

It started with just a few but their numbers seemed to increase

No matter where I ventured the harassment would never cease

They seemed to be building and occupying more space

I even seen a few of them hanging out near my place

I was determined to ignore them and not change my course

With each passing day it just seemed to go from bad to worse

Just trying to dismiss them was becoming a strain

But I continued to persevere time and time again

The word was getting out and people were avoiding this area altogether

I seldom ran into anyone even in the best of weather

Friends that I always ran into while I was down there

This area had become a ghost town, there was no one anywhere

The swarm became so thick they were now under your feet

I continued on valiantly, not giving in to defeat

I walked through the parks and inhaled all that stench

The numbers were alarming and you dared not try to sit on a bench

Last week I noticed that their numbers were whittling down

There seemed to be less of their appearances all over town

With their numbers diminishing, they were less of a threat

There was never anything to worry about and there’s no need to fret

I have been going through this cycle my whole life

Even though they still bother my daughters and wife

The shadflies that invade our area are a good sign

We should become concerned if they begin to decline

Those of you that have been worried and were feeling faint hearted

It’s time to return to downtown and the waterfront, the shadflies have departed

There is an old saying “Every dog has its day”

Another one is “That’s the price you have to pay”

“Do you think that this is just another game?”

“You go to the penalty box and you feel shame”

We also heard “Who says life is fair?”

Or “Why don’t you grow yourself  a pair?”

“We could have won but our team fell flat”

“That’s a great solution, I never thought of that”

When you get upset you might say “For goodness sake”

Then yell at somebody “Give your head a shake”

These are expressions that you may have heard or said

Depending on the situation so many thoughts go through your head

The level of frustration seems to be increasing at any rate

This is thanks to the idiot who is now head of the “United States”

He seems to have no boundaries and has no morals at all

The rich are getting richer and the poor are taking the fall

There was speculation that “Trump’s” big beautiful bill would not pass

Of course being loyal minions they caved and kissed his ass

This has horrendous results for millions seeking medical care

The “Republicans” were all smiles in the photo-op they shared

Of course the timing for this event was the fourth of July

The ones most affected are still backing this guy?

This “MAGA” agenda is in full stride and looks like there’s no stop

Meanwhile “Canada” and the “European Union” are not waiting for the  other shoe to drop

They are making plans to help one another and lessening their reliance on the “States”

They are tired of “Donald Trump” and his “tariff constraints”

Most feeling that “America” is going from bad to worse

Both decided to get together and take another course

Tired of dealing with a tyrant that needs his ego stroked

Telling lies about your country and being provoked

The “United States” has changed with “Trump” in charge as we are so well aware

Years from now after this breakup we can say “We dodged a bullet there!”

The NHL season is now over and done

Once again the “Florida Panthers” have won

One win was close but the other three they blew “Edmonton” out

The last game proved they were champions in case there was any doubt

Now we have to wait until October to see another game

No glory for “Canada”, it really is a shame

Summer is officially here and the weather has been nice

It is only fitting that these athletes get a break from the ice

The draft is scheduled for this weekend coming up

Each team hoping they’ll get closer to winning the “Stanley Cup”

Already there are so many trade rumours leading up to this event

 The upcoming months filled listening to their fans discontent

We can now put this sport in the rear view mirror

Time goes so fast, enjoy the summer while it’s here

We’ve had some storms the last few days but I won’t complain

I wish it would head out west, they could use all this rain

I’m sticking close to home today, the humidex is high

If you venture out to long, you are going to fry

It’s too hot to sit on the front porch for any length at all

Should you stay or should you go? This is your call

Some will be able to handle the heat while others will cower

It all depends on how your body reacts to this solar power

Closer to daybreak will help you accomplish your feat

Best to get up early, this way you can avoid the heat

It’s getting to be a pattern that is happening every year

Who thought that “global warming” would have such an effect up here

With the forests burning starting early in the spring

This phenomenon seems to be an annual thing

Coast to coast these drought areas can burst into flames

This time we have only ourselves to blame

World leaders ignoring “global warming” are making things worse

How much longer will mankind survive if we remain on this course?

The topic that I started with has really gone astray

Instead of carrying on I am going to finish it this way

Next week I will try to narrow the subject down to one

Thanks for reading and now my poem is officially done

Patriotic quotes to honour “America” is what I looked up today

All said by “Americans” and they believed what they had to say

“Where liberty is, there is my country” is a “Benjamin Franklin” quote

“This is your democracy, make it, protect it, pass it on” is what “Thurgood Marshall” wrote

“Ruth Bader Ginsburg” said “America welcomes all kinds of people to its shores”

She must be rolling in her grave because that certainly doesn’t apply anymore

There was so many excerpts to read and see

Just for an example I only chose these two or three

These people believed in what they had to say

What would they think if they were alive today?

With this man back in charge, “America” has seemed to have lost its glow

The rest of the  world is wondering how much lower they can go?

He’s alienated so many countries with his “tariffs” ploy

His fellow “Republicans” stand behind him with their “attaboys”

He’s deporting immigrants whether they’re legal or not

They have masked marauders who are arresting them on the spot

He has so many law suits pending and they come at quite a cost

Of the ones that were presented, 96% of them he’s lost

The “Supreme Court” gave him a ruling to stop this immigration abuse

He just continues to ignore them, so what’s the use?

He sent his “National Guards” to a peaceful protest in “L.A.”

It wasn’t getting violent until they got in the way

Meanwhile in “Washington D.C.” traffic is behind and delayed

That’s because all the military equipment is arriving for his parade

This will show his dictator buddies that he has the ultimate power

He can pretend he is one of their group for at least a couple of hours

Between twenty five and fourty five million for this “parade and festival show”

Another sixteen million dollars more to street repairs after they go

This is to mark the 250th anniversary of the “U.S. Army” as a celebratory event

It just happens to fall on “Donald Trump’s” 79th birthday, so it’s money well spent?

He will stand on his pulpit and talk of the so-called L.A. riots of course

This insane extravaganza could just turn out a whole lot worse

June the first was a busy day

It was officially the end of “No Mow May”

Now it was time for me to do my part

Anxiously hoping that my lawnmower would start

I was up early to rise and shine

Didn’t start cutting the grass until after nine

Before that I moved some concrete scallops from their place

I made plans to move them to another space

There are these yellow flowers that I can’t seem to eliminate

This year I have decided just to tempt fate

Left to grow they would fill up my whole back yard

To tell you the truth, this decision wasn’t all that hard

The borders were moved so I could work in this flower bed

Once I got everything moved I could proceed full steam ahead

The grass was tall and thick so I had to adjust the mower’s height

If you are going to do a job, it’s best to do it right

It started with the first pull and it was now time to get into action

I was hoping that the early noise wouldn’t be too much of a distraction

It was well into the afternoon before all the work was done

Still impressed on how well that old mower could run

I’m thankful that it’s self propelled and can go with ease

If it didn’t I would skip the “No Mow May” and the hell with the bees

It’s a good cause and we saw so many bees working in our yard

Holding off until June doesn’t seem to be all that hard

Our yards look great and what a difference it makes

As for those flowers, here’s the plan I chose to undertake

To finish this story that I started to tell

I took the lawn mower to those yellow flowers as well

They are now reduced to one single row

Right up against our fence where they will continue to grow

This all turned out for the better instead

Now with my trusty mower they won’t be able to spread!

They were a powerhouse back in the day

“Scotiabank Arena” is packed every time they play

Still the most popular “Canadian” franchise and “hockey” is their game

So many of their former members are enshrined in the “Hall Of Fame”

Last week their fans showed their true despair

Throwing sweaters on the ice, they just didn’t seem to care

They went back to “Florida” and won by a two to zero score

Only to lose the seventh game and the fans rebelled even more

Now the “Leafs” are at a crossroads and so many rumours are flying

“Shanahan” and “Marner” are their scapegoats, there is no denying

They can’t fire a first year coach that got them to the second round

The latest gossip is that “Shanahan” is “New York Islanders” bound

Are they going to mend fences with “Marner” who vetoed a trade?

Some fans think if they had gotten “Rantanen” they would have had it made

They also were not happy with the performance of their “core”

Perhaps there were injuries, that’s why they couldn’t score?

There are so many stories coming out every day

Even seen one that says they are going to trade “Auston Matthews” away

Fact or fiction they are online for anyone who cares

Talk to a fan they are always eager to share

They don’t seem to like the silence that their new “Captain” has displayed

Said he should have elaborated on his injury and are totally dismayed

All looking for answers that they sorely seek

Not happy at all that he decided not to speak

I don’t know who’ll replace “Shanahan” but they have big shoes to fill

They have to make some big decisions and there’s no time to kill

A lot of the pieces are already set in place

They are  pretty well guaranteed to be in the playoff race

The draft is coming up and someone has to fill this role

Once again the “Stanley Cup” is their ultimate goal

With each passing day the pressure will be mounting

The drought is now fifty eight years and counting

The weather has been unpredictable the last few days

I guess that is to be expected in these early weeks of May

Took advantage of the heat and spent lots of time outside

Even managed to get out and take the bicycle out for some long rides

The neighbours are busy trying to get their lawns in shape

This is another dilemma that I can’t seem to escape

I bought a dethatcher in an attempt to do some repairs

Now I have some areas that are coming up a little bare

I also purchased some grass seed and put my spreader into action

Thanks to all that work, it’s now all the bird’s favourite attraction

I also applied some grass feed to help it on its way

Then I took out the garden hose and gave it a little spray

I am hoping for the best to see some good results

So does this qualify me as being a responsible adult?

Most of my neighbours have cut their lawns in the past few days

Meanwhile I intend to stick to my guns with the “no mow May”

Not being much of a mechanic, my mower is in need of repair

Hopefully in the next two weeks I can bring it somewhere

I’ve had it over ten years and it hasn’t let me down

There must be someone reasonable who can fix it in this town

I also cleaned out the garden in front of all the dead debris

Will I see some benefits? I guess we can only wait and see

Been going to some garden centers and buying some stock

Just trying to keep up with the rest  of the neighbours on our block

I can’t plant anything until I get the green light

So here I am having to bring the plants in every night

Is it the first full moon in June that we have to wait?

This is another discussion that is up for debate

If you have annuals, I guess it can be concerning

Especially since I just received another frost warning

I guess the weather will change from day to day

Just looking forward to when the warm temperatures are here to stay