gsrbtn

Getting Creative with The Queen’s Gambit on a Snowy Afternoon

I watched the Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit” several years ago, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

On a cold and sleety yesterday, I sat with my Rover client Gracie (a sweet Golden Retriever Border Collie mix) and binge-watched the red-headed Kentucky orphan Beth Harmon’s rise from the dreary corridors of the Methuen Home for Girls to the chandelier-lit halls of a grand, prestigious Soviet-era building to defeat Russian Chess Master and nemesis, Vasily Borgov.

If you haven’t seen “The Queen’s Gambit“, I can’t recommend it enough.

Anyway, I woke up this morning inspired by the series and composed a poem about Beth Harmon, then set the words to music using the AI Music Engine Suno.

I used Suno to create two versions, a Kentucky Bluegrass version (Beth Harmon hails from Kentucky) and a 1960’s Psychedelic Rock version, as many of the songs from the series are of that genre.

The Queen’s Gambit Lyrics

Beltik’s sorrow doesn’t wane
as Harmon sweetly smiles
he knows her reign
is on the board
dropping kings
on chess tiles

She sees the game
inside her head
imagines pieces on the ceiling
on greens and whites
she dreams in bed
her competitors are reeling

Harmon toys
with men and boys
confused by what they see
beauty’s intellect
cuts through the noise
as she brings them to their knees

With Gibson sips
upon her lips, her Librium emerges
breaks through the clouds
and Russian crowds
from Borgov she diverges

Sixty-four squares of sanctuary
logic, solitude, control
kings and bishops
queens and pawns
white ivory and black coal

Harmon toys
with men and boys
confused by what they see
beauty’s intellect
cuts through the noise
as she brings them
to their knees

She sees the game
inside her head
imagines pieces on the ceiling
on greens and whites
she dreams in bed
her competitors are reeling

If you haven’t had a chance yet, please check out my book, My Paper, My Words: Rantings from a Progressive Boomer and Peeved Parent, from Amazon. And if you feel moved to write a review of the book, on Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d be honored.

My Paper, My Words is a collection of essays, stories, and poems that reflect the challenges of a middle-class husband and father trying to navigate a rapidly changing political, religious, and technological landscape of post-911 America.

Wisdom’s Water is Now Available on Music Streaming Services

Hello everyone,

Wisdom’s Water, a creative endeavor between me and the AI Music Engine, Suno, is now available on Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Spotify.

The work appears under the artist profile “Sapient Rain.”

The lyrics on Wisdom’s Water come from poems I’ve written and published over the last few years, and center around themes of religion, violence in America, civic responsibility, and the fragility of democratic ideals.

The music is generated by Suno and adds a second consciousness to the collaboration, shifting from atmospheric tension to rhythmic urgency, mirroring the political and social turbulence the album explores.

I had a lot of fun crafting the lyrics and working with Suno to select the musical score for my poetry.

I’m inspired by all the artists and citizens who are speaking out and protesting in defense of our democracy. I believe this album will resonate with anyone concerned about the troubling direction in which our country is heading under Donald Trump’s fascist regime.

Not all of the songs on Wisdom’s Water are protest songs, but many are. I hope you download, stream, and share them with friends and family. And I hope you enjoy listening to them!

And finally, look for my second collaboration with Suno, titled Wounded, which will be available on streaming services on February 26th, 2026.

Click here to pre-save Wounded on Spotify.

From Maine to Minnesota Available on Music Streaming Services Today

Check out “From Maine to Minnesota,” my collaboration with AI Music Generator Suno, available on Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Spotify today.

My Second AI Music Collaboration is Coming to Spotify

Sapient Rain is a human-AI partnership between lyricist Geoffrey Reilly and the AI music platform Suno.

“Wounded,” the follow-up to Sapient Rain’s debut release, “Wisdom’s Water,” presents an eclectic collection of songs spanning musical genres, from rockabilly and grunge-inflected bangers to melodic country western ballads.

Reilly’s lyrics focus on individuals wounded by love, depression, and the whims of demented, power-hungry authoritarians. Suno’s AI-generated music (thoughtfully procured by Reilly) amplifies and transforms the lyric imagery into immersive soundscapes that feel firmly rooted in the times we are living.

Click here to pre-save Wounded on Spotify.

The album drops on February 26th, 2026.

The National Prayer Farce and Christian Sectarianism

Did any “Christians” at the Prayer breakfast call out the President of the United States for his shameful statements and treatment of immigrants in America?

In between pancakes and coffee, did anyone speak to the hypocrisy of Donald Trump attending the event, considering his well-documented dishonesty, vindictiveness, and unrepentant sexual immorality, or was there just a hushed acceptance of this “flawed man”?

Did any of the “Christians” in attendance voice their concerns about the Trump administration’s cutting of USAID, which will lead to millions of deaths by 2030?

Did those in attendance lend support and prayer for marginalized people, and justice for young girls trafficked and abused by the rich and powerful, as documented in the Epstein files?

Seems like a prayer breakfast would be the perfect place for talking about all these things.

From what I’ve read, rather than promoting unity, spiritual reflection, and reconciliation, the Orange Ayatollah of Ice Brigades and Sexcapades turned the once venerated event into a boastful campaign rally brimming with self-promotion and partisan political attacks. Like every other institution he encounters, the president torched norms and obliterated traditions, while religious bigots in attendance bowed down to their true king.

One thing about Trump you can’t deny: there’s very little subterfuge when it comes to his bigotry, vindictiveness, and hate. And his unvarnished take on anyone who defies or challenges him has laid bare the true morality of his religious base, who have revealed themselves as people who care more about power and control than grace and humility, who want to subjugate and dominate, and who would sooner punch you in the face than turn the other cheek.

The National Prayer Breakfast is a National Farce. What used to be a bipartisan and unifying event has become a partisan pigpile, obscuring the event’s original, inclusive, ecumenical nature.

Examples:

President Trump used the breakfast to criticize political opponents, claiming they “oppose God and religious freedom.”
He also used the platform to attack political enemies along religious lines, turning the event into a partisan stage rather than a shared spiritual gathering.
Trump mocked Democratic lawmakers and questioned why “people of faith would ever vote for a Democrat,” despite the event’s bipartisan leadership.

Trump’s rhetoric excludes Christians who refuse to align themselves with the undeniably Christian Nationalist identity of the MAGA movement. Through words and actions, the President continues to make a mockery of Christianity, and that mockery gets amplified by conservative Christian leaders who to turn a blind eye to Trump’s amoral behavior.

The quote “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross” describes perfectly what occurred at this year’s National Prayer Breakfast and what’s happening in America today. The president’s remarks are indicative of the dangerous merger of nationalist demagoguery and religion.

How long before Christianity in America undergoes a full-blown sectarian split?

As America struggles to maintain Jefferson’s wall of separation between church and state, Atheists, Agnostics, and religiously unaffiliated need to unite behind the version of Christianity that promotes kindness, empathy, and love.

The Rope-a-Dope Pope

Mike Johnson’s recent attempt to use biblical arguments to justify America’s immigration enforcement shines a light on a dangerous problem: political leaders are misusing scripture to defend actions that run counter to the central Christian moral tradition. That should be a red flag to those of us who cherish living in a country guided by the rule of secular law.

The quote “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross” seems tailor-made for House Speaker Mike Johnson. Yesterday, he tried to “out-bible” Pope Leo by using his favorite little black book to justify the GOP’s cruel treatment of immigrants, saying, “Borders are biblical.”

Put aside the troublesome issue of the person third in line for the presidency using the Bible as justification for law; any credible theologian knows Johnson’s biblical argument for strict border enforcement is selective, incomplete, and doesn’t correspond to the broader Christian tradition.

When Pope Leo cites Matthew 25:35 (“I was a stranger and you welcomed me”), he highlights a moral duty toward immigrants, widely affirmed by Christian theologians: Hospitality to strangers is central in the Bible.

The Old Testament repeatedly commands care for foreigners (e.g., Deut 10:19).

Jesus’ teachings prioritize mercy over legalism.

Johnson uses scripture to highlight order and sovereignty, but pays less attention to major biblical themes such as hospitality, compassion, and the dignity of migrants. Additionally, this approach appears not to fully acknowledge Christian ethics, suggesting that governments also have moral obligations, as prophets in the Bible often addressed nations regarding their treatment of foreigners.

Again, putting aside the fact that we live in a society that is ruled by secular law, the Bible’s recognition of borders and civil authority does not override its commands to welcome and care for migrants.

Pope Leo is not a U.S. official—he is the spiritual and moral leader of Catholics worldwide. His call to “welcome the stranger” offers guidance for leaders in line with Christian tradition.

As an American citizen and atheist, all this bible thumping is infuriating. When officials use bible verses to justify policies, we cross the Rubicon. America is a constitutional republic, not a theocracy. Mike Johnson and Donald Trump are elected officials who swore to uphold the Constitution, not a religion.

Here’s a suggestion: Treat everyone with respect and dignity and give all people, including the undocumented, the due process guaranteed them by the constitution.

What Would Jesus Do? (Music by Suno, Lyrics by Me).

Wisdom’s Water Drops on February 12, 2026

Hello everyone!

Writing today to gently remind you that Wisdom’s Water, my poetic / lyrical collaboration with the AI Music platform Suno, drops on Spotify on February 12th, 20026.

Click here to pre-save Wisdom’s Water!

I had a blast crafting the lyrics and working in Suno to select the most suitable musical vehicle for my words and feelings. I’m inspired by all of the artists and citizens speaking out and protesting in defense of our democracy, which we are in legitimate danger of losing.

Not all of the songs are protest songs, but many are. I hope you download, stream, and share them with friends and family. And I hope you enjoy listening to them!

I created an artist account on Instagram and have been posting snippets of tracks from Wisdom’s Water. Feel free to follow the artist profile at https://www.instagram.com/sapientrain/

Here is a little taste of Wisdom’s Water from Sapient Rain:

Let me know what you think!

Warm regards,

Geof

From Maine to Minnesota

Miller’s hate
is at the gate
with ray-bans and zip ties
their fascist heart
a devil’s dart
aimed at the civilized

Masked men with guns
behave like Huns
to meet Millers ugly quota
they brutalize and terrorize
from Maine to Minnesota

A bloated king
doles out their bling
they ask me for my papers
I scream bells will toll
and heads will roll
for pedophiles and rapers

Full mags and clips
they carry chips
of grievance on their shoulder
the hateful raids
of ice brigades
turn citizens to soldiers

We’re all bereaved
its hard to breathe
with black boots on our neck
our blood congeals
they make you kneel
their violence goes unchecked

A bloated king
doles out their bling
they ask me for my papers
I scream bells will toll
and heads will roll
for pedophiles and rapers

Get in their way
they’ll pepper spray
and push you to the ground
You have no say, in the USA
when Ice Men are around

We fight for Alex Pretti
We fight for Renee Good
We fight against oppressors
and for the common good

A bloated king
doles out their bling
they ask me for my papers
I scream bells will toll
and heads will roll
for pedophiles and rapers

Check out the song for these lyrics on Suno.com

The Sound of Silence

If not for witness cell phone videos, the Trump administration would be categorizing the execution-style murder of Alex Pretti as a domestic terrorist attack by the victim.

How do we know this? Because before those videos went public, before any investigation into the shooting, that’s what Kristi Noem, Donald Trump, Greg Bovino, and Karoline Leavitt suggested. All of them are fucking liars protecting murderers.

I keep waiting for the lightbulb to flicker and ignite above the heads of decent Americans who voted for this piece of garbage and for them to say, “Enough is enough.” No one is asking you to become progressive, or liberal, or socialist, just fucking human, just fucking decent.

Our government is murdering citizens in the street, and all we hear from many of our fellow citizens is the deafening sound of their silence.

I am not surprised that people like Donald Trump exist and can lie their way to the most powerful office in the world. I’m not surprised that there are hateful, bigoted people who get off on the vicious treatment by this administration of American citizens and undocumented people. None of that surprises me.

What surprises and distresses me is the silence from those who know better. My Republican friends who know what our constitution says, who see it being violated regularly by Trump and his administration, and still remain silent.

I don’t understand that, and I never will.

My AI Music Collaboration is Coming to Spotify

Wisdom’s Water flows like a charged, poetic current—an album born at the intersection of human conviction and machine‑driven imagination. Across 13 tracks, it traces America’s ongoing struggle with mass shootings, social media, and its perilous drift toward authoritarianism. The project doesn’t preach; it witnesses, questions, warns, and ultimately affirms the resilience of a people determined to hold on to their freedoms.

At the heart of the album is the creative partnership between human and AI. The lyrical voice comes from published poet and author Geoffrey Reilly, writing as Sapient Rain, whose language carries the weight of lived experience and the clarity of someone who has spent years studying the fractures and triumphs of the American story. His words—sharp, reflective, and emotionally charged—become the guiding current that shapes the album’s thematic arc.

The music, generated through the AI music engine Suno, adds a second consciousness to the collaboration. Its sonic landscapes shift from atmospheric tension to rhythmic urgency, mirroring the political and social turbulence the album explores. Rather than replacing the human element, the AI becomes a creative amplifier, transforming Sapient Rain’s imagery into immersive soundscapes that feel deeply rooted in the present moment.

Each track becomes a meditation on violence in America, civic responsibility, collective memory, and the fragility of democratic ideals. The album’s title, Wisdom’s Water, evokes the idea that clarity—like water—can cut through stone, nourish communities, and reveal truths that power often tries to bury.

Click here to pre-save Wisdom’s Water on Spotify. The album drops on February 12th, 2026.

Spread the word – Protect Democracy.