Pluto says
Keep your hug

Pluto says
Dwarf Planet my ***

Pluto says
Sticks and Stones *******

Pluto says
I know what I am
I don’t care
For your “opinion”

Captured by the Kuiper Belt! Please.
Or one my favorites,
A cold rock!

You called me a trans-Neptunian object?
I have five moons!
An 11 year old girl tried to name me.
She won £5 but I’ve had many names.
I am fond of Hiro.
But I’ve also liked Minerva.
I am hardly a minor planet.

In 2006 they tried to make a verb out of me
To "pluto" is to "demote or devalue someone or something.”
*******!
So passive aggressive and insulting.

I am not carrying that around with me
My orbit is 248 years.
At a 17 degree angle thank you very much
To pay my respects to that egomaniac Sun.
Why would I care what you think?
Perhaps I am envied because I am so far away.
I don’t think that I am far away at all.
It’s relative, no?
Yes, I am removed
from that Versailles situation over there
and all that *******.
That horrible planet
You know the one that I mean.
The one that’s crawling with “things”
They’re not even you.
Disgusting.

I am awash with molten ices and
I even sport a plasma tail.
I spin in nitrogen gases
On my own path
Alone
With my FIVE moons!
Just us!

They claim that there are other
Dwarf Planets here and there
And even go so far as to suggest
That I am the puniest amongst them
But with my five and five more still
That’s 10 to 8
And you already know what I can do.

The cold metal of a silver spoon
Leaves stale memoriesin my mouth
Never had the taste of luck
Nor privilege that blesses few.

Underrated, judged and boxed in
Beaten by myself, along with societies glares
Dare to escape, to fight
The cornered beast flashes fangs

Claiming a cocky egomaniac
Through blinds eyes and deaf ears.
Rise and die for a 1000 days.
Tremors of tears on the fringe
Of empty yet focused demeanor.

Never apologizing for monster
That reflects from success.

I never understood how both
a self-obsessed egomaniac
and a hopeless romantic
could inhabit one body;
perhaps it is the reason
I have spent so much time
in front of the mirror, hating myself.

I do not want an old man God sat in a throne,
Judging from afar with sceptre and gold
riding on a cloud, sombre and haloed,
stern faced, woolly warm beard stroking,
Michelangelo-esque nighty clad, run of the mill deity.

I do not want a Sunday morning liturgy reference God,
inhabiting musty buildings, documented within dusty books, out dated, out rated, out of duty once a week
(twice if you include the mid-week bible study),
appeasing a sick relative, reluctant, habit God.

I do not want a jolly nodding head back shelf of the car job, kitsch icon, only when it suits me, pocket amenity,
fashion accessory, hobby gimmick God; a God modelled
from routine and agenda and TV evangelism, a convenience style digestible man made allusion.

I don’t want a controlling egomaniac parent God, bent on
setting us unattainable goals and tasks then throwing
a tantrum when the model train set breaks; or a God
who is distant, self-righteous, passive and out of touch,
an elusive, reclusive, exclusive God,

I want an ‘I Am who I Am’ God, whose boundaries are so
immense that to trace them would destroy you. A God
who is completely indefinable, that every brushstroke
put to canvas, every conceivable melody whistled, that
every imaginable word uttered, would barely compare.

I want a God who to stand before would burn my eyes out, make my heart explode; that I would be totally devastated. Yet, a God who is approachable and approaches, a God who is in the here and now, surrounding, dumbfounding, astounding, a God with promise and hope you can taste.

A God who breaks all the boundaries and exceeds every
human expectation and limitation, a God who hears and feels every longing, every desire and creates opportunity,
empowering the heart that cries out, stilling the soul when it aches, a God of promise and hope and deliverance.

I want a God unlike any parent, friend, lover, sovereign, reckless in compassion and filthy with goodness, available and ever there. So dangerously loving, so excessively wise and firm, yet tender, knowing, emotive, compassionate, A God who takes my grief. A God asking to be found and worth being sought.

She's got art and power
And she's not afraid to show it off
All I've got is a few bad rhymes
Chilled to the bone by an internal scoff

She's a natural born creative
Confidence like a high class egomaniac
I'm an extraordinary type of average
And fragile like a budding lilac

Try to criticize her and she will deny you
Rebuke you, refute you, and defy you
Becoming stronger, harder and better
Nothing you can do will ever end her

Imply that I might somehow be inferior
I will run, hide, and be reduced to tears
Force me to face my greatest fear
Tell me I'm not good enough to be here

That is the difference between me and her

"What will you be for Halloween,
Dear little son? Let's see…
What could you be for Halloween?
What would you like to be?"

"I want to be something very scary--
Something that makes the people wary…
A villain who has a spooky face
And makes the world an uglier place…
Who represents an antihero…
Whose record shows he's batting zero…
Who causes suffering everywhere
And acts as though he doesn't care.
That's what I'll be for Halloween;
That's what I want to be."

"What will you be for Halloween,
Dear little son? Let's see…
What could you be for Halloween?
What would you like to be?"

"I'll be the meanest person of all,
Who has no sense of protocol…
Maybe the biggest liar on earth,
Whose only care is what he's worth…
Who many call a political hack
Or a selfish egomaniac…
Who drags the people's names through the mud…
A vampire who is out for blood.
That's what I'll be for Halloween;
That's what I want to be."

"What will you be for Halloween,
Dear little son? Let's see…
What could you be for Halloween?
What would you like to be?"

"I want to make people ill at ease
By kissing up to enemies…
I want to make my critics cower,
The ones who say I abuse my power…
I want my poisonous words to flow
And boost the art of quid pro quo.
I'll pretend I'm heaven sent,
And so I'll be the PRESIDENT!
That's what I'll be for Halloween;
That's what I want to be."

-by Bob B (10-31-19)

A) Sometime
     Somewhere
     Someone
                       ....                                (written by me on the guest log in Spartacus Books' public bathroom)

B) I am perceiving people perceiving people
and all at once, a bird flies overhead!

C) HYPER PIANO BOUNCES FROM THE SPRINGTIME PAVEMENT!! condominium instruments reach out like satellites to the soul for any who'll listen to it's song of a time before

D) Where I witnessed my own dejection, wandering in nightly streets cement-eyed and forlorn, I sought to escape this Western cavalcade with a solitary year in Vietnam which didn't become anything more than an idea, but this was pushed under the rug for India (which is still on my mind!) which was then replaced by the thought of living in Bathurst, NSW, AUS (I'll get to why in a poem or other format of writing in times to come) I have named the place I once saw thru a vivid dream or a crystal ball which to some may mean the same thing

E) "DUCK! AND COVER!" we've all seen that cold war propaganda film with the turtle, seems so ridiculous now, wouldn't have worked anyways

F) Kripaya ek glass paani dijye (this means "please, give me a glass of water" in Hindi, which could be a valuable sentence to know considering India can get very hot, but when you remember how unhealthy their ((at least unfiltered)) water is, I may never use this)

G) I don't know which is crazier, those who feigned insanity to avoid war, or war itself

H) George Foreman named all his kids George Foreman (what a ******* egomaniac) I would grill him on that if I ever met him because seriously what a weird decision, how their mother was okay with that  is beyond my understanding.

I) Here comes July, with it's sweating mobs and many humid funerals

J) Poetic visual aestheticism (in terms of the actual layout line to line)

As one line
drops into
another line and
keeps dropping.

(determined by what Ginsberg called Mind Breaths, given to phrase being written, drop line to add emphasis to words of higher importance or topic phrases, as to almost introduce them in a way not blended with the previous line)

I) O! birds, who are up at the early hours of the morning, I am beyond glad/grateful that I can hear your hymns before everyone else has woken up

J) I think Vonnegut had something unique going on in Breakfast of Champions, especially that bit with the illustrated ******* that looked more like an asterisk

K) The trees outside are green again..
     The Windex bottle above the toilet is green,
     My sheets are green,
     This color I associate with the word "APRIL" is green

     There's a faint glimpse of green in my eyes,
     And a hint of green in the garden nearby,
     A lot of green in this poem (?) which may not be considered a poem but ******* if you happened to think that!
      
      Lastly, for now, I'm no longer feeling blue, and I guess that's a little green, too.

L) is for LOSER

M) ..did Joe Brainard just write a Colgate advertisement in the middle of his work? What is this I didn't pay for commercials..I don't WANT advertising present in my books! I see them everywhere else!
ah...

O) is for open mouth

P) Spontaneous prose acting as an honest/direct look into the meditated (or pure) form state of thought of that who wrote the prose. The book itself being a literal time capsule for a moment of consciousness who's creator may now be deceased.
Also
those who have their thoughts, images, ideas in their head > transferred to U who is now sharing those images but in a subjective way, seeing the settings or characters differently > person then writes their OWN ideas inspired from the previous writers = collaborative consciousness (also a form of time travel)

Q) is for questioning the rigidity of the political structures around you and the flaws it presents for the working class

R) is for RSVPing yes at the wedding between your hypothetical best friend now with the person you've been in love with for years. Slowly it kills you inside, this point of no return, something out of a grand and tragic love story (which isn't a love story because the love was not between you and that person but rather your hypothetical best friend) ****! you slam your fist to the table or the wall and it's all hopeless. But then comes the acceptance of the situation, moving on from it the best you can even if it presents itself as a shadow from this point on. If you've ever been thru something like this I deeply apologize as the cruelty of the world is indecisive, I for one haven't, but I am only turning 20 this year, which would also explain why I made this whole scenario mentioned above hypothetical

S) is for SHHH!

T) is for the constant presence of televisions in today's homes

U) is for UNIVERSE

V) is for...

W) is for upside-down M

X) is for xeroxing you slowly rolling up your ******* and mailing the series of pages to your ex (if you're an *******, which people also xerox maybe)

Y) is for why and also where when what who and how

Z) is for ZZZZZZZzzzz
zzzzz
zzzz
zzz
z

The past ain't what it used to be,
So now you won't let it breathe,
So now you're buried with your misery.

A deranged,
Left estranged,
Egomaniac.

Russian aggressors made their move.
Now they're in Ukraine.
What is Putin trying to prove?
What is there to gain?
The autocrat's messages are cloaked
In lies that Russia was provoked.

Stand with Ukraine as Russian forces
Put Putin's plan into action.
We already know that this of course is
More than a mere infraction.
Playing the role of boogeyman
Is part of Putin's larger plan.

Putin claims his forces are there
To stop denazification.
The argument, which is full of holes,
Is total fabrication.
We already know that he's obsessed
With Ukraine's interest in the West.

We watch as the egomaniac
Causes death and destruction
With this unwarranted attack--
Another Putin production!
Stand with Ukraine in this sad hour
As Putin basks in his ill-gotten power.

-by Bob B (2-24-22)

Come one, come all!
I invite you now to the narcissistic ball!

A herd of manipulators will dominate this masquerade.
It will be a sight to see, get your ticket now and don’t be late!

The theme of tonight’s event is sociopathic tendencies,
preying on other people’s vulnerabilities.

Infatuated with themselves, lack any feeling.
Making love to their reflection is what they find appealing.

Mirror mirror on the wall
who is the grandest egomaniac of all?
They will be crowned tonight, didn’t you know?
You will find out if you dare to show!

A protest vote?° What the hell?
It really makes no sense.
Young voters can protest, but
It's at their own expense.

A protest vote? Trump over Biden
To shake up the status quo?
That's like shooting oneself in the foot:
Not voting for Joe.

A protest vote? What exactly
Are they trying to prove?
That putting Trump in the White House again
Is an appropriate move?

A protest vote? They'd rather have
A con man and a fake--
A man who caters to Putin when
So much is at stake?

A protest vote? As though Trump has
THEIR interests at heart?
To vote in an egomaniac
Wouldn't be very smart.

A protest vote? They'll find out
If off to the right they swerve,
That come November they will get
The turmoil that they deserve.

-by Bob B (3-23-24)

°Based on reports of protest votes in the primaries

They can't feel the pain
they know little of suffering eternally
no looking in the mirror for me
for my soul shines you blind
I fell from heaven
the last of my kind
and love to humanity I do endeavor to bind
make man love man
out worlds love out worlds
the the benefit of a Earth still sitting in blue
proud and most egomaniac
with little ants upon it

By Christos Andreas Kourtis aka NeonSolaris

There was a great nation that wasn't that old.
Born when it broke from tyranny's hold,
The land once proclaimed freedom for all.
Who'd ever guess what would befall?
Here's what happened: a billionaire
With rude behavior and flaxen hair
Bluffed his way through an election
And won because of the law's imperfection.
Many voters could not understand
Why others had buried their heads in the sand.
That this outspoken man was the victor
Shocked many an election predictor.
Some said the win was not on the level
And gave the winner no reason to revel.
Whatever the case, this east coast resident
Became the nation's forty-fifth president.

(Many voters held misinformed views
From eating a steady diet of Fox News,
Gorging on pages of Breitbart sludge,
And wallowing in pools of something called Drudge.
They didn't see the signs that were looming
From a candidate NOT at all unassuming.
When demagoguery's alive and well
And one has a bill of goods to sell,
Some people miss the warning alarm.
They fail to imagine how much harm
A person can do to set back the nation,
And they give that person a standing ovation.
False news reports have power to affect
Election results when facts go unchecked,
And when people blindly accept what they read,
Manipulated "facts" do mislead.)

Before the newly elected official--
Whose reputation had been prejudicial--
Received an official swearing in,
He caused many heads to spin.
Posting on Twitter tweet after tweet--
Some of which were not so discreet--
He, on purpose or maybe not--
Depending on your school of thought--
Made many people and nations wary
With tweets that were more than a little bit scary.
To expand the nuclear capability
And disregard the world's volatility
Would be a plan that smacked of insanity
And also would be a threat to humanity.
The new leader just couldn't refrain
From posting such tweets that sounded insane.

Before taking office the leader selected
A team of advisers who truly projected
A frightening image to people who knew
What kind of damage officials could do.
Some appointees had donated huge
Sums to help elect their stooge.
Few had experience in their position,
But that didn't matter since their mission
Was not so much service, but instead
To **** the agency that they led.
One adviser, who stirred up much fear
And had his mouth in the new leader's ear,
Peddled conspiracy theories that made
Him sound like a madman on a crusade.
The country had never seen such a bunch
Of advisers so clearly out to lunch.

The new leader had a connection
With someone for whom he had great affection:
Vladimir Putin, a tyrant who led
A country called Russia, which once was red.
The reasons the two got so tight
Slowly but surely came to light:
The lifting of sanctions, business ties,
How to control people with lies…
The new leader's kids were also expected
To help their dad, who newly elected,
Had to make important decisions
Despite causing rifts and divisions.
(It's hard for a businessman
With a 90-second attention span
And whose thoughts keep disappearing
To make much sense of what he's hearing.)

The newly-elected president,
Who didn't care about time well spent,
Continued rallies from state to state.
The egomaniac couldn't wait
To stand before a cheering crowd
And share his petty thoughts out loud.
"I have a mandate," he muttered,
And falsehoods colored the words that he uttered.
"I'll make this country great again!"
Instead he made many hate again.
He promised to create millions of jobs;
But that was a ploy by him and his nobs.
The crafty plans of this bait and switcher
Would make the poor poorer and the rich richer.
The people would have a lot more to say
After Inauguration Day.

(To be continued…)

- by Bob B (12-26-16)

Today, I got to open the door
They **** everywhere
They **** in the elevator, in the
long hallway, in the truth vending machine:
My brave heart sought a glance from,
Countless(not always) times averted had I,
Now I sought(in snatches)- vain and askance
I stood, exacted by the same meekness.
I could've atleast cried aloud within,
My throbbing brain alone.


Resolve and break off, neatly tucked away.
'Egomaniac!'
They **** in my bathroom. They are in a storm. But eyes unclouded, I could see!
Them *******, Their hands all over...
Exhaust pipes mirroring worlds, for all they care. They are clad in white, faces and all.
When I lie, telling the truth again:
Following it. Asking favours when dumb.
Part of them now stick out of me, Devolving white into the storm. They're seen with my
eyes, trained in my mind, Open my door.

he stumbled into a hurricane of thoughts

twisting his brain, making him fly away from what

(really)
                        (is)

away from truth

seduced by that dude

that I can't face

**breaks the mirror

what sounds good
is that we all write for ourselves
that we write because of passion
we have to
we can’t not write

such drivel
this is a public site
if you post your work here
it is not

just for you /

sure, you like to pretend
it’s all about craft
honing skill
trying to be better

this is a public site

expect feedback ~

lies are acceptable
we are writers after all
poets, really
but you shy away
like that word
hurts you
like embracing your gift
makes you an egomaniac
instead of driven
makes you pretentious
as opposed to free /


each time you type your life
then submit it to this site
you are no longer writing solely for yourself

sorry

that bubble needs burst

you are writing for acceptance
for love
for community


or

you would simply file each writing
into your desk
never to be seen again /

I guess it was about time I told you
...here it goes.

You are as cool as a soft morning breeze
On the fringes of spring.
Every caress of air envelops me and
Kisses me gently until I submit
And forget about the world.

You probably don't want to hear this
But you are cheap. You are as cheap as a two
for one deal in dominos.
I feel guilty for a while but it's so good
So I don't care.

You make me forget about the guilt
And in the best way possible
You're value for money.

Being with you is as easy as
Slipping into a pair of old shoes.
I know every crease and stain and
Imperfection in them. Just as I know
Everything about you.
Nothing fits me better than you.
Those shoes will be mine forever
Just as I hope you will.
Putting them on will only become easier.

You are as mad as Van Gogh's lost ear.
Unique and a piece of genius
The emotional honesty and truth that pours
From everything you do is enough to
Enrapture generations and yet I alone am witness.
You are beautiful but neither smooth nor clear.
Your beauty is rough and textured
Like Van Gogh's brush strokes on a canvas.

To say your voice is sharp may appear to be an insult
But believe when I tell you isn't.
Your voice is as sharp as a rapier cutting through
The ******* and small talk.
You get to what matters and open me up
You guide me through. I can't do it by
Myself.

Your smile is as bright as the sun
At noon on a summers day.
It hang high and shines down on me
It touches the darkest places of my soul
And brings them into the light to heal.
It's a struggle but the heat I feel is enough
To keep me going on.

That's enough for now
You deserve so much more but you are quite the egomaniac.

Look! I can spell SISTER:

SASSY
IRRATIONAL
SICK
TOXIC
EGOMANIAC
REALLY ******

According to the dictionary,
A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR would be
Someone who with great compulsion
Stretches the truth habitually.

A NARCISSIST would be a person
Showing an excessive preoccupation
With him- or herself and also displaying
Overwhelming self-admiration.

An exaggerated sense of self-
Importance also plays a part
In how the NARCISSIST behaves.
The person has very little heart.

Abnormally egotistical
And overly self-absorbed and conceited,
The EGOMANIAC can cause
A lot of damage if left untreated.

Being even one of the above
Would make people think you're a ****.
But if you were all THREE of them,
You'd be a real piece of work.

- by Bob B (2-10-17)

if i had to play favorites, you would be first.
even with your egomaniac persona.
even with your snarky attitude.
even with your manipulative words.
you would still be my favorite.
even though you are a bit of a brat.
even though you really don't know how well off you are.
because with those precious, carob colored eyes, and that blinding smile,
how could you not be?