What kind of beast would turn its life into words?
—Adrienne Rich
Relentlessly describing
Everything I see
I got a magic eye
The world will notice me
Countless dinner parties
Living in the glow
Don't know why I'm crying
Feelings come and go
Candor in my vision
The covenant I keep
I see for miles and miles
But I don't look in too deep
Wealth and fame and glory
Always on the phone
I told a thousand stories
But I never knew my own
by Richard W. Bray
On Saturday he comes to town
And puts some pints of whiskey down
Getting drunk and talking shit
All night long till he gets hit
A mixed-up mess of drink and smell
Living in your private hell
Getting drunk and talking shit
Spewing lies and gobs of spit
Thoughts revealed in wine are true
Uncovering the real you
Getting drunk and talking shit
Such an asshole when you’re lit
Folks who piss away their lives
Belching lies as sharp as knives
Getting drunk and talking shit
Losers don’t know when to quit
by Richard W. Bray
Escape hatch
In the portals of my mind
Hiding with the lies
That take up all my time
Escape hatch
Nowhere else to go
Putting on a mask
Putting on a show
Escape hatch
Can't avoid my brain
The truth is in the task
The truth is in the pain
Escape hatch
Time to shut the door
Time to cut the con
I don't need it anymore
by Richard W. Bray
laughing girls
and romping boys
a thousand lovely
aching joys
spots of time
the spirit captures
mundane moments
dizzy raptures
drink all this
the blessèd mood
little things
felt and viewed
By Richard W. Bray
I thought my brain was cured
But then you hurt me with your words
Like so many sticks and stones
I think your words can break my bones
When I hear your nasty sounds
Everything comes crashing down
People tell me I’m absurd
They really hurt me with their words
I’m traveling with a happy herd
Don’t try and hurt me with your words
I'm gonna burst just like a bubble
You’re gonna be in so much trouble
You’re such a silly stupid turd
You wanna hurt me with your words
Somebody needs to pass a law
To protect me from it all
By Richard W. Bray
He became a Marine on September 12th
Giving up status and material wealth
So many nightmares dancing in his skull
Davey lost it all to fentanyl
20 years of fighting in a foreign land
for a country that never even gave a damn
living with the hurt that never goes away
another buddy killed himself yesterday
Finding your friends in a gutted Humvee
Totally dismantled by an IED
Tommy still alive with half his brains gone
Muttering gibberish and asking for his mom
20 years of fighting in a foreign land
for a country that never even gave a damn
living with the hurt that never goes away
another buddy killed himself yesterday
Oscar in his living room, kids at play
Surrounded by love on a beautiful day
Don't make no sense when the demons get their way
He ran off in his truck and blew himself away
20 years of fighting in a foreign land
for a country that never even gave a damn
living with the hurt that never goes away
another buddy killed himself yesterday
another buddy killed himself yesterday
another buddy killed himself yesterday
another buddy killed himself yesterday
by Richard W. Bray