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 .

 

 

What is “Bliss”? By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @brianrrs37 on Twitter)

The poet observes
Others meander
And make the motions
Of life
Estranged
To deep thought
I sometimes envy
Their oblivious nature
Happy in the moment
But then write
Knowing they don’t
And I am happy I can.
(end)

I sometimes get depressed thinking about the state of the world, the anger, the hate, the wars. And like others, see people going about their days, doing what humans do, and many times observe happiness and laughing and joy in mundane things, and envy their being in the moment. But how many people take the time write about their pain in poetry, the beauty they observe in nature in their poetry? I may not always get lost in the moment, but I am at least glad that I can write poetry.

My two kittens just had their first trip to the vet. Turns out Anneplath is a boy. But Kelly is a girl. So I have a brother and sister pair. The irony is that Kelly is bigger and is the alpha between the two. Anneplath is more mellow. But they are in good health in any case.

My Life Is On Paws, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @brianrrs37)

Oh what a species we are
In our blustery pontification
Saber rattling, inane prattling

Nothing to me is more comforting
Than to have something centimeters long
Smaller than a tennis ball

Climb then crouch and crawl
Onto my bed circle around
My chest, and curl up into a ball

And not just one but two
What am I going to do
Frolic in this stadium

It has to be from their view
Chasing their tails, playing
With the fluffy feathers

On the end of the string
I bounce them from the stick
They end up doing backflips

And when they get tired of it
They sit on my chest
I try to do my best

Not to laugh so hard
I bounce them around
They meow that cute little sound

And after we all calm down
I put on a YouTube video
And just wouldn’t you know

They look intently at the screen
They’re trying to figure out
Where the others are hanging out

I even dart my mouse
On the screen they try to pounce
Each barely a few of an ounce

I know what life is about
It is these two little furballs
Who have put my life on paws.
(end)

My kittens are a handful, and 100% worth it.

Stagnant, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @brianrrs37 on Twitter)

Video stuck on pause
Remote thoughts unreachable
Inspiration elusive

Ink well dry
Keyboard paralyzed
Imagery stagnant

Butterscotch
In the crystal bowl
Stale, left next to

The summer window
Dust that collects
On the desk

Words in the shadows
Drop cloths on the furniture
I couldn’t be any further

From coming up
With something new
The falling earth

Around the sun
Cares not of my
Writers block

It will tick tock
My words are locked
In the prison

I have no vision
I am waiting and waiting
Wanting and wanting

For the words to flow again.

You Think I’m Being Mean, By Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @brianrrs37 on Twitter)

Your gaslighting
Is mastery
When I destroy

Your mythology
Suddenly you go from bully
To “please don’t pick on me”

Ever so the narcissist
You think it is about you
When the reality is

I reject all the claims
Of humanity, in that of
Claims of all deities

You start off
Acting kind
With your pleasantries

You try
To confound me
With mysteries

Which I see
Really as your
Insecurities

Believing
In such
Absurdities

In ancient language
Long since dead
Somehow still

It’s stuck in your head
From the age of toddler
Thus you’ve been fed

You never had
Much of a chance
Your brain a sponge

They filled it with
Pretty farm animals
And big giant boats

They glossed it over
Hid the horrible notes
Of infanticide, genocide

Females as prizes
The bounty of wars
Concubine and chattel

Treated like cattle
Oh and Saul/Paul
It’s the same guy

It is in
The same book
That I didn’t write

David wanted
Himself a wife
He went to Saul

Asked what was the price
He wanted his daughter
To make him his wife

Saul told him
“This would be nice
100 Philistine foreskins

Shall be the price
For my daughter’s dowery
To make her your wife”

And this is just one
Of many horrors
In that convoluted

Book belabored
Kids mauled by bears
Egyptian first born too

Slaughtered
To please you
Oh mighty God

I’m being mean?
It would so seem
That humans you thus deem

To be mere toys
Lab rats, props
In your vile

Violent play
Where those
Who don’t obey

Are beaten
In genocidal manor
And kids collateral damage

This is the book
You want me to follow
This is the god to which

You want me to grovel
This vengeful beast
Who does not seem

To take criticism well
He smashes his toys
And burns them all in hell.

I am not being mean
To call a myth a myth
A lie I lie

I am not being mean
If I suggest you try
To think for yourself

On reason to rely
Its a much better path
For to look at life

With out a bribe
Without a threat
Without any fear
(end)

I am not being mean by pointing out to believers, that while I know they find comfort in that book, they are very convenient in skipping over the not so pretty parts, like infanticide, genocide, child abuse, incest, and human flesh as a dowery for payment for a female.

Would anyone find comfort in Santa if Santa said, ” Rudolph, you can be the lead deer, but for you go get that position, you have to cut the balls off 100 Hindus. <——- Total nonsense meaningless example right?

But why are people getting upset at me for something I was not around to write. Saul/Paul is just one example. Killing off the Egyptian firstborn, mauling kids using bears. Forcing the rape victim to marry their rapist. There are countless examples of this God character in the bible who is cruel, brutally cruel, even to his most innocent and loyal followers. Job is another example.

But the two biggest acts this God commits are the global genocide of the flood, and the global genocide of the end times. And in both of these examples there would have to have been innocent pregnant women, babies, toddlers, teens and even adults, whose only crime was not belonging to the correct god club.

How am I being mean by suggesting someone can do better than what amounts to an old book of tribalism that is used to justify feeling superior to others?

I would suggest that the real cruelty is perpetuating old mythology which is stagnant and does not allow thoughts to change and especially morality to change.

I hate to say it, but these two little buggers, snots, thing one and thing two, frick and frack, these guys are making me so happy. But they are also distracting me to the point where I cannot write poetry. I don’t feel sorry for myself in the least, but it is annoying I cant focus and haven’t been inspired for days. I still love them, and most certainly am going to keep them. They are too lovable and adorable. But damn it, I want to write some poetry.

Don’t Make Any Plans, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet On FB/META and @brianrrs37 on Twitter)

Want to go to the louvre
Forget going out for hors d’oeuvres
Your life is not yours

Don’t ask me
To write any prose
Because who knows

What these little paws
Are going to be up to
Bouncing off the walls

Slam tackling NFL sacks
Forget getting up for
Midnight snacks

For if they’re sleeping
I cannot be moving
For I won’t be disturbing

These little buttons
With their furry mittens
They’re are not kittens

I am their minion
Their slave, their obedient
Servant

So sorry Silvia
I want to finish
The Bell Jar

But these two felines
Won’t let me get that far
I can’t take my eyes off them

They get themselves in trouble
When they are not sleeping
They are pro wrestling

Each other, and I am the reff
Fur up to my neck
But they are tiny specks

Attacking my feet in socks
I can’t tell them to knock it off
Their playfulness is the cost

In complete control over me
That wasn’t the plan at all
My pleasant downfall
(end)

I promise I will write some more new serious stuff at some point. But right now these little furry Higgs Boson particles are a handful and taking all of my attention right now.

When they are not bouncing off the walls and NFL sacking each other like linebackers or pro wrestlers. They are intwined in my feet attacking my socks. Or they are paralyzing me in my bed by lying on top of me, or under my legs to the point I don’t want to move because they are sleeping contently.

It has been a long time since I have been this happy. I have Vicki, my cab driver to thank for giving me Kelly and Anneplath.

Puddy Papers, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @brianrrs37 on Twitter)

Professor Kingsfield
Knew nothing
About the laws

Of tiny little furballs
Nor could Anne
Have imagined the papers

My puddy’s chase
And when they run
Out of energy

They corner me
In my bed
Kelly sleeps on my side

Anneplath head of the class
The real professor
Of the Ivy Tail white tip

Not even freshmen
Their prose the law
Sexton never saw

Not ambulance chasers
Better than
The Jesus Papers

They know of which
Of my leavers
To get me to

Give them vittles
Then they sleep
While they cuddle

So if you ever
Need a Lawyer
Or a poet

They’re your trouble
Fun is fun
On the double.
(end)

This is a hybrid poem playing off the title of a short lived legal show “The Paper Chase”. And off of Anne Sexton’s poems called “The Jesus Papers”, but is in total reference to my two new kittens.

Professor Kingsfield was a character in a fictional Ivy League college. He was played by British actor John Houseman.

And Anneplath, my kitten, has a bright ivory white tip, thus that line.
And they cuddle together when I put them in the carrier to sleep. And they own me for sure. They wrote the law of poetry on feline cuteness.