Played Out Retromania

January 16, 2026 

We wrote down recipes 
And kept em in a box
Magic and Stockton
Had really long socks

Retromania
Boomer egomania
Singing in the rainia
On a plain in Spainia

The olden days 
We're golden days
Bless those vintage bygone ways

Time to break the chainia
Pour it down the drainia
Before we go insania
With played out retromania

We sang some happy true songs
And broken-hearted blue songs 
Now it's time for new songs

Time to break the chainia
Pour it down the drainia
Before we go insania
With played out retromania

by Richard W. Bray

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Don’t be a stupid needy Nimrod

January 8, 2026 


You've been acting pretty odd
Just like a stupid needy Nimrod

Frustrating friends and your relations
With all your crazy expectations

I can’t paddle your canoe,
Wipe your nose and tie your shoe

Frustrating friends and your relations
With all your crazy expectations

You whine and then you whinny 
Like you’re a goofy little ninny

Frustrating friends and your relations
With all your crazy expectations

Always jumping to conclusions
To support your lame delusions 

Frustrating friends and your relations
With all your crazy expectations

Thinking truth is what you feel
Take a look at life for real

Frustrating friends and your relations
With all your crazy expectations

by Richard W. Bray

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she loves me like a penguin

December 30, 2025 


she knows everything about me 
and we've never even spoken 
if she ever stops following
everything will be broken

she loves me like a penguin
she always follows me around
she waves her little penguin wings
all over town

you know i've always had a notion
love is really just devotion
when she wiggles cross the ocean
she warms up the arctic night

she loves me like a penguin
and you know birdies mate for life
she loves me like a penguin
and penguin love is pretty nice

by Richard W. Bray

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The spirit of the trees comes out at night 

December 20, 2025 

The universe is charged and wondrous
Feel the force that floats among us
Resist the anger hate and greed
Only take the love you need

The spirit of the trees comes out at night 
Dogs and children see the hidden light 

Dynasties will rise and fall
Nothing's written on the wall
Seeking truth out day by day
We stagger on our wanting way

The spirit of the trees comes out at night 
Dogs and children see the hidden light 

Every breath is blessed and free
Share the joy and dignity
Love and kindness never cease
Live with hope and work for peace

The spirit of the trees comes out at night 
Dogs and children see the hidden light 

by Richard W. Bray

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Frazzle Pazzle

December 6, 2025 

Whackadoodle 
Walk your poodle 
Eat a noodle
With some strudel 

Whoopsie daisy
Love your crazy
Loopy lazy
Doesn't faze me

Hunky dory
Drive your lorry
Sing a story
Don't ignore me

Under over
Four-leaf clover
Cliffs of Dover
Play with Rover

Prince and pauper
Lemon dropper
Happy hopper
Never stop her

Razzle dazzle
Frazzle pazzle
Words unravel
Happy travels

by Richard W. Bray

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Fight Yourself or Fight the Sea

December 3, 2025 

Cold deep dark and absolutely clear,
–Elizabeth Bishop

Cold and clear
Wet and dark
Impossibly near
Deep and far

Water and salt
Freezes and burns
Lunar attraction
Always returns

Fight yourself 
Or fight the sea
Heroic and Stupid
Never quite free

Endless and certain
Absolute
A tree is a man
With a brain in its root

by Richard W. Bray

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Attention is the air I breathe

November 15, 2025 

No memory of having starred
Atones for later disregard,
Or keeps the end from being hard.
–Robert Frost

You're the water 
I'm Narcissus 
You're the source 
Of all my wishes
When the pool
Begins to dry
That's when I 
Begin to die

Everybody, look at me 
Attention is the air I breathe

When my latest
Book won't sell
It's like the deepest
Ring of hell
People won't
Return my calls
Like Icarus
I fall and fall

Everybody, look at me 
Attention is the air I breathe

I used to be 
Among the guys
That everyone 
Would recognize
Invisible
And seized with pain
As seasons turn 
And fashions change

Everybody, look at me 
Attention is the air I breathe

by Richard W. Bray

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There’s lots of hurt to go around

October 18, 2025 







She scrambled up my insides pretty good
I drank myself past crazy, knock on wood

I grabbed my hounds and packed my sled
And prayed for better days ahead

I never cared for that old town
There's lots of hurt to go around

I thought she'd be the one to make me true
I end up sad no matter what I do

The best laid plans don't guarantee 
A life that's free of misery

I tried so hard – I let her down
There's lots of hurt to go around

We did the Tallahassee do-si-do
Then she left me bleeding in the snow

My chariot is flying low
I guess it's just my time to go 

Harps and horns make lovely sound
There's no more hurt to go around 

by Richard W. Bray 






				


				
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The bee and the butterfly and the breeze

				October 12, 2025 

				

					





















In the name of the Bee—
And of the Butterfly—
And of the Breeze—Amen!
–Emily Dickinson

Big ugly buildings don’t do much for me
Walking in the woods is my favorite show 
The bee and the butterfly and the breeze

Dogs and leopards and bobolinks agree
Give me a mountaintop slathered in snow
Big ugly buildings don’t do much for me

No more bosses and timeclocks to appease
No one monitors when I come and go
The bee and the butterfly and the breeze

Hugging a rainbow – talking to a tree
Sipping on the sunshine – living real slow
Big ugly buildings don’t do much for me

Overcome by joy – overwhelmed with ease
Sing with the flowers – listen to them grow	`
The bee and the butterfly and the breeze

Daydream and become everything you see
Take a deep breath – your body feels the flow
Big ugly buildings don’t do much for me
I’ll take the bee and the butterfly and the breeze

by Richard W. Bray

				


				
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Rimsy Rosey Dipsy Dapsy Dozey

				October 3, 2025 

				

					












Rimsy
Rosey
Dipsy dapsy dozey

Brizzy
Brayzee
People think I'm crazy

Hipsy
Hopsy
Flipsy flopsy frozey

Dimby
Damby
You really understand me

Ohzee
Nosey
Tipsy tapsy toesy

Freedoo
Weedoo
I really wanna see you

Bimsy
Bamsy
Boomsy woomsy toomsy

Meedope
Beedope
You sunshine me with hope

Richard W. Bray

				


				
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