Lingua Latīna

In Latin America, Latin is not spoken, 

Which makes it clear: our naming system is broken. 

Latin does retain a national home, 

A tiny city-state surrounded by Rome, 

A place it's difficult to be democratic in - 

Since there's just one ruler at the Vatican.

Yule

They say the source of “Yule” is Norse.

The Vikings overran England, of course.

These rugged ransackers, scrappy and scary,

Invaded our vocabulary.

Loophole

If Trump were to pardon Pence
And then resign,
Could Pence then pardon Trump?
I've boggled my mind.

Dehydrated

I bought a dehydrated water packet. 

It looked kind of empty - was this just a racket? 

But I emptied the empty packet into a glass, 

Mixed in some water - and Lo! What came to pass! 

I sure enough had a nice glass full of water, 

Just like the instructions said I oughter.

Free Advice

Excuse me if I seem a bit aloof, 

But In the drama, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, 

I twice have played the doc - and it went to my head. 

So please, just take two aspirin and go to bed!

Context

 Being on the bench:

In sports it suggests you’re not a star,

But at a piano concert 

It means you are.

Digital

 It’s a question so dumb

But somehow it lingers:

How can your thumb

Be one of your fingers?

Pink Hat

Some context makes excuses. 

Other context offers damnation. 

Personally I prefer

The kind that yields explanation. 

 My life advice here is to not get photographed wearing a swastika or the hammer and sickle. And everyone has a camera with them nowadays, so just do not wear a swastika or the hammer and sickle. Because you will have explaining to do, and it's unlikely your explanation will satisfy everybody, unless maybe you're acting in a movie.

Salem

The plot line of Miller’s The Crucible:

When basic protections are losable,

Everyone ends up accusable.