Author: Jerry Brotherton

I am The Backyard Poet and I warn you that, not only will I ramble on about nothing but, I have been known to stand upon my soapbox and rant about things I care nothing about just to hear the sound of my own voice. I will try to force my opinion upon anyone willing to pay the slightest attention.

Be Careful What You Ask

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Haibun, Poetry1 Comment 
I asked a simple question to Google's version of AI. I received what might be mistaken as an accurate answer.
My Question: "How long did it take for all 50 states to ratify the 19th amendment to the US Constitution.

This is the answer I recieved:  
The 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote took approximately 19 years to be ratified by all 50 states. The amendment was first passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 21, 1919, and required 36 states to ratify it. The final state to ratify was Tennessee on August 18, 1920.

Problem: Tennessee was only the 36th state to ratify it. The second major problem is— if you add 19 years to 1919 then it would be 1938 when all 50 states ratified it. We did not have 50 states in 1938.

So when you hear our current president say he uses AI to help him make decisions on world affairs, know that he is not getting the true story. But then, it probably is still much better than what he gets from his band of amateur advisors. 
when AI answers
humans must still interpret—
skip the middle man

I Love You

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Free Verse, Poetry1 Comment

She opened her heart
like all lovers do,
he was her world.

She gave him her all,
he took it in,
told her “I love you.”

He said “I love you”,
after her busted lip,
from falling in the shower.

He said “I love you”,
after her head hit the table,
from tripping on a loose rug.

He said “I love you”,
after a broken arm,
from falling down the stairs.

He said “I love you”,
but she just isn’t sure,
how much more of his love,
she can survive.

Don’t Forget to Live

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Poetry, RhymingLeave a comment

Let me tell you about a friend of mine,
said having fun was just a waste of time.
He thought life owed him more than what he got.

When he looked around on that final day,
he found himself alone, it’s sad to say.
His money had piled high, but his memories had not.

Broken / Repaired

On By Jerry BrothertonIn Haibun, PoetryLeave a comment 
There was a time when we were young that my life was broken and shattered into a thousand pieces. Each fragment was scattered about the universe and many of the pieces were hidden in the darkest places where humanity could not survive. Yet, you stubbornly sifted through the emptiness and filth of the world to gather all those pieces. With kindness, compassion and love, you carefully examined each one. You traced each of their jagged edges with your soft fingers until you knew where it belonged. With caring you guided them back into their place. Until I was whole.

Nothing’s so busted
it can’t be put together
with patience and love