
Minor Chords
I’m the fly on the wall
The varnish on the table
The ghost in the doll
Yet, I am never truly noticed.

Minor Chords
I’m the fly on the wall
The varnish on the table
The ghost in the doll
Yet, I am never truly noticed.

But Enough about Me
I just returned from a whirlwind tour
Just bought this coat—pure hamster fur
It amazes myself—the things that I do
But enough about me, how are you?
Just got this car for ninety-nine grand
The only one like it in all of the land
With silver silk seats and a body baby blue
But enough about me, how are you?
The Governor called—isn’t that nice?
He wouldn’t make a move without my advice
It seems that his socks didn’t match his shoes
But enough about me, how are you?
My wonderful life is just such a thrill
Poor people like you just can’t get their fill
Of my fabulous tales of great derring-do
But enough about me, how are you?
by Richard W. Bray
In Your Shoes
A boy should watch his step by the creek:
“Don’t get me wrong, but you sort of reek.”
A dog is messy when he’s just a pup:
“Don’t come in this house till you clean that up”
A zoo is the place where an elephant walks:
“What is that stuff that is stuck to your socks?”
A friend is someone who can tell you bad news:
“Today I don’t want to walk in your shoes.”
by Richard W. Bray

Animal Antics
Ricky Reynoso rented a rhino
And traveled around and around
He rode from Sudan out to Siam
But lately he cannot be found
Tina Taylor Teased a Tiger
That wasn’t so smart to do
Tina is currently being digested
Down at your local zoo
Bradley Branson bribed a bear
In hopes to find some honey
But all he got was a thousand stings
And now he’s out of money.
Carl kicked a kangaroo
He kicked so hard he lost his shoe
When it kicked back he was more than blue
Because he landed in Timbuktu
Stanley Seahorn selected a snail
As his own role model
He doesn’t like to do his chores
He just likes to dawdle
Pedro pushed a porcupine
When it got in his way
Now he’s pulling out its spines
All the livelong day
Cheri shouldn’t have shoved that shark
But she was in a hurry
She did not make it home by dark
I think it’s time to worry
Candice kissed a crocodile
To see if she could make it smile
Then she ran for over a mile
It only took a little while
Sandy sat on seven skunks
He’s really not a thinker
I barely sniffed and got a whiff
Because he’s such a stinker
by Richard W. Bray
The Deep Blue Sea
I once had a notion to jump in the ocean
And swim right over to France
But halfway there, I got a big tear
Right in the seat of my pants
So I dove strait down where I found
A mermaid who wanted to dance
I didn’t know her name, but just the same
I decided to take a chance
We danced and played and happily strayed.
I’d never known such mirth
We swam near and far under the stars.
I paddled for all I was worth
As daylight neared there suddenly appeared
A merman of sizable girth
He said with a sigh, “Now you must die
For she’s been my betrothed since birth.”
The mermaid, Annette said, “I will not let
You harm one hair on his head!”
The merman, named Dan said,
“Darling, I plan to see him swim with the dead”
(I must now disclose, though bravely I posed
My heart was filled with dread
Why couldn’t I have tried a machine that flied
Like a blimp or a plane instead?)
As the merman advanced, we no longer danced.
His eyes were filled with hate
And as he came near, I was filled with a fear
I cannot now relate
I closed my eyes and prayed to the skies
For I could not face my fate
But before I turned dead, someone suddenly said,
“Look, it’s a Sea Magistrate!”
The magistrate, named Nate said, “Sorry I’m late.
I had to visit some kin
Now, let me see. Oh, can it be,
Old Dan is at it again?
By the law of the sea I declare this girl free.
The next time I will run in”
Then mighty Dan shrunk like can
You’d find in the recycle bin
Today I can say, as I watch my kids play,
“I’m the luckiest guy around.”
And my folks say Annette, although somewhat wet,
Is the best wife I could have found
We were married by Nate, which would indicate
That our wedding vows are sound
My life is pure joy. I’m the happiest boy.
And I hardly miss dry ground
by Richard W. Bray
Condemned
Can I hurt you
And not hurt me?
Now it makes me sad
While you’re full of glee
But if an hour ago
You were bleeding from a barb
I carelessly injected
Years ago
Or maliciously flung
Yesterday
Am I bleeding for you
Now
Or tearing at my own scabs
Because I wish to feel?
If there’s no metaphysical connection
And nothing transcends
Is psychic pain just self pity?
Condemned to four dimensions
And the confines of my skin
Never able
To let anybody in
by Richard W. Bray
Resume
Today my sources tell me
That you want to be my friend
But first I must inform you
That my standards do not bend
Good for you if your blood’s blue
Do you have kin that’s presidential?
If you’re also good at math
I would say you’ve got potential
Please fill out this application
Only twenty-seven pages
With DNA that’s a-okay
We might be buddies for the ages
And if you would not mind
One small pain in the neck
Such a sensible precaution
Just a simple background check
You might think me an extremist
Stuck up, arrogant and bold
I shall not apologize
I have standards to uphold
Now walk my dog and clean my room
And let me drive your Hummer
If your family has a pool
We’ll be good throughout the summer
If you don’t think it’s worth it
Just to be my friend
I’d say your lack of judgment
Will only hurt you in the end
by Richard W. Bray

The Snootysnouts
The Snootysnouts of East Wampoo
An exclusive bunch—sad but true
Barely able to stand each other
I met one who shunned her mother
So much pride, so little heart
They live to set themselves apart
Secret codes, restrictive clubs
Are how they execute their snubs
Having eliminated all inferiors
Now they vie to be superiors
Separating by social station
Even detaching from closest relations
The loneliest people under the sun
Are only happy in groups of one
by Richard W. Bray

Baseball Cards
Mike Schmidt said to Rod Carew
“Round up a team to play my crew”
Carew found Bench, Yaz and Cey
“We’ll take you on any day”
Then Tom Seaver shouted out
“What’s the clamor all about?”
And Griffey the Elder and Tommy John
Jumped up and asked, “What’s goin’ on?”
And Reggie questioned Bobby Grich
“What time’s this game and who’s to pitch?”
Catfish Hunter was ready to start
So long as Thurman would play his part
They chose up teams and played for hours
Till it was time to hit the showers
In an old shoebox in a damp garage
They hit and pitch and throw and dodge
Waiting for Jimmy to come to play
But he grew up and moved away
by Richard W. Bray
(When I was a kid, Red Skelton once told the audience at the end of his show that he got a lot of letters asking why he always ended his show by saying, “Goodnight and God Bless You.” Skelton said that this was incorrect because he would never presume to tell God what to do. What he actually said at the end of each broadcast was “Goodnight and may God bless.” )
May God Bless America
You know I love my country and I’m thankful ever’ day
That I was born right here in the good ole USA
This ain’t the kind of country where we bow to kings and queens
We appreciate the dignity of every human being
I say God bless America because it is my home
A paradise of riches where I am free to roam
May God bless America, the country of my birth
May God Bless America, and everyone on Earth
May God bless America, the mighty and the meek
And anyone who’s not afraid to turn the other cheek
I know that God is righteous, He is loving, and He’s wise
He knows when every sparrow falls, when every baby cries
Now God don’t pick no favorites, I’d never ask Him to
He loves a Hindu or a Muslim as much as me or you
God welcomes every creature. No one is born cursed
He blesses every speck of dust in the whole universe
May God bless America, the country of my birth
May God Bless America, and everyone on Earth
May God bless America, the mighty and the meek
And anyone who’s not afraid to turn the other cheek
by Richard W. Bray