So what’s the big deal this time ‘round,
when corrupt officials reign?
There really is no difference, hon,
just another Maryland stain.

Remember Marvin’s mail fraud scheme
and Agnew’s unpaid tax?
Those guys were caught and paid the price.
The law can’t be relaxed.

I know Ms. Dixon loves her town.
You can see it in her face.
But once again, this place we live
is injured by disgrace.

Mayor is on trial
A jury of peers decides
Is there justice here?

Robert L

The tale of one city–November 2009

She had beaus aplenty.
When she crooked her finger,
Men galore came ashore for her-
Across the seven seas,
Bearing fur–
and gift cards for the poor-
But alas, too soon, the cookie crumbled-
Where her majesty on stiletto heels,
reigned supreme–
in Baltimore–the courts convened and charged her,
with lowly theft-favors taken-favors given
to lovers and members of her retinue-and as the world observed with furrowed brows,
plotting her retribution–she took on the regal aspect of a woman above the picayune preoccupation of her prosecutor–
(A man insensitive to her mayoral call of duty)
She asked, “How was she to know that the charade of men-
who came and went from her life-one of them with a wife-are such low breeds that they would
give her gifts not meant for her but for others?
Is that a normal mode of gifting? O please!
How insulting to make her a conduit for the poor,
Naturally she concluded, being from a higher pedigree,
That she could purchase for herself an X box and
a camcorder-
(it was a breeze,in and out of Best Buys)
with the cards left in her custody.
Now back with his wife he lies, the low life,
His lips comb the prosecutor’s feet,
He calls her a freeloader, even worse a thief,
beyond belief!
Why is it wrong to give gifts from a lover by one name to a lover by another?
That is not cheap-that is green-an inconvenient truth-
Whosoever says she stole from the poor is a brute without a heart for the poor who love her so,
Are they running away the poor? Where can they go?
They already have their best and biggest gift– no fuss or fanfare,wrap or bow,
They have her–Dixon–their mayor,
Pretty soon she’ll be back at her games and chores,
The city of Baltimore once more hers-to kiss or cuddle, own or spurn,
Trusting less and praying more,
With Anthony her ?loyal? newest beau,
Romance taking backseat to the lord,
No one ever whispering gift or card,
Pretty soon she’ll be back at her games and chores,
When the curtains fall on this curious show,
And the acrobats have all gone home,
It’ll be business as usual in Baltimore!”

Many thoughts kept whirling in her head,
As Rohrbaugh the prosecutor roared,
“To steal from the needy that’s unspeakable!”
In her notebook she jotted her mode of escape,
Hoping Superman would brush her face with his cape,
And Judge Sweeney, he nursed his head in his hand,
Wishing to be banished from that la la land,
The show was vintage Baltimore,
A farce to make the Raven quoth, “Never more!”
And John Waters weep that his very own Divine,
Was nearly normal by a mile!
Usha Nellore

we all watched the wire with glee,
it was worse than our own misery,
you’ve set a high bar
sheila’s so under par,
you need scandal that’s much more bizarre.