Drunk as a skunk

A badger in Berlin, named Jerry
One fine day hogged many a cherry
It left him so fuddled
On the road he lay huddled
As the traffic whizzed past him - how scary!

His head feeling heavy like lead,
He lay on the road as if dead.
The cops used a broom
And saved him from doom--
"I've been swept off my feet", Jerry said.

Yahoo News 09/07/09: Drunk badger disrupts traffic in Germany. Get the story here

Go in peace, Moonwalker.

As a man who lived life off the wall,
Michael Jackson, King of Pop, had it all.
Unmatched voice and that dance,
Held the world in a trance,
But then after the rise, came the fall.

Sucked him down, to the depths, like quicksand,
The man-boy, from his perch, Neverland.
Yet he hoped to prevail,
Over life's tragic trail--
So his 'curtain call' comeback was planned.

But the Gods denied him a fresh lease,
And ordained that his heart should now cease.
Now as fans near and far,
Mourn the Moonwalking star,
Let us pray that his soul rests in peace.


For Michael Jackson - the King of Pop (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

Excuse me Sir, did you just swat a fly?

The President swatted a fly,
Thus causing a huge hue and cry.
Some folks called it slaying,
But others are saying,
"Great swipe!He's athletic, this guy!"

June 18th, 2009: PETA miffed at President Obama's fly "execution". Get the story here.

In West Bengal, it has been said many a time by great Bengali men and women, that we generally sit around swatting flies when we either have nothing to do or are doing nothing. "Maachhi mara kerani" (or fly swatting clerk/babu) is an oft used phrase, referring to the babus working in various government departments, who idle away their working hours. So now those very same fly swatting babus are feeling very proud that none other than the POTUS has joined their ranks. Am sure that they are now planning to cite this case and ask for promotions - a heftier paycheck and additional fly swatters as perk. Now this surely calls for some verse :-)

We the government babus, my dears,
Have been swatting flies for many years.
To Obama, our thanks,
For joining our ranks;
His swatting skills moved us to tears!

Here so often we hear people say,
That we babus sit idle all day.
But I think, they now will,
Appreciate our skill --
We're demanding a hike in our pay!

If the wig makes you pretty, wear it

The judge said, "Sir, I am appalled.
Your dastardly act was uncalled
For. Now you may not dig
Your law-maker's wig,
But you'd no right to expose his bald!"

Reuters 9th June, 2009: A man who tore the wig off a telegenic Taiwan legislator last year was sentenced to five months in jail for depriving the MP of his freedom to look good. Get the story here

Inkspot's been just been a wee bit busy and hence this lull in posting. But we're back now.

Let's keep it clean for our CM

The CM's about to arrive;
So we must have a cleanliness drive.
Let's clear out the yard,
Keep those aid workers barred,
And relief work? Can go take a dive!

May 31/09: The Telegraph Calcutta - Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today tasted the fury of Sunderbans’ relief-deprived cyclone victims, who riddled him with accusations during his visit and then chased and beat up the block development officer, part of his entourage, after he had left. [...] Anger boiled at the area’s “sanitisation” for the visit — police locked up the 50-odd villagers distributing relief, mainly tarpaulin sheets, in a tin shed for an hour and a half till Bhattacharjee left.“Relief workers are locked up, all the boats meant to ferry aid have been requisitioned for the visit; so what is the chief minister’s visit achieving?” Bijoy Dolui shouted as Bhattacharjee walked into BDO Amiya Bhushan Chakraborty’s office. Get the full story here

Look ma, a dead duck!

An MP in Briton sought bucks
For building an 'island' for ducks
The ducks said, "You fool,
You're doing up our pool
With tax payers' money? That sucks!"

Yahoo News, 23rd May, 2009: A British MP said on Saturday he felt "ashamed and humiliated" over claiming expenses for a "duck island" to put in his garden pond -- and admitted that the ducks didn't like it anyway. Conservative MP Peter Viggers was forced to announce his resignation on Thursday over the 1,600-pound aquatic home, the latest embarrassing revelation in an expenses row which has shaken the House of Commons. Get the story here

When Mamata de-railed Laloo

The Gods in the heavens said, "Hail
O Mamtadi, minister of Rail.
It is Lalooji's sighs,
That, in cyclonic guise,
Is ravaging Bengal as gale!"

Lion versus Tiger: An unfinished saga?

From the tiger's den, new news arrives,
Seems the tiger's not dead, he survives.
Did the lion then fail,
To pay heed to the tale
That the tiger, indeed, has nine lives?

Could this be true?