.

From Left to Right

I started out a liberal,
__Just like my family was.
It made me feel superior,
__That’s what leftism does.

But once I moved from school to work
__I saw with my own eyes,
Most leftist views were fatuous,
__Or evil in disguise.

Conservatism, I discerned,
__Had values I abide.
“Progress” the left just talked about
__Came from the other side.

It cost some friends, and family grief,
__But I sleep well at night,
From knowing almost all the time
__I’m on, and in, the right.

.

.

Anything Goes Redux

after Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes”

“The world’s gone mad today,
And good’s bad today,
And black’s white today,
And day’s night today,”

Race is scored today,
Crime’s ignored today,
Biden lies today,
Prices rise today,

Borders breeched today,
Cancelled speech today,
Oil destroys today,
Girls are boys today,

And alone God knows,
How far anything goes.

 .

 .

Everlasting

There’s a current college gymnast,
Who’s been getting richly paid,
For her image, name, and likeness,
With two million dollars made.

She’s a quite impressive athlete,
Earning stellar grades to boot,
But her topping social media
Owes mostly to the fact she’s cute.

Her racy posted photographs
Are why her stunning wealth’s occurred.
Some people think that’s horrible,
They’re calling it: “a step backward.”

So much has changed in recent years,
God knows that’s some folks’ foremost goal.
But there are certain lasting things
The Left just simply can’t control.

.

.

Russel Winick recently started writing poetry at nearly age 65, after ending a long legal career. He resides in Naperville, Illinois.

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25 Responses

  1. Brian Yapko

    I enjoyed these very much, Russel. You and I have had very similar experiences in moving to the right after being indoctrinated in the left. How truly you speak: I too opened my eyes, paid attention, thought for myself and discovered, as you put it, that “Most leftist views were fatuous/Or evil in disguise.” It’s both sad and infuriating because leftists are so invested in their self-congratulatory narrative that they can’t conceive of the fact that their positions are condescending, destructive, hate-filled and do not represent the pinnacle of historical progress.

    Reply
    • Russel Winick

      Thanks for your feedback, Brian. Yes, what a long, strange trip it’s been.

      Reply
    • Joshua C. Frank

      I could have written the exact same comment as Brian, because it expresses my exact thoughts on the matter. In my twenties, I got some actual experience with the world, so I could see it as it is and not as the leftists paint it. With this and some reading, I was able to gradually overcome my leftist indoctrination; I became a conservative and never looked back. I like to say my neck’s been getting redder over the years!

      Reply
  2. Adela

    Bravo! I love your poems and agree with them 100 %. You put into words what many of us think! I am one of them for sure ! I grew up with a democrat family but as I grew older I realized I was not the liberal, leftist, evil party they represent. God bless America and God bless you for these true patriotic poems !

    Reply
  3. Mike Bryant

    Russel, your poetry is getting better and better! The second is my favorite. The first reminds me of the saying, “If you aren’t a liberal when you’re young, you have no heart, but if you aren’t a middle-aged conservative, you have no head.” The third is one more example of your razor sharp eye on the cultural and political landscape. Great stuff!

    Reply
  4. Margaret Coats

    How true it is that progress is a conservative achievement, needed principally because of the regressive mess made by “progressives”! Better and better, Russel! I especially like your rendition of “Anything Goes,” but all three bring cheerful relief.

    Reply
  5. Anna J. Arredondo

    Russell,

    I like these, especially the first two, very much. I’ve seen and heard of many such migrations from left to right in recent years. I expect there will be many more, as long as young people somehow still manage to pass through the “education” system unindoctrinated, and having cultivated (rather than been stripped of) the ability to think!

    The second poem reminds me of the prophet Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 5:20 –“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Your version is very cleverly done.

    Reply
  6. C.B. Anderson

    If I were on the Left, Russel, I would probably hate you and your verse, but neither happens to be the case. Your poems are living proof that brevity is the soul of wit. It’s likely that the Thought Police already have you in their sights.

    Reply
    • Russel Winick

      Thanks CB. Yes, I’ve encountered some Thought Police on occasion. They weren’t successful.

      Reply
  7. Cheryl Corey

    I’m impressed by the way you end three stanzas of “Anything..” with the word “today”, and how the final couplet harkens back to Cole Porter.

    Reply
  8. Norma Pain

    I love your poetry Russel. It gets right to the heart/truth of things and does it in not too many words. Perfect.

    Reply
  9. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Russel, I love these full-of-wisdom-and-wit poems and I’m nodding in agreement with many of your perspicacious observations. I especially like: “I’m on, and in, the right.” – I might use that as a mantra when I’ve been mauled by a malicious troll.

    Reply
  10. David Whippman

    I loved the take on “Anything Goes.” The first poem neatly describes the political journey of so many people.

    Reply
    • Russel Winick

      Thanks David. You’ve helped confirm my assumption. I appreciate your feedback.

      Reply

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