• Welcome to Brian James Rational Poet’s poetry blog

    Welcome to my poetry blog. I love reading Plath and Sexton and Dickenson and Maya. But to me, the best poets I have read are the unknows. The giants are great for sure, but the friends and locals and groups are a joy to participate in. I encourage everyone who writes poetry to be themselves. It is ok to have influences, but you should always in the end be yourself. There is only one them, and only one you.

    Let words be your canvas, show them the raw you, in all your happiness and sadness. Show them your love of nature, and empathy and kindness, but also make them think, provoke, even blaspheme. The poet’s job to me, is to never be shy or timid, but use every word in your vocabulary to paint the best pictures you can. Paint your sunrises, your sunsets, your romance, your fears. Paint your insecurities, your addictions, your successes, your tears.

    This blog is dedicated to my late mother Jane. She was my biggest supporter and never let me fall through the cracks. While she was a bit of an authoritarian growing up, that all melted away in her late years, and we grew as close as any parent child could. We had so much fun with our silly car games and rubber duckies, and counting the trees. And our wordplay games, and our thumb wrestling. And forget Yahtzee and backgammon, she always kicked my…… at that. I love you mom. I miss you horribly.

    And also my late best friend ever, Bob. He unfortunately passed away in 2017. He lived in Australia, he was a science geek, and he taught me a lot about debate, and some science. I can only grasp overall concepts, not real nitty gritty details. But he most importantly made me feel comfortable in my own skin. I miss you too Bob.

    Then there is this annoying guy from Okleeee homa, who says “tators”, and “videeeaaaa” instead of “video”. And don’t get John started on banjos. He is my best friend and he is always there for me, and I love that redneck.

    And also Dwayne, Stacey and Vicki. You saved my life all of you. Thank you.

    All poetry posted by me on this website is attached to RationalPoet@brianrrs37, handle “RationalPoet” on Twitter ,as well as “Brian James Rational Poet” on Facebook/ META. And is subject to copywrite on all my pages.

    A Special thanks to Brian Sapient of Rational Responders http://www.rationalresponders.com for hosting my poetry thread for so long. Thank you.

    AND….. YOU are more than welcome to share this link on your social media. Especially Meta and Twitter, but your own social media too. Any help bringing traffic here is more than welcome. THANK YOU. You may not publish individual poems without my express permission. Any links to my poetry must be credited to me.

    This poetry blog may contain some material that may be considered sensitive to some viewers. Reader discretion advised.

    Now, everyone, grab your popcorn, glass of wine, and watch me make a fool of myself. Enjoy.

    HEADS UP….. THERE ARE PEOPLE MIMICKING MY TWITTER ACCOUNTS……

    I only have two Twitter/X accounts. Twitter has now changed it’s name to “X”. So all poetry in this site referencing Twitter is also including the new name “X”.

    “RationalPoet@brianrrs37”
    AND
    “Brian@rationalpoet37”

    I have also joined Facebook/META poetry group “Facebook Poetry Society” Under “Brian James Rational Poet”

    Also I just joined http://www.allpoetry.com under the user name “RationalPoet37”

    THERE ARE MORE PAGES. WHEN YOU GET TO THE BOTTOM OF EACH PAGE, in mice print….. It says “Next Page”. <—-CLICK ON THAT.

    NEW EDIT………


    A special thanks to Zaylen of “Okay Atheists” on the Discord app, for allowing me to guest host this poetry reading available on their YouTube channel originally aired 5/22/23. Here is the link
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_ikCkc7lWE

    If you want to leave a comment to any poem, click on the BOLD title of the poem first, scroll to the bottom of the poem, and you should see a field to leave the comment in.

    UPDATE EDIT AS OF 11/13/2024. I have a new account at Bluesky Soical under the handle @rationalpoet37.bsky.social .

     

     

  • Acrostic Reflection

    Acrostic Reflection, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @Brianrrs37 on Twitter)

    My image is that of one life
    Invisible to most, and those who have died
    Reveals the scars and tumbles, and strife
    Recollection, regret, can’t reverse time
    Obvious lessons lost in the grind
    Rescinded, remanded, thoughts of my mind

    She bleeds on the page, her story not kind
    Young at her death, she became blind
    Lost in the pain, she could not refrain
    Vacated this world, she didn’t remain
    Inevitable conclusion, lost in confusion
    Abandoned this life, head in the oven

    Prose about tulips
    Love lost on her lips
    Amazing stanzas
    To which we now read
    Horrible ending, she planted the seed.

    My image is that of many times
    Inconceivable to me, to meet such demise
    Revealing the feeling, to stay alive
    Radiating, permutation, affirmation
    Ovation, motivation, inspiration
    Rarefied talent, she was that kind

    Jesus she wrote of, that of a chief
    Under the skies, the stars night shift
    Surely the walk over the humped bridge
    The neon strobed traffic, to that she confessed

    Obdurate to follow her friend’s path
    Now and forever, linked to Plath
    Couldn’t shake oblivion’s hall
    Emissions became her final call

    Another master in the grip of a pen
    Neither could shed the reaper’s wind
    None of their words repeated again
    Enigmatic, erratic, chaotic, atomic

    Slowly, methodically, word chemistry
    Elation, fixation, revelation, deduction
    Xyster, scraping tool, sullen bone suicide rule
    Tapestry of misery, artistry of poetry
    Objective, collective, subjective, exhaustive
    Now in the annals of history.
    (end)

    Another acrostic poem and ode to my favorite poets Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton.

    Odes in the acrostic part “Mirror” by Silvia Plath
    Odes in the acrostic part “Just Once” by Anne Sexton

    References in the stanzas to Plath’s poem “Tulips”

    References to Sexton’s poems are the bridge from Plath to Sexton “that kind”, in the last stanza about Plath, bridging to Sexton, refers to Sexton’s poem “Her Kind” and later references to “Wanting To Die” and “Jesus Cooks” and “Starry Night”.

    Plath ended her life by sticking her head in the oven. Anne Sexton was a personal friend of Plath’s. 11 years later Anne ended her life with the car in a closed garage.

    Both are huge influences on me. I am 100% anti-suicide. I think about all the times I came close, but as you read these words right now, know that you would not be reading them if I had succeeded in my prior thoughts.

    “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem”, unknown. But I agree. if you are having these feelings, get help. You can google suicide prevention online, or talk to a trusted family member or friend. Or call 988 or 911. You are not alone.



  • Altruism

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  • Jester’s Box

    Jester’s Box, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @Brianrrs37 on Twitter)

    The jester’s box , the statues locked
    Deflating balloons, their heads be soon
    Never in the sky will you see the moon
    Agonized in pleated stone, nowhere to roam

    Cast out from the castle, they freeze in gloom
    Industrial factories, in background loom
    No contemplation, except that of doom
    Shadow lurching, motionless boom

    Muses, muses, this can’t be true
    What has this painter done to you
    Fright in silence, shock fills the room
    This lonely deck , forever their home.

    The removed mask, has no task
    It cannot cry , it cannot laugh
    The statues stagnation, they cant ask
    Disheveled togas, fading fast.
    (end)

    This poem I wrote about the painting ” The Disquieting Muses” by artist Giorgio Chirico. Just google search “The Disquieting Muses” painting.







  • Visceral

    Visceral, By Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @Brianrrs37 on Twitter)

    The caverns intestines, our perceptions
    Ancient conceptions, our protections
    In anticipation, of Armageddon
    Deity clashes in our blood’s bedding

    No mitigation of any nation
    Conflict exponential from agitation
    Confident are all of their false perception
    Martyrs lead to earth’s destruction

    Their infant’s answers in old correlations
    When they could not see the sun’s relations
    They filled the gaps with morbid phantasms
    Writhing in ignorant day’s orgasms

    Stones and rocks , their early rhythms
    Mushroom cloud, they will end in
    Pride of all, falsehood’s call
    Earth on fire, humanity’s fall

    Stewing , brewing, craving
    Caving into primal urges
    Justified pangs wanting purges
    Kill the others, they are scourges

    What shackles thus bind us
    In lore before what has lead us
    To persistent gore, I want no more
    In peaked logic, their minds frolic

    The ravages of the baby’s colic
    The narcissists weapons are all tragic
    Eve to blame, ate an apple of magic
    Scapegoat females, it’s a shame

    What of this monster, they all hail
    Prostrate in prayer, to no avail
    Never will ever, find the holy grail
    The voided check is in the mail

    Cyclone of fire, is their desire
    It is late, down to the wire
    Aspirations of world domination
    Bias of that selfish conformation

    They seek non existent adulation
    Fraudulent persistent consolation
    Infantile pre mature ejaculation
    Nothing more than mental masturbation

    What is their evidence, they’ve got nothing
    High altitude air , they pull out something
    Wanting, yet getting an empty bounty
    Cancerous attributes , I will rebuke
    (end)

    What people call a “gut feeling” is really the false perception of faith.









  • Hawking’s View

    Hawking’s View, By Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @Brianrrs37 on Twitter)

    The canvas empty
    The slate clean
    They feed them lies
    They grow up mean
    Certain of everything
    Of life’s meaning
    God will save them
    Of heaven they’re dreaming
    My rights, intitled fights
    Scorched earth day and night
    And over what
    An invisible being
    To this myth
    They still cling
    The universe
    |Is much more grand
    Stars outnumber
    Our grains of sand
    Evolution
    They don’t understand
    Science has to
    Take a stand
    Black hole’s power
    Takes command
    That ancient book
    Compared is bland
    Antiquity’s ignorance
    Holds us back
    Reason and skepticism
    Keeps us on track
    Let go, let go
    While there is much
    We don’t know
    “A God is not required”
    Hawking’s view does show.
    (end)

  • Ladies Lazari

    Ladies Lazari By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @Brianrrs37)

    Lady, Lady, Lazari
    Why did you, did you
    Have to die?

    Lady, Lady
    Her best friend
    11 years later
    Met your end

    Horseback gallop
    Into the sun
    Repeated attempts
    Until you were done

    Lady, Lady, Lazeri
    Why did you, did you
    Have to die?

    Under, Under
    The starry sky
    Her kind a garage
    She chose to die

    Mirror mirror
    Mushroom too
    Just once
    I’d talk to you

    Lady, Lady, Lazari
    Why did you, did you
    Have to die

    Muses ruckus
    Tulips in buckets
    Poems in caskets
    The dead don’t ask this

    Darling darning
    Sew me a sock
    Smash the boat
    Against the rocks

    Tools tools
    Oh what fools
    A special language
    Disobeys the rules

    Silvia, Silva
    What did you do
    Now I can never talk to you

    Anne, Anne
    Where did you go
    Countless you influenced
    You’ll never know

    Lady, Lady, Lazari
    Why did you, did you
    Have to die?

    Ladies, ladies
    Read to me
    Never to die
    Your poetry.
    (end)

    Another ode to my two most favorite poets Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton.

    The title is an ode to “Sylvia Plath’s poem “Lady Lazarus”. I took a little license with the name “Lazarus” and made a new word “Lazari” as in plural “Lasarus” .

    My poem “Lady Lazari” is in reference to both of their suicides, but in how their poetry survives them. For those who know their bible stories Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Plath in her poem describes her multiple attempts.

    Anne also wrote about this dark topic. Both of them are “Lazari” to me in that their poetry is the Phoenix of their lives that still lives today.

    The words in the poems refer to poem titles and or imagery in both of their works.








  • Marianas Trench

    Marianas Trench, By Brian37(AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @Brianrrs37 on Twitter)

    Unthinkable, unfathomable
    Unimaginable, unreachable
    Inconceivable,
    Unbelievable

    Invisible pain
    No one can see
    The heavy anchor
    That clutches me

    Tentacles won’t
    Let me be
    Pulling me under
    The briny sea

    Ugly angler
    Lures me in
    Suicide taps
    On my shoulder again

    Barracudas
    In the water
    Friends, ask
    “What’s the matter?”

    Out of the trench
    I climb the ladder
    Broken rungs
    It doesn’t matter

    My dark thoughts
    Aways gather
    Need a distraction
    I would rather

    Surface and rise
    Avoid my demise
    Marians Trench
    My hopes bely
    (end)

    I am NOT suicidal right now. But I do know that dark tone, and I have had it in my life. This poem comes from reading Anne Sexton today. She is a dark poet.

    If you are feeling suicidal, call a trusted friend or family member, call online support or 911. You are not alone.

    Unknown quote, “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” I cannot begin to think of all the things I wouldn’t have done, or time I spent with family and friends, and all the poems that I would not have written if I had given up. I do know what that dark place is, but it doesn’t stay that way.








  • Kellykins

    Kellykins, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @Brianrrs37 on Twitter)

    Pelicans, Pelicans
    A bird she is not
    Not a mouse
    Has she yet caught

    Kellykins, Kellykins
    She’s my cat
    Looking so cute
    She’s great at that

    Kitty cat, kitty cat
    Meow, meow, meow
    Kitty cat, kitty cat
    Wow, wow, wow

    Chasing the string
    Across the floor
    If I stop
    She wants some more

    Pelicans, Pelicans
    A bird she is not
    She’s the prettiest
    In the entire lot

    Kitty cat, kitty cat
    Meow, meow, meow
    Kitty cat, kitty cat
    Wow, wow, wow

    Kellykins, Kellykins
    Look at her go
    Pouncing, pouncing
    To and fro

    Now it’s late
    And time for sleep
    My foot her pillow
    For nighttime keeps

    Pelicans, Pelicans
    A bird she is not
    Kellykins, Kellykins
    She sure means a lot.
    (end)

    Silly nonsense poem about my cat Kelly. I’ve been calling her Kellykins, like pronounced pelicans. So made up this silly poem for her. I love her. And her brother Anneplath too. But his name is unique too.








  • 6 Years Out

    6 Years Out, ByBrian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @Brianrrs37 on Twitter.

    These are not milestones
    I look forward to
    The wanting the longing
    To be with you

    The smiles of of others
    Their wishes too
    The wanting, the longing
    To be with you

    Flowers and dinners
    The day planned too
    The wanting the longing
    To be with you

    Forever, forever
    Mom I love you
    The wanting, the longing
    To be with you

    Your absence, no presence
    Time took you away
    The wanting, the longing
    I miss you this day

    Like all other days
    But this is Mother’s Day
    The vacuum is heightened
    When I can’t say

    I love you Mom, Happy Mother’s Day.
    (end)

    My Mom passed away in 2017. Not on Mother’s Day, but it still is a dark milestone like her Birthday and Holidays. I miss her enormously. If you have a Mom you love, like I did, and she is still around, spend time with her and tell her you love her, with hugs and kisses and smiles and spend time with her. Time is fleeting.

  • Why We Don’t Stand

    Why We Don’t Stand, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @Brianrrs37 on Twitter)

    The field of stars
    On the bottom
    Is a symbol of distress

    That of forced patriotism
    The Nazis did their best
    You could be beat

    Knocked off your feet
    You could be fined
    Pulled off of the street

    And jailed and tortured
    For not saluting the swastika
    For not saluting the Fuhrer

    With that in mind
    Lets talk a little further
    Why should I take fervor

    When other have to hide
    Coddle the bigots pride
    Expect them to live in silence

    Vilify them, scapegoat them
    Marginalize them, out of what?
    Some sense of archaic theism?

    A lack of understanding
    That they are not taking from you
    Merely by asking to treated like a human too

    And who are you, to talk for
    A deity that you cant prove
    This isn’t about protecting society for you

    This is about protecting your power
    Your fear of change, your ignorance
    Your insecurities

    You want to know why
    Why we don’t stand
    Because you only stand

    For yourself, your selfishness
    You’re proud of bullying others
    Telling them they are less than

    And that somehow
    Somehow you are the victim
    Because others exist

    You want to know why
    Why we don’t stand
    Because females lost their rights

    Because you equate
    Innocent migrants
    To an armed military invasion

    Because you refuse
    To understand
    That black lives don’t matter more

    But matter as well
    Yet you condemn the innocent
    To your fictional hell

    You want to know why
    Why we don’t stand
    Because you demand

    That transgender
    Hide who they are
    And make up lies

    About what they are
    And you fail to recognize
    Our long history

    Of marginalizing minorities
    Blacks, Native Americans
    But also the Irish of Hell’s Kitchen

    The Chinese that built
    Our railway system
    That connected east coast

    To west coast
    Yet your still insisting
    You’re being persecuted

    Because you don’t want to share

    I’ll stand when we get back
    To the words in that pledge
    Mean something to you

    Beyond how you can manipulate
    Them in bias hate filled fashion
    I’ll stand when it truly means

    “With liberty and justice for all.”
    (end)