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 .

 

 

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

I know you knead me
But why so early?
It is 4:45 a.m.
Why do you always wake me?

I can handle the hording
On the couch
Of the bed
The way you spread out

So much so
I am cornered
Like a sardine in a can
Just because you can

I give you your space
Yet you still insist
After tons of rest
I must relent

To your kneading
And your pleading
“Feed me, feed me”
I know you knead me

The roosters aren’t crowing
The birds aren’t chirping
The stock market bell
Has yet to open ringing

Yet you still insist
You lovable pest
Of waking me up
No matter what

Do me one favor
You cute fur ball
My best friend feline
Never stop at all

I know
What you say
In the early hours
Before daybreak

It’s not just
That you want to eat
I really understand
That you knead me

I know you love
The way I laugh
When you insist
On waking me up

You sniff my ears
You paw my head
When that doesn’t work
You move to my stomach

Maybe your stomach
Is grumbling
I still know what
You are really doing

You enjoy
Like I do
Needing companionship
True and true.
(end)

No typo or misspelling here. My cat, my best friend pet ever, unfortunately passed away earlier this year. But every morning to wake me up, long before the sun rose, would jump on my side, on the couch or in bed, and walk up my side and knead my head and dig into my ear with his nose. It was always my favorite part of the day. I miss him so much. His name was Sarah.

If you are reading this, stop smoking ……. I mean it is back up.

Darkness Over Judy, By Brian (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @brianrrs37 on Twitter)

He was watching over you
Protecting you
He didn’t want people
Hurting you Judy

They were nasty to you
Always taking advantage of you
He saw you were innocent
He was your “guardian angel”

In a wave of rage
The music played
He shot the pawn broker
Though he never met her

732
5577
All good dogs
Get to heaven

Your first was a sailor
You thought was a narcotics dealer
He was in Honolulu
For the first time

Of dates
You were obsessed
You wouldn’t dare give
Judy’s enemy’s rest

You killed the Royce
He gave you no choice
The bank president embezzled
Judy he had implicated

Lott stole not the Van
But Steve would find his man
Employ the cartoonist
That was the plan

Danny put on his blues
Showed up in the funnies too
The killer to protect the moon
The cop he did pursue

But it was
All a ruse
Arthur had no clue
What Steve was up to

It was all a trap
The killer was finally caught
The truth he did not see
There was no Judy Moon.
(end)

This poem is an ode to one of my favorite episodes of the Original Hawaii Five 0 “Draw Me A Killer”. It is about a disturbed person who confuses a Sunday cartoon as real life, and picks victims to kill that look like the cartoon characters in the fictional “Judy Moon” cartoon in the episode. The killer “Arthur” even stumbles on a woman who looks like the lady in the cartoon and harasses her in the episode trying to convince her he is protecting her.

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

It seems to be
Blasphemy, to many
If you dare speak of
Pineapple on pizza

Sardines, sardines
Smelly, slimy, why me?
Even if I don’t have to eat it
The smell is savage

Mushrooms, who decided
That rubber and cheese
Belong together
On a pie?

Fine, fine, fine
It is no business of mine
If I am not forced to eat it
How other people dine

But there is one thin line
Chicago, thin, NY,
Stuffed crust
I absolutely don’t like

Why do people like OPEC
Their pepperoni on top
Filled with grease
Like little Jacuzzis?

It looks like the sweat
Of a pimple faced teen
Acne red, oily, nasty
Greasy, yucky

I cannot see, cannot see
For the ever loving tastebuds
Why anyone likes this
I don’t like that on top of my cheese

My pepperoni, sees not
The light of day, I want it
Six feet under, I always
Like it that way.

I don’t like OPEC pizza
I am not that kind of guy
I don’t need an oil change
When I go to get a pie.
(end)

To be sensitive to teens who have acne, trust me I know, I used to have horrible acne myself. It is no fun. But lets face it, it is an unfortunate part of many lives at that age, but also at the same time, nothing at all to be ashamed of.

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

The proud father
Of four, flipped through
His morning paper
To the entertainment section

He was thinking
Of what he could do
On the weekend
With his family

And there the words were
“Opening Friday, rated G
Fun
For the entire family”

The night came
Putting them in the lobby
Buying their popcorn
Soda and snacks

All impatient
During the previews
Anticipating
The excitement to come

As the credits rolled
The ominous music
Pounded out
Their immoral movie

But it was not butter
On their popcorn
It was the blood
Of indoctrination

If Dr. Doolittle
Had sold Lot
Or Malachi 2:3
Would the movie be rated G?

If Luke Skywalker had said
“Kill all the boys
And save the girls”
As in Numbers 31:17-18

Would this proud father
Take his family
To that movie
Or call it moral?

If Harry Potter Said
“Kill the firstborn”
Would he be a hero?
Should he be a hero?

When they talk of the flood
None of these parents
In reality would
Take their kid to a morgue

Drowned bodies
Are bloated, distorted
And smell
On the slab

This “blockbuster
Is not cute
Nor suited
For the young

It is full of gore
Immorality
Incest
And genocide

Rated G
Would hardly be
An appropriate rating
For this horror film

The pulpit actor
On Sunday’s screen
Shouts to the young
“You should fear him!”

Crippling them
Into needless submission
No chance for them
To decide for themselves

If that does not work
He becomes the concession stand
Selling them fictional Goobers
Popcorn and Junior Mints that don’t exist

This same poor player
Bribes them with farm animals
In pairs
On the tables in waiting rooms

No sane parent
Is going to expose
Their child that young
To Misty Beethoven

So to these parents
I ask the following
If rightfully the case
Then why the hypocrisy?

If that book
You falsely call “good”
Then read all of it
While they are young

Shout at them
Like you claim
God threatens us
For our own good

Advocate violence
Beat them
Like you say
We deserve

Read every word
To them
Rape their minds
While you can

You recoil at these words
As sick blasphemy
But the poor player
Sells it on Sunday

It will never be
“Rated G”
And it will never be
A “Good book”.

Otherwise
You could read it
All of it, every word
Without censorship.
(end)

ONCE AGAIN, this is not a poem of hate. It ESPECIALLY is not about promoting violence. I abhor violence.

It is a criticism of what I see as a mere book, and not a history book. I read the bible like one would go see a very bad movie that everyone else likes.

It is funny how holy people and parent skip over the nasty stories, the gory stories, the violent stories, and the stories of advocating taking children and females as prizes in war. Or killing off the male firstborn. And who did Adam and Eve have sex with if they only had two sons? And who did the 7 or 12 people of the Noah story have sex with to repopulate the planet?

And could you imagine if a real court judge behaved like God did with the Pharaoh? Imagine if a bank robber got 20 years, but the judge also sentenced his firstborn male to death too.

Point isn’t to call for the end of religion one bit. It is however a call to stop blindly swallowing everything and skipping over the inconvenient parts.

Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath have invaded my refrigerator.

Cosmic Orwell, By Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @brianrrs37 on Twitter)

Every second, half second
Nanosecond, it is on
All the time

It watches you
With your partner
It watches you in the bathroom

It cares whom you love
It will burn you and torture you
If you think for yourself

Your neurons are his
Not yours
Your thoughts are dependent

On doing his bidding
But the camera is hidden
Invisible, everywhere all the time

It records crime all the time
But the 9-1-1 dispatcher
Takes selective break time

While you have cancer
While your kid is missing
While your wife is murdered

And you are ok with this?
He roots for you favorite sports team
You found your missing keys

He can destroy your house
He can destroy your health
He can to what he may please

But you have no privacy
And you are ok with this?
This constant intrusion?

You are the broken horse
Tied to the invisible post
The one with no bridle or rope

And you live so out of fear
Big brother is always near
The blackmail is all so clear

And you are ok with this?

Amplified Part 2, By Brian37 (AKA Brian James Rational Poet on FB/META and @brianrrs37 on Twitter)

My baby, split in two, half gone
This is not justice, meeting halfway
This is a crime, raping my psyche

You deceived me, suckered me
I saved and saved and saved
And you taped over and over

Erasing everything before
Smearing the black chalkboard
Throwing everything into

The trash bin, over and over
And over, letting me think
I was simply adding another car

To the train, on the right track
And all that work, 2 months worth
Gone, gone, gone!

You use 30 years of poetry
As your tinder, kindle, switchgrass
Dropping the diamond ring

Down the sewer grate
Have my legs, have my arms
Have my sight, have hearing

Leave my poetry alone!
(end)

For the past 2 months I thought I had been meticulously saving each copy of each poem from my original host thread at Rational Responders. And I seemed to have saved everything correctly, UNTIL….. I checked my old laptop hard drive and my backup thumb drive. GONE, ALL THAT WORK GONE, cannot find it on either.

Fortunately I did print out each poem after copying it. AND my friend John saved almost half of them on a backup thumb drive he still has. BUT it still means I have to go back and redo all that work again to get back to my current tally of total poems. I cannot begin to tell you how pissed I am at myself and how I had been literally crying for the past 3 hours.

I don’t have kids so my poetry are my kids and the thought of losing them is death to me.