Long weekend is over and Thanksgiving is now done

Our candidates are now gearing up for their final run

We have less than a week to make our selection

Looks like no one will be the majority in our Canadian election

Rumours of deals between parties has the Conservatives reeling

I guess the New Democrats find the Liberals much more appealing

If what’s happening in Ontario is an indication of what our future will be

Then I hope the Liberals and New Democrats will find some way to agree

The way Doug Ford is now running Ontario is a disgrace

If Andrew Scheer becomes our Prime Minister we must put some kind of plan into place

We cannot let what’s happening in this Province spread nation wide

It’s no time to sit back and just let it ride

Just what Doug Ford’s plans for Education and Health are anyone’s guess

Only sixteen months as Premier and Ontario’s a mess

Who knows what shape we will be in when he finishes his term

The thought of him ever being re-elected just makes me squirm

We can’t let this happen to all our Provinces and Territories, so let’s be aware

Let’s not let them sabotage our education and our health care

A minority government should keep everything in order

Our medical coverage is the envy of our neighbours south of the border

We don’t need anyone tinkering with it while they hold the power

The wrong party in charge and things could soon sour

So let the New Democrats be the watchdog and give them the final say

If it benefits us all, just let them sway

Let them play both sides of the aisles and do what they can

Jagmeet Singh should just try to wing it and not stick to a plan

He has no need to form a coalition with either the Liberals or Tories

He should sit back and run things without any worries

Whether it’s Trudeau or Scheer, he carries all the weight

His group may have come in third but they will settle any debate

This way our Government will have to work together to make it run

They will all need to co-operate to get anything done

The polls and the reporters are saying this race will be tight

We will see how good their predictions are come Monday night

To all of you that have taken the time to read these words that I wrote

Please practice your civic duty and get out and vote!

I was watching my wife and her sister going through family photographs the other day

They would glance at each picture and then would have their memories to say

If there was someone in the photo they didn’t recognize in their stack

The name of the person was conveniently written on the back

Not only was their name there but quite often there was a date

The inquiry was soon resolved and there was no real debate

It then occurred to me what will our grandchildren have when they’re old and gray?

How will they remember us when we pass away?

They won’t have photos of us when we were alive

Unless they were able to store it on a hard drive

Hopefully the folder they store it to will have some data there to share

The chances of that happening may be very rare

You see right now we have pictures that you can actually touch and feel

To me this makes all our ancestors more important and real

Kids take photos wherever they choose to go

Using their own cell phones they all have in tow

The pictures that they take are sent to friends back and forth

Without a second thought of how much they could be worth

They often post them online for everyone else to see

It doesn’t cost them one thin dime, they never heard of a processing fee

When they’ve spent all their memory and have no room to store

They’ll just choose to delete most of these pictures and then they’ll take some more

They go through so many pictures every day of the year

Some they choose to keep but most just disappear

I know there are plenty of photos of our past generations that we share

The generation that’s coming next seems to be so unaware

In the future all you’ll have are the photos of us to see

This is the way history has unfolded and that’s how it was to be

Now this generation is a whole new dimension and who knows what’s in store

This is all that we have to leave for you, there really isn’t anymore

The life you live is so advanced and who knows what’s to unfold

I’m sure when your days are done, your story will be told

If you have a facebook account, most of your life will be there to view

Over the years when technology advances who knows what you’ll do

The future has no limits and the possibilities are so vast

Please take time to remember your relatives from the past

I am sitting in front of my tv set listening to all the Republican cronies

Members who are constantly sticking up for this Presidential phony

People who were sworn into office and taken the oath to uphold

Everyone of them choosing to cower to him and fold

All of them defending Trump even though they know he’s wrong

Corruption has been evident since the first day he came along

Hillary and Barack have been his nemeses from the start

“Tweeting Donald” we can all agree we wouldn’t consider smart

He calls himself a stable genius which makes me want to chuckle

Everyone in his party seems to be on board, no one seems to buckle

Since he entered office, he’s ambushed us with all his lies

This is a man that most of us have now learned to despise

Under no circumstances is this man someone nations would revere

People cannot trust a man who’s never been sincere

Imagine having to engage in strategic talks with this particular man

Donald doesn’t have the faculties to truly understand

Because of all his turmoil, America as a nation is a mess

Ask him who’s responsible, he’ll tell you it’s the press

Say it’s fake news and they are the ones to blame

Trump supporters will back him no matter how he plays the game

And now we have the whistleblower that has exposed him yet again

Reports coming out of Washington are saying he is beginning to feel the strain

Democrats are leaning on him heavy, it should be quite a fight

Now how will this battle go and is his end in sight?

Only thing we can do is try to take it all in stride

What I want? Please read down from the first letter on the left hand side.

Another incident involving Trump is in the news

A President in office that uses his power to abuse

This time he pressed the Ukraine’s President is what we are being told

To dig up some dirt on an opponent while putting their money on hold

Seems he wanted Zelensky to investigate the Bidens, be it Hunter or be it Joe

Though all of his conversations are transcribed, the truth we may never know

Looks like he is in need of some backing for his next political run

Wanting them to put the heat on the father and the son

A second term in office is the goal he wants to reach

While the democrats add this incident in their bid to impeach

For a President that is the most transparent there’s ever been

Why does he continue to hide everything if he’s supposed to be so clean?

I mean he hasn’t done anything to help himself in his cause

He seems to only live for his rallies and bask in their applause

He wants to soak up all this attention while he still can

For someone who captures all this publicity, he is one lonely man

He wants to continue to feed his ego and continue in its glow

Once he finishes his tenure where will he choose to go?

You see he has reached his ultimate peak and he has nowhere to go but down

What will he do when it’s his time to relinquish the crown?

The person that succeeds him will be the new name in the news

Late night hosts will still use Trump’s name in order to amuse

His name will have no merit because he ruined it while he was in office

Businesses won’t invest in him because they will see no profits

Investigations will proceed and he will be back in the news

With the following headline “TRUMP MAY FINALLY HAVE TO PAY HIS DUES”

He won’t be able to rely on friends because he hasn’t one at all

When he gets arrested, who will he choose to call?

You know that you are really in trouble and really all alone

When you use that one call you have and Rudy answers the phone

I hope they televise this trial for all the world to see

Giuliani representing Donald! How great would that be?

To sit and watch him babble to defend Trump in his case

This would be reality television that Americans would embrace

The Donald would finally get the ratings that “The Apprentice” never could attain

This dynamic duo would be front and center once again

I’m sure they would surpass the Simpson trial in this endeavor

Then you would hear Trump boast “I’m the most popular criminal ever”

Hopefully, unlike the Simpson trial, the verdict will be guilty and Trump would have to pay

Throw him in the paddy wagon and send him on his way

Then when all the dust has cleared several months after this trial

Trump will be sitting in his cell, a man still in denial

The rest of the world will go on without giving him a thought

Happily knowing that this man deserved everything he got

Woke up yesterday morning, the day looked so great

Took the dog for a walk, he was laying in wait

Went the usual route and finally got to our place

The day was still quite early, so I went to my basement space

The plan was to go through the football games that I taped the day before

In order to see which teams had won and what was the score

As it was early, I brought my breakfast with me

Get this done quick and have the rest of the day free

Clicked on the power button to turn on the set

Little did I know that it would be something that I would regret

As I looked on the screen to see the games I recorded

I was watching a picture that was completely distorted

Glitching and stuttering was all I could see on display

I thought, I know the solution, I’ll fix this right away

I got on the menu and rebooted the receiver as they tell you to do

This should fix all my problems and I will have something to view

Waited a few minutes for the process to complete

While I sat in the recroom on my favourite seat

Just like clockwork it went through its drill

But when it was done, there was no  picture still

This was certainly not the outcome that I anticipated

Still I’m not that person who is easily frustrated

So I thought to myself I’ll unplug the receiver and start anew

That should fix everything, that’s just what I’ll do

So there I was, sitting in wait once again

The outcome was repeated, it was all done in vain

Not to be outdone, I wasn’t finished this fight

I’ll get to watch my football, I’ll do it right

I then proceeded to unplug every component that was attached to its chain

I waited for over a minute and then plugged them all back in again

I looked at the modem as it went through its course

This problem of mine went from being bad to becoming worse

Now not only didn’t I have a picture but now the internet was out

That was when I threw in the towel and tried a different route

I really had no choice I rolled all of my dice

It was now time to call on the experts for some technical advice

Right from the start I knew it could be long

One of the options you have is to choose your type of song

So I finally was talking to a person who was to fix it all

Then she refers me to another who is trained for this type of call

The fun was just starting because we were fixing components everywhere

This involved me running up and down every stair

You see I have four televisions that are linked in all

When I finally hung up it turned up to be a two and a half hour call

I was instructed to do the exact same things I did before I even gave them a ring

After using up my valuable time, they couldn’t fix anything

All that time was wasted, isn’t that great

Today, here I am and still in wait

As I loiter, I wonder when he will arrive

It was nice of them to narrow it to between eight and five

So I am not squandering all of my time I decided to write while I bide

It’s hard for me to take all of this in stride

So I will consider this poem finished and put down my pen

I’ll publish when my internet returns. God only knows when

So if you are curious enough to know the exact time

Check out the hour I finally posted this rhyme

“Time sure flies” is a saying we all know

Then you hear the opposite, “time is going slow”

The circumstances of the speed depends on the activity you pursue

Some days can be hectic while others you have nothing to do

Some people love staying busy to make the day go fast

Others choose to take their time and try to make it last

It doesn’t matter what you do, a day is still twenty four hours in all

Your options are to speed it up or to slow it to a crawl

When we are enjoying ourselves, time seems to go so fast

When we are in pain, we wonder how long it will last

You look at kids that spend hours playing their computer game

I can’t say anything, I am just the same

I, like them am enjoying the fun while it does take up my day

I like to think of it as a learning experience is all I have to say

I’ve gotten in the habit of playing a game online

The name of it is “word collect” I can’t seem to decline

I like to think I’m the only one that has fallen for this scheme

Now with my wife, daughters and friends, we have formed a team

I’m the one who instigated all of this to enjoy some fun

Now the goal we strive to is to make it to number one

Points are made by finding words from letters that appear upon your screen

When you find the right combination, the word can be plainly seen

Points are awarded for each word you find and you tally up a score

The idea is to get them in succession in order to achieve more

So if you get on a roll each word value goes up by one

The maximum point is ten and continues until all your words are done

You compete for a season, which is a week in length

Your team starts with ten players but you can add more to increase your strength

After a season you go up one level if you finish in the top two

That is of course what you want to do

Finish in the bottom four, your team won’t stick around

When the next season starts, on a lower lever you’ll be found

Stay in the middle of the pack and your team will stay the following week

In hopes that maybe then, your team will reach its peak

So when I have some free time, I’ll be there to play the game

If you want to join us, “Snoopy’s Gang” is the name

I find that I enjoy the game and later will play some more

Right now our team is stuck in twelfth so we will have to increase our score

So I’ll put this poem out real quick and get on with my day

Now I’ll have some time aside in order for me to play

No matter how you like to pace your day be it fast or slow

I appreciate you taking your time to read this I would like to let you know

School is the first schedule that most of us have to adhere

A regiment you follow from Pre K to your final year

You knew when school started and you had to be on time

There were consequences to pay if you arrived after the chime

So from the age of four till the time I was eighteen

I was on this schedule, that’s how it was, that’s how it’s been

Graduation came and I thought “Freedom at last”

I can now go where I want, have me a blast

College was in the future so I will need some money to spend

After my first week off, I got a job tip from my best friend

Three weeks after school, I now had a job to go to

This would be the first paying job that I ever had to do

This meant however, that the freedom I relished had come to an end

Another schedule to follow, but I now had money to spend

Twenty one days of liberty was all that would appear

That summer job I took ended up being a career

Over thirty five years of work is what I would finally put in

Working the craziest hours there has ever been

Midnights, four to twelve and swing shifts just to name a few

Always working the weekends, that’s the job I chose to do

It was not until my last seven years where I had a day shift with weekends free

I can say I have few regrets, I have no one else to blame but me

So after retirement, I have the freedom I craved at last

The one thing that I relished for so much in the past

So now when I have to make appointments, I feel that it’s a crime

I’ll get to where I’m going to in my own sweet time

I now tape all my shows and watch them when I choose

Sit in front of the set to watch a live event? I will just refuse

I haven’t watched a sporting event live in quite a while

It’s just the way I roll, it’s my new formed style

I go where I want, when I want and seldom rush out the door

I’m going to enjoy my new flexibility like I never enjoyed it before

I purchased season tickets for our hockey team last year

If you are looking for me this winter, I will not appear

For some reason, having to be there at a certain time is not meant to be

The thought of having to be scheduled seems to get to me

I think over the years having to work all hours of the week

The thought of having to be somewhere is enough to make me shriek

I guess I should get some help with this peculiar problem of mine

Perhaps seek some medical help so I can say I’m fine

So who do I call for help with this affliction I created?

Do I need professional help? That can be debated

So let’s just keep this problem I have just between me and you

If I call someone’s office, you know what’s the first thing they’ll do

They will require me to be there at a time that they will slot

Let’s just forget the doctor, I have another thought

If you want to see me and ask me how I’ve been

Don’t make plans to see me, it’s better if you just drop in

I know I griped in my previous poem about our downtown core

I guess my rant isn’t over because I’m going to add some more

You see this area is the focal point of most drug crimes in our city

Expand this to cover the blocks that surround it, the picture isn’t pretty

The avenues marked one to seven seem to have the highest rate

I heard the worst place for drugs is Fourth but it’s all up for debate

So don’t forget Worthington, McIntyre or Wyld that all run close to Main

Now I can get to the topic that I have chosen to complain

This city is a community and we have to share the wealth

This I wish to include all the services, including mental health

I’ve often said and agree, we must do everything we can

Maybe do some more research, perhaps we can adjust this plan

To me, all these services are too concentrated in this place

Seems everything is downtown, can we not expand this space?

There must be a case of the addict facing their pusher as they walk along this street

When you have all the methadone clinics there, it’s a good chance that they’ll meet

In this part of the city, all the addicts are free to roam

This is an area that is not far from my home

Now the newest residents in our area are situated in the Laurier Woods

Our Police Chief doesn’t seem too concerned but I really think he should

“It is happening in other cities” is the statement that he said

I guess he figured he had more serious things to worry about instead

It’s funny that he’s not worried about this group that choose to live in tents

Instead it was on another topic that he had chose to vent

He thinks social media has the mentality of a mob

I guess that’s his way of telling us to let the police just do their job

Like it or not I choose to disagree with the leader of our force

I would like to contain this “Tent City” before the situation becomes worse

People living there are stealing to purchase all their drugs

In this so called cosy group, there’s bound to be some thugs

Go on to these “Neighbourhood Watch” sites and observe what there is to view

Then decide on what it is that you intend to do

I don’t think a posse of vigilantes will form as a result

Frankly I think these concerned citizens should take the Chief’s comments as an insult

There’s things going on in this city that you may not want to know

But just ignoring the problem is not the way to go

Being close to this “Tent City” has me concerned to say the least

But I guess you can say “It’s the nature of the beast”

Surveillance in our neighbourhood is an asset as far as I’m concerned

If “Tent City” goes bad, we will be the first ones to be burned

Don’t think that we are the only ones that have to be aware

Crime in this city is happening everywhere

So thanks to all these citizens that perform this special role

Keeping the city safe from crime is their primary goal

Forget what the Police Chief said and continue what you do

We all stand to be much safer thanks to people like you

Ignore the trolls and skeptics that will try to trash your site

You provide a vital service, it’s not wrong, it’s right!

To all the volunteers that put in all their time

Thanks to all your efforts in order to prevent crime

I’m sure there are members of the police that don’t share the Chief’s point of view

In order to solve a crime they will look up video that was made by you

Then over time, the Chief will eventually understand

That the force and social media can work hand in hand

I guess this dilemma will continue and they will continue to fight it out

Keeping this city safe is really what it’s all about

I remember writing a poem years ago about our downtown core

I lauded about all the potential it had, but now I laud no more

I walk this route everyday and seldom do I see a crowd

When it does reach its peak, there’s not that many people found

In the early hours you find the city crews cleaning up the street

I am always greeted with a smile and a wave when we meet

In the summer you see the homeless stretched out on the curb

I chose to walk around them, hoping I don’t disturb

In the colder months you find them inside banks lying on the floor

I guess if you had to use the ATM it would become quite a chore

I wish we could help them all and let them find their way

From what I hear, some refuse the aid and just prefer to stay

The street looks so run down with its so many vacant stores

No wonder no one seems to venture downtown to shop there anymore

You can pay the meter or go to a parking lot I suppose

Now which stores are open? No one really knows

As for the Downtown Improvement Agency, what does it really do?

The nurse’s clinic is the latest thing that you can say is new

I see the old Chicago Restaurant has a new franchise in its place

I hope it proves successful in its new found space

The police were thinking of hiring a constable and make this its new beat

This area has a bad reputation and it’s the last place people want to meet

A counselor is being considered to help with the people there

This is to assist with members that are receiving mental care

Right now this area has a reputation of being dangerous to roam

Especially after dark, you are better to be safe at home

The big bar scene is done, there are only restaurants to choose

Most of them are licensed so you can still drink your booze

Downtown really relied on the festival to supplement their goal

Now that they have cancelled everything, it’s really taken a toll

How can you make money when people won’t appear?

Try to make this area safe and show there is nothing to fear!

This would take one hell of an effort to return Main Street to its former glory

Being able to walk this street at night with no want or worry

So please just don’t talk about it, or at least give it a serious try

Or just don’t take any initiative and continue to let it slowly die

Maybe it’s time to get rid of the stores and make it a business section instead

Then this area of our city can be risen from the dead

it seems nobody is wanting to really make this area thrive

Somebody better start making some big decisions if they want it to survive

My goal actually started last summer and that was to build a new fence

On top of that, a shed was to be constructed adding on to my expense

It was to be built on the end of our driveway for all of us to view

It seems simple enough but there were more things we had to do

A shed made of resin was now occupying this space

The first task was to move it to another place

So we improvised using steel rods and rolled it around

The back corner of our property is now where it can be found

This was just one of the two sheds that sit upon our land

The other one was on its last legs and it could barely stand

The whole idea was to clear this spot to have some room for growing

Spread some grass seed on the bare patches for some future mowing

First good day in the  spring was the time we would put things into gear

It was not until the start of September when my contractor would appear

I would have to admit he did a great job when all was said and done

Compliments about his work were shared by everyone

Because his schedule was loaded, he had other tasks to fulfill

It was decided we would wait till next spring and I gladly paid my bill

My job was now to remove the debris that once was our old shed

The plan was to post an ad and to give it away instead

I got lots of interest from people who wanted this wood to burn

This would be another hard lesson that I was soon to learn

So many calls flooded in, I really didn’t care

You can take it all if you want or leave some of it to share

Three weeks of online promises that wanted all this fuel

Still left me with my original pile, life can be so cruel

So now it was up to me to rid my yard of this mess

It took some more wheeling and dealing before I achieved success

A friend of ours who’s relatives happen to live next door

Said he would assist me in tackling this chore

So we ended up taking two trips to the dump to finally get rid of it all

Still my fence was never built and this was early fall

I decided to take it all in stride and set my sites for the spring

I figured by this time next year we could be done everything

So over the months of winter, I decided to sow some seeds inside

This way I would have some spring flowers to plant, take a little pride

With the plans we made for the fence, we still retained our garden plot

So when the weather warmed up I could put them into that spot

The previous mentioned contractor couldn’t keep the promise he made

Instead I found a good friend of mine, I was able to persuade

We had a definite starting date and now everything was in place

Then my neighbour tears down their fence and now it’s all open space

This was weeks before the fence was to start, I had to find a way

To make a makeshift enclosure so my dogs had no chance to stray

I managed to get it done without them ever leaving the yard

If I was to tell the truth, I don’t think they really tried that hard

The dogs were now secure and I had some time I could bide

That’s when I get a call from my neighbours on the other side

They also want to build a fence and want to start it soon

I certainly couldn’t object, both of our fences are in a state of ruin

I convey to him that I am no handyman and will help the best I can

Before too long he’s done his research and shows to us his plan

We loaded and unloaded everything that we had to get

He had all the printouts of the cost and we settled all the debt

The work he did was meticulous and the results were just grand

If you happen to come by our place, take a look, you’ll understand

We really like the gates he built, they are standing side by side

Now our yards are safe and secure by just giving the bar a slide

Now at night each post light shines and gives you that added touch

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all so much

All this work was done while the other side had to wait

This was just perfect, the timing was great

Now to get back to the original project when they were tearing down the fence

Other circumstances happened that didn’t seem to make much sense

They didn’t stop at the spot where we agreed to toe the line

Instead they continued past this and ruined some work of mine

The flowers that I planted were pulled out when they took out a retaining wall

He was told to get rid of all the fence so I can’t blame him at all

So when we finally got around to building the fence we decided to extend it down our line

It turned out to be a great idea, everything looks absolutely fine

My friend and his crew did a great job and now both sides of our yard now look great

The style they chose is the same and now we have new plans that are in wait

We want to build flower boxes along the fences to spruce up our place

Each vegetable and flower will have their special place

Next spring I can plant my flowers that I will grow over the winter once again

Building these flower boxes this fall is a goal I hope to attain

Now finally I can get our yard to where I want it to be

Will I be successful? Just wait and see