The thousand natural shocks that flesh
is heir to
are there to
remind you
you’re alive
every cut
and every kiss
says you’re real
and you exist
This dappled world we’re living in
this tender box
of bone
and skin
every cut
and every kiss
says you’re real
and you exist
by Richard W. Bray
don’t hump me
and dump me
turn my insides into mush
don’t kiss me
and dismiss me
find somebody else to crush
kiss me long
and kiss me slow
hold my hand
and don’t let go
don’t hump me
and dump me
and cut me down to size
don’t tease me
and squeeze me
like a consolation prize
kiss me long
and kiss me slow
hold my hand
and don’t let go
don’t hump me
and dump me
and break my little heart
don’t hurt me
and desert me
and tear my life apart
kiss me long
and kiss me slow
hold my hand
and don’t let go
by Richard W. Bray
Have you tried
Covering your ears
Closing both your eyes
Ignoring life for years
Repeating soothing lies?
Neurosis is my superpower
So long as I don’t leave the tower
Have you tried
Talk, talk, talking
About everyone you know?
Make it super shocking
And never stop the show
Neurosis is my superpower
Spreading bullshit sweet and sour
Have you tried
Rewiring all the neurons
Dashing through your head?
Tell yourself you’re pure in
The things you did and said
Neurosis is my superpower
Eating lies and shitting flowers
By Richard W. Bray
I remember the times
When you sat on my lap
You shared your domain name
And showed me your sitemap
I had a high PageRank
The world was my stage
I was the solitary server
On your landing page
We were so optimized
And you threw it away
De-indexing my love
On a Whiteboard Friday
We had canonical love
It just isn’t right
For anyone else
To be crawling your site
I’m losing my mind
And I’m right on the brink
Why you gotta treat me
Like a no-follow link?
Follow the breadcrumbs
Back to my perch
You know where to find me
In an organic search
By Richard W. Bray
Your life is full of pain
Things you can’t explain
You find someone to blame
So every problem is the same
You’re a little bit neurotic
And your ego’s really weak
You’re a scared little lamb
And a fixating geek
Thinking hurts your head
Everything turns red
You focus your frustration
On a person or a nation
You’re a little bit neurotic
And your ego’s really weak
You’re a scared little lamb
And a fixating geek
Will quiet desperation
Explode in devastation?
Will you drive yourself insane
Hiding from the pain?
You’re a little bit neurotic
And your ego’s really weak
You’re a scared little lamb
And a fixating geek
by Richard W. Bray
I could be a little bitch
But I’d rather be a man
Ain’t gonna let no woman
Tell me who I am
Don’t know hang dang dibble
And I don’t really care
How she’s looking tonight
Or the way she cuts her hair
I’m gonna have another beer
I’m gonna play it where it lays
Till it all disappears
In a honey-colored haze
Don’t know hang dang dibble
And I don’t really care
If she found another lover
To take her everywhere
Don’t matter that she loved me
Like nobody ever did
Won’t get hung up on a feeling
Like a stupid little kid
Don’t know hang dang dibble
And I don’t really care
Living in the past
Won’t never get you anywhere
By Richard W. Bray
Yemeni lives matter
Iraqi lives too
Syrians are human beings
Just like me and you
Yemeni lives matter
We are the things we do
We make the bombs that kill babies
We avert our view
Pakistanis bleed
They eat and shit and screw
Like the people you know
They love their children too
We sell ourselves a story
When we do bad things
But our guilt cries out
Like a bell that always rings
by Richard W. Bray
Everything I ever wanted
Showed up and it was you
Then you sighed and said
That you had other things to do…
I found myself a hole
And I filled my guts with rye
But I didn’t have
The decency to die
I soaked up so much hurtin
And I drank my soul dry
But I didn’t have
The decency to die
I fought with every fool
Who had a drink to buy
But I didn’t have
The decency to die
Puking blood and squirting mud
And breathing to be high
But I didn’t have
The decency to die
Today they see me healthy
They smile and wonder why
He didn’t have
The decency to die
by Richard W. Bray
You can spend a lifetime
Whining bout your luck
That don’t make it better
It just makes you a schmuck
Be happy cuz it hurts
It’s brutal and it’s fast
Be happy cuz it’s crazy
And the good times never last
Kindness and compassion:
There won’t ever be enough
You can be a partisan
For fellowship and love
Be happy cuz it hurts
It’s brutal and it’s fast
Be happy cuz it’s crazy
And the good times never last
Live the life you got
You won’t get another chance
So turn and face the music
And have yourself a dance
Be happy cuz it hurts
It’s brutal and it’s fast
Be happy cuz it’s crazy
And the good times never last
by Richard W. Bray
You’re not sick
You’re just in love
—Irving Berlin
My hair’s falling out
And I got new pimple
Who ever said
Life would be simple?
When you’re around
I blush and stammer
I say stupid things
And forget my grammar
I walked by your house
Hoping we would meet
Then I found out
I was on the wrong street
When you’re around
I feel out of place
Sort of like a turtle
In a hundred meter race
I feel sort of dizzy
Everything is hazy
If I don’t see you more
It’s gonna make me crazy
When you’re around
The universe glistens
I really like your voice
So I’m just gonna listen
by Richard W. Bray
