One year ago things were looking quite grim

And the chances of change seemed pretty slim.

Extremists worldwide were winning their fights

As Mullahs and Putin squashed human rights.

Then people stood up and fought back the tide

Showing all the word that hope has not died.

Not to end the year on a bummer note

But this ain’t good news if you’re in my boat…

Poetry died 100 years ago?

I mean if that remains the status quo

Then I’m in a crisis of epic scale

More useless than hunting the Big White Whale!

Perhaps it’s not all as bad as they say

Who’da thought the numbers would tilt this way?

Murder rates are down across the nation…

But that won’t draw viewers to your station.

The pending apocalypse drives the news!

You make more money from selling the blues.

Some Russian tycoons seem to have a way

Of being so clumsy from day to day.

They fall down stairs and from building rooftops

And from places that seem like foolproof stops.

The one slip they all just happened to share?

Was criticizing Putin on the air.

Animals have made some heroic trips
Fighting all odds when they were out of chips.
Driven by duty, or running on love
They nobly went beyond and above.
But this bear’s deal is a different fable…
Seems she missed her favorite picnic table!

No matter your religious persuasion

On this special day let’s take the occasion

To reflect on life and find compassion –

Especially now it’s not in fashion –

With people whose views are different than ours,

And then be among the brightest of stars.

The problem might come from a different source.

It’s not that men are lazy, though of course

That can depend if the playoffs are on

Or if they’re trying to pull some con,

But likely it’s just that most men don’t see

When something is dirty… so leave it be.

America’s cities have a tough time

Just with sanitation and fighting crime,

Keeping museums open and their parks green

And always on budgets that are too lean.

So at first I thought this must be a joke

‘Cuz in New York it would make us go broke!

A man I respect once had this to say:

“Good reputations come from work each day.

It takes years to build one that makes you proud,

And seconds to destroy it in a crowd.”

What the hell was going on his head?

From world hero to being a dick instead.

The creators of Popeye gave it a go,

Trying to make spinach cool on their show.

A weakling by nature, but when he ate it

Well, all the villains would always hate it.

But now the growers have added some zip…

Eat spinach, kids, and you just might trip!