you vacuumed out your soul
now you’re trying make it whole
can’t hide the empty in your eyes
when lips are spewing lies
you deny the things you do
is there anything that’s true?
can’t fix the clutter in your head
can’t fix the people who are dead
pocket your profits — don’t keep score
selling drugs and guns and war
by Richard W. Bray
Climbed the tallest mountain
Saw a guru sitting there
I asked him what it meant
And he vanished in the air
Live the love
Live the fail
Live the moment
And savor every inhale
Just when I ‘areckoned
I had it figured out
Life knocked me on my ass
And it turned me inside out
Live the love
Live the fail
Live the moment
And savor every inhale
I read bunch of books
And I seen a few things
Please don’t ever ask me
To explain anything
Live the laughter
Live the fail
Live the moment
And savor every inhale
by Richard W. Bray
Tippy tappy too
The sky is bright and blue
Dippy dappy do
I met a girl like you
Sometimes I’m a fool
Being mean to you
Words cannot not reveal
How bad it makes me feel
Your heart is like a pearl
In a crazy crazy world
Your love is like a shell
Protecting me from hell
Hippy happy hey
Another lovely day
Dippy dappy day
Don’t ever go away
by Richard W. Bray
Your wife came in and found you
In your king-sized bed
With her sister and her cousin
And this is what you said:
“This isn’t what it looks like
But it’s easy to explain
Your cousin spilled some grape juice
And the bed was getting stained
“So your sister came right over
With a bottle of detergent
We all started scrubbing
It was getting pretty urgent…”
She said:
It’s time to stop your digging
You can put the shovel down
Now y’all get to stepping
Before I put my rifle down
Politician told the people
He had our back for the duration
Then the fat cats filled his wallet
While he bankrupted the nation
“This isn’t what it looks like
But it’s easy to explain
I need a billion dollars
To finance my campaign
“You gotta believe me
Hear my words and read my lips
I would never take a bribe
But I do accept tips…”
When the voters gonna say?
It’s time to stop your digging
You can put the shovel down
You’re slick but we ain’t stupid
Time to get out of town
by Richard W. Bray
My situation is kinda dire
Got rusty rims and baldy tires
Chewing gum and chicken wire
Keeping all my shit together
My well is dry, my luck is dryer
My crops are dead, my barn caught fire
I’m half foreclosed without a buyer
I ain’t dead but I’ve been better
Ain’t got much left
I’m still a man
I’m doing
Everything I can
My baby took a bus one day
And said she’d be back right away
She sent a letter yesterday
Saying where to send her stuff
I ain’t the type to kneel and pray
You’ll never hear me bitch and bray
But Lord them skies are awful gray
And things are looking tough
Ain’t got much left
I’m still a man
I’m doing
Everything I can
Richard W. Bray
You were right and I was wrong
Now my life’s a country song
About a man who lost his wife
Wrecked his home and ruined his life
You were right and I was wrong
I lost the place where I belong
You found out—you said goodbye
I hate my wicked wayward eye
You were right and I was wrong
And everything I love is gone
Thought I could have a little fling
It wasn’t worth my wedding ring
You were right and I was wrong
You said be true or say so long
I tried to split my life in two
And eat my cake and have you too
You were right and I was wrong
I was weak and you’re so strong
I have to live with what I did
I miss my home—I miss my kids
By Richard W. Bray
In the corner of the lunchroom
There’s a bunch of sour groaners
Whining bout their problems
Cuz they’re all just stupid moaners
Attacking & accusing
It’s a horde of angry gripers
Feeding on each other
Like a den of killer vipers
Dissatisfaction validated
From a whimper to a whine
With all the manners & decorum
Of a heard of squealing swine
Cynical & fussy
Right Down to their grouchy britches
Deliver me, Oh Lord
From such a prickly bunch of bitches
by Richard W. Bray
Life keeps coming at you
Pretty fast
You’re safer with your head
Outside your ass
As long as blood is flowing
In your veins
There’s time to live the days
That still remain
Step in the arena
Every day
And live each precious minute
Come what may
The world is moving way too fast
To talk and talk about your past
Gotta keep it moving
Got no time to sip your tea
Telling stupid stories
About the way it used to be
Don’t wanna hear how
You were really cool
In the spring
Of 1982
You hit the shot that
Won the local game
A bunch of other people
Knew your name
Talking bout your
Meager ancient fame
Is silly, lazy, stupid
Sad and lame
The world is moving way too fast
To talk and talk about your past
Gotta keep it moving
Got no time to sip your tea
Telling stupid stories
About the way it used to be
by Richard W. Bray
I’m sorry for frustration
That grows inside your head
I’m sorry you keep searching
For something new to dread
I don’t need permission
To be me
Don’t waste your time on worrying
Who I’m supposed to be
I don’t need your ok
When it’s time to take a knee
Don’t need your permission
To be me
Maybe you should chill and put your
Judgment to bed
Maybe you should love and try
Forgiveness instead
I don’t need permission
To be me
Don’t waste your time on worrying
Who I’m supposed to be
I don’t need your ok
When it’s time to take a knee
Don’t need your permission
To be me
I don’t care what you learned
In some holy book you read
And I’ll try not to judge you
Just like Jesus said
I don’t need permission
To be me
Don’t waste your time on worrying
Who I’m supposed to be
I don’t need your ok
When it’s time to take a knee
Don’t need your permission
To be me
by Richard W. Bray
I climbed a rope ladder
To your balcony
That was the place
You said you were gonna be
I found out later
You were way across town
You’re trying so hard
To put me in the ground
You’re always saying
It’s only you and me
But everybody knows
I’m just your Plan B
I had enough whiskey
To make a man drown
But you still haven’t got me
Under the ground
I ran into a wall
Cuz you said it was funny
I gave you my heart
I gave you my money
Stuck my head up my ass
To be your clown
But somehow I managed
To stay above ground
Finally figured out
You’re not the whole world
There’s over a billion
Available girls
The sky is blue
And the Earth is round
I got a nice girl
Keeping me above ground
by Richard W. Bray
