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.


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.

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.


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 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

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.

Baby Teeth and Bullets Meets AI Music Generator

What to do with a shoe box full of lyrics, looking for a place to live?

I’ve always wanted to set some of my work to music, but because I have no musical skills, nothing ever came of it.

I’ve been seeing a lot of AI-generated content on social media lately, so this morning I created an account on Suno.com, picked a genre, pasted a poem I wrote years ago (Baby Teeth and Bullets), and clicked Generate.

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I watched the progress wheel on the Suno website spin round and round.

In about 1 minute, Suno set my poem to music in accordance with a genre and other characteristics I selected.

I was amazed at how quickly Suno created the song and, even though I feel a little conflicted (guilty?) about using AI to create art, I was giddy at the result.

Checkout Baby Teeth and Bullets the song and let me know what you think about it and about the ethics of using AI to generate art.

Baby Teeth and Bullets – Musical Version.