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.
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.
I throw up a little in my mouth every time I watch Pete Hegseth and Donald “Biff Tannen” Trump pumping their fists and boasting (like teenage boys bathed in testosterone) about America’s war with Iran.
I’m infuriated by a Congress of mostly male members sitting on their hands and refusing to hold the Trump administration accountable for continually violating the Constitution and throwing our country and the world into chaos.
More than any time in our history, we need strong and ethical women leaders in government, industry, and education to help turn the tables on the toxic masculinity hurtling humanity towards a dark void of unending violence and oppression.
For the last several months, I’ve been using Suno, an AI Music Engine, to showcase lyrics and poems I’ve written and published to my personal blog, Bending the Needle – Truth Hurts.
I’m releasing several singles next week on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube Music. The singles share a theme of women struggling against the unrelenting pressure of a patriarchal society.
I’m including public links to these new songs on Suno as a preview of their upcoming releases on streaming services.
The Queen’s Gambit
I wrote the lyrics to this song after re-watching “The Queen’s Gambit”, a limited series on Netflix about a troubled female chess prodigy fighting her way to the pinnacle of a profession dominated by men – finding redemption on sixty-four squares of sanctuary.
Trapped Inside the Bell Jar is about the poet Sylvia Plath’s struggle with mental illness, patriarchy, and a cheating husband, and how she used emotional pain and public shame to fuel a posthumous rise to literary greatness.
Originally, I used Suno to select a New Wave musical framework to showcase my poem, The Ballad of New Bobby and Joan.
This rap version tells the story of two fed-up musicians at the top of their game, protesting the greed, authoritarianism, and corruption in American politics today.
A Message from Michelle is both a tribute and a plea to the former first lady to continue to speak out strongly against the hateful and dangerously authoritarian Trump regime. I know it’s a lot to ask of Michelle Obama, who was crystal clear on what America would become under a Trump presidency.
Fury and Flow is a fun take on the adventures of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz as she tries to overcome the obstacles that keep her from getting back to her Kansas Kin.
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.
For me, the biggest perk of retirement by far is time. Time to spend as you see fit, doling it out for reading, learning, creating, or just being available to my kids.
Lately, I’ve been reading essays and biographical pieces about Sylvia Plath, the brilliant and emotionally troubled American poet and author who took her own life in February of 1963.
Plath’s confessional poetry and prose unpacked gender constraints, patriarchy, and mental health with a raw and emotional acuity that made her a feminist icon. Her passionate and tumultuous marriage and very public divorce from poet Ted Hughes was emotionally distressful and humiliating, but also a catalyst for the most creative period of Plath’s career as a writer.
I haven’t read Plath’s most seminal works, “The Bell Jar” and “Ariel”, but with retirement, I have the opportunity to do so.
I wrote the following poem about Sylvia Plath and used the AI music engine Suno to put my words to song. Here is the link to the song, Trapped Inside the Bell Jar.
Trapped Inside the Bell Jar
Sylvie and Ted lie in a bed of false hope and betrayal in poems and prose where no one knows veracity from portrayal
A suffocating madness let’s the dullness settle in a manic wit, the perfect fit of grit inside her grin
Trapped inside the Bell Jar skinned knees pulled to her chest Cracked, she cried and fell far too far to be addressed
Her pain becomes obsession A catalyst of sorts Words explode in expressions of poisonous retorts
She digs her knife into the headboard etching hearts into the wood shavings fall like paper dolls of misspent womanhood
Trapped inside the Bell Jar skinned knees pulled to her chest Cracked, she cried and fell far Too far to be addressed
With tape and wet tea towels sealing windows and locked doors the sad girl that things happen to dies on the kitchen floor
“Please call Doctor Horder “ Her note said nothing more Nick and Frieda safe and sound Behind their bedroom door
Trapped inside the Bell Jar skinned knees pulled to her chest Cracked, she cried and fell far Too far to be addressed
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.
“Wounded”, a creative endeavor between me and the AI Music Engine, Suno, and a follow-up to “Wisdom’s Water”, is available on iHeart, Apple Music, and Spotify.
“Wounded” presents an eclectic collection of songs spanning musical genres, from rockabilly and grunge-inflected bangers to melodic country western ballads.
The work appears under the artist profile “Sapient Rain.”
The lyrics are from poems I’ve written that focus on individuals wounded by love, depression, and the whims of demented, power-hungry authoritarians.
I had a lot of fun crafting the lyrics and working with Suno to select the musical score for my poetry.
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.
Donny Shakes the Jar Donny stirs the pot Donny knows that hate and fear are really all he’s got
Insurrectionists as martyrs the freedom fighter lies “A fraudulent election!” his fake-ass battle cry
He’s got minions on the take and congress in his pocket FOX to help him spin the lies Vlad Putin in his locket
On 02/26/26, the single “Donny Shakes the Jar” from the album “Wounded” comes out on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and iTunes under the artist profile “Sapient Rain.”
Sapient Rain is the artistic collaboration of writer/lyricist Geoffrey Reilly and the AI music engine Suno.
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.
We cannot be afraid to speak at what is being done Trump’s a bully and freak who wants to shock and stun With fascists in our government, this isn’t a dry run And so, we have a song to sing, a song that must be sung
GO!
Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious Elon-Bezos-Zuckerberg are really quite atrocious We need to fight them in the streets and call them on their grossness Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious
On 02/26/26, the single “Neo-fascist-oligarchic-expialidocious” from the album “Wounded” comes out on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and iTunes under the artist profile “Sapient Rain.”
Sapient Rain is the artistic collaboration of writer/lyricist Geoffrey Reilly and the AI music engine Suno.
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.
News is now tribal with no true reporting FOX is the bible a church for consorting Where lies lead to lust for the ignorant masses gaping and raping in their Eva Braun glasses
Troubadour tribesmen of white patriarchy pied-piping pitchmen for the new oligarchy Putin has puppets Elon and Don a triad of hatred running a con
MAGA the psyop bot fueled infection, just misinformation, and mindful dissection Wake all the people Before its too late He never meant to make America Great
On 02/26/26, the single “MAGA The PYSOP” from the album “Wounded” comes out on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and iTunes under the artist profile “Sapient Rain.”
Sapient Rain is the artistic collaboration of writer/lyricist Geoffrey Reilly and the AI music engine Suno.
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.
The dangers in Pittsburg the dangers in Norway wherever we live its outside our doorway The science is speaking The numbers aren’t lying The danger is global With temperatures rising
Musk in a rocket Bezos-a-blasting they reach for the stars and life everlasting a climate disaster our earth is-a-blazing and those who can help are ego star gazing what world do you want to give to your kids a world with some hope or one on the skids?
On 02/26/26, the single “The Danger’s in Pittsburgh” from the album “Wounded” comes out on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and iTunes under the artist profile “Sapient Rain.”
Sapient Rain is the artistic collaboration of writer/lyricist Geoffrey Reilly and the AI music engine Suno.
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, 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.
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.
bendingtheneedle 