Life On A B-I7

Poetry Challenge Day 247 (Wed Jun 8)

Poetry is tough.
You have to have a brain to write poetry.
Attempting to write poetry
(as I am trying to do)
is a huge personal exposure.

You are exposing all you faults and weaknesses
to anyone who might care to observe.
Not to mention the fact that your brain
may not really be up to the task
you have set before it.

Then why make the attempt.
When I started my year long journey into poetry
I honestly (naively) thought there was a chance
I could pull it off.
I now know just how hard a task that truly is.

I have days where I think
I have failed miserably.
For some reason I continue,
I suppose because quitting is worse than failure.
And yes, I’m calling this a poem.

Poetry Challenge Day 246 (Tue Jun 7)

I’m aware that my poetry
has taken a dark turn
of late.
To rectify this
I give you the following
poem about cats.

If it weren’t for my cat,
my poetry would take
a dark turn.

Poetry Challenge Day 245 (Mon Jun 6)

Three words of advice:
Read, think, write.

Poetry Challenge Day 244 (Sun Jun 5)

Those of us
not fully conscious
are being desensitized
for political purposes.

This is a proven path
to political power.

By giving up our humanity
and listening to repeated lies,
cliches’, and political jargon,
we are surrendering ourselves.

The ultimate aim, is the perpetration
of violence against our fellow humans.

Poetry Challenge Day 243 (Sat Jun 4)

Giving women the right
to decide the fate of their
own bodies is an
existential threat to men.

That was the prevailing view
held by men
in the mid-17th century,
and also the view of Justice Alito.

Poetry Challenge Day 242 (Fri Jun 3)

George Washington
famously said:
“Unless we can return
a little more to first principles…”
He was chiding James Warren.

The real point here is
how familiar these words
sound to us today,
even removed as many
generations as they are.

Poetry Challenge Day 241 (Thu Jun 2)

How would you like
to be educated
in the finer points of racist theory?

It is highly fashionable
these days.

Just hang out with the likes of
Tucker Carlson.

Poetry Challenge Day 240 (Wed Jun 1)

In the final analysis,
the abortion debate centers
on who has the right
to control your body
and your actions.
The unborn fetus has not yet assumed
a role in society.
This makes the decision a personal one
not a societal one.

Poetry Challenge Day 239 (Tue May 3)

I played baseball once
in a Federal Penitentiary.
I was not an inmate.
After the game
we ate in the prison mess.
There were no prisoners
in the mess with us
(probably a good thing)
but we were served by prisoners.
As you go through the mess line
the prisoner serving the potatoes
will decide how many
you want on your plate.

Poetry Challenge Day 238 (Mon May 30)

It doesn’t matter what you do
(within reason of course).
But whatever it is,
be good at it.

Poetry Challenge Day 237 (Sun May 29)

She sleeps
My love
Gentle slumber
I wait
To wake her
Gently with a kiss
A kiss
To greet the morning
A kiss to light the day
A kiss to show her
The depth of my love
My Love
Who gently sleeps
You are my morning
My day
My everything.

Poetry Challenge Day 236 (Sat May 28)

I was told by someone close to me
that I had a mental break.
Of course I did.
You have to have a mental break
to turn your life around.
All this accusation does is beg the question.
The good thing about a mental break is
you no longer need to ponder inconsequential questions.

Poetry Challenge Day 235 (Fri May 27)

“Jesus, the ONLY path to God.”

I saw that on a billboard.
I was under the impression
God was kind, loving, and merciful.
Apparently I’m learning something new.
I’m learning that God will only love you
if you follow his exact proscription to the letter.
If you don’t, well then, God has no time for you.

I don’t understand how some people (you can safely read here religions) can so completely misunderstand the nature of God.

Poetry Challenge Day 234 (The May 26)

Most days I don’t think so.
Why are people so stupid?
Why do some people choose to follow
someone so clearly lying to them?
The only answer I can give
is that is easier
than thinking.

Poetry Challenge Day 233 (Wed May 25)

True love only happens
Once in a lifetime.
Unless of course
You miss it.

I have not, fortunately.

Poetry Challenge Day 232 (Tue May 24)

Until you learn to love yourself
the door is locked to everyone else.

That includes loving your poetry…

Poetry Challenge Day 231 (Mon May 23)

The wind blew.

The bike swayed.

The temperature cold.

The fingers frozen.

The road narrow.

The destination far.

This is a poem I wrote while on my cross-country bicycle trip. I decided to include it here simply because it evokes so many memories for me.

Poetry Challenge Day 230 (Sun May 22)

When something bad happens
I view it as punishment for
being an ass-hole when I was younger…

I know what you’re thinking…
Well Brad, you look
pretty young to me…

Poetry Challenge Day 229 (Sat May 21)

Good news!
The Earth has survived
several mass extinctions.
In light of what is happening
in the world today,
this should be reassuring…

Poetry Challenge Day 228 (Fri May 20)

If man is made
in God’s image.
If the likeness of man to God
is in the soul.
If man has the capacity to kill,
then God must be a killer as well.

Poetry Challenge Day 227 (Thu May 19)

Twitter is dead to me.
I’m tired of Oligarchs
and their selfish attempts
to rule the world.
I’m not excluding here
the Oligarch wannabes.

Poetry Challenge Day 226 (Wed May 18)

The history of
American Foreign Policy
is modeled after the game of “Risk,”
as well as a healthy dose,
of fear and paranoia.

This in no way means I would support the likes of Senator Rand Paul.

Poetry Challenge Day 225 (Tue May 17)

The gold standard
for fitness at age 70,
is to be able to
step into your underwear
from a standing position.

If not the gold standard, a desirable goal, That, and being able to rip Thunderbird at Mt. Bachelor…

Poetry Challenge Day 224 (Mon May 16)

I live in a world of words
but I have nothing to say.

The only thing I know for sure
is that I am going skiing tomorrow.

I’m pretty sure
it’s going to be a good ski day.

Poetry Challenge Day 223 (Sun May 15)

Strange noises in the night.
I realize there is an explanation
but it escapes me.

Many things in fact escape me,
there is so little I truly understand.
Like why the fuck is there war?

I can’t think of anything more stupid.
I don’t understand how anyone can kill
someone else, it’s beyond me.

I want to leave this planet
And live somewhere that does not
espouse killing and death.

I’m about five lifetimes from that…
assuming the human race
Is still around by then.

Today’s news is especially frightening. I’m not quite sure how I calculated we are only five lifetimes away from the ability to live off-planet by choice… It certainly could be many more than that, with no guarantee that people won’t take this propensity with them…