they say that
matter’s all
connected
you and me
have been
selected
every system
is affected
we share ourselves
in all we do
i wanna get
real close to you
i wanna
feel like new
and mix
some molecules
with you
by Richard W. Bray

I partied with the devil
It didn’t go well
Rode the escalator
To the pit of hell
Million kinds of poison
Alter the brain
Buckets of cocktails
Intensify the pain
Been out of my head
In a seaside bungalow
Been down and out in places
The grass don’t grow
Been torn asunder
Nasty and slow
Deliver me, Lord
From my soggy-headed woe
by Richard W. Bray
tell me where it hurts
you don’t have to tell me why
maybe you don’t know
don’t be afraid to cry
tell me where it hurts
you don’t need me to reply
i’m just gonna listen
just gonna be nearby
tell me where it hurts
bleed it till it’s dry
i’m not gonna judge you
remember i’m your guy
tell me where it hurts
where it went awry
together we can heal
together we’ll get by
by Richard W. Bray
Some folks like to
Sass and fuss
Then hop in bed
And both go nuts
Some folks wasting
All their days
Seeking targets
For their rage
This lovely life
Is much too brief
For instigating
Mindless grief
A love that starts
In acrimony
Is sure to end
In alimony
Hostility don’t turn me on
Fight and holler
I’ll be gone
If you wanna clash and feud
Find yourself another dude
by Richard W. Bray
I’ll sing you a story
That ain’t no fable
Politicians begging scraps
Off a rich man’s table
They sing for their supper
They dance for dessert
American people
Get left in the dirt
Stealing from the poor
And giving to the rich
Leaving everyone else
Stuck in a ditch
So easy to buy
A congressional flunky
Like an organ grinder
With a cute little monkey
by Richard W. Bray

What the fizzle dizzle
Did I ever do
To deserve the aggravation
That I get from you?
Always stopping by
When we’re cooking food
Before we clear the table
You’re the disappearing dude
Ain’t got nothing nice to say
About anything I do
Nothing ever satisfies
A malcontent like you
You invite yourself along
On a Saturday night
Bringing trouble to the table
You start a bunch of fights
You’re a walking heap of hardship
A dispatcher of dread
What the fizzle dizzle
Goes on inside your head
by Richard W. Bray

People holler when I dance
Women faint when I sing
I guess I must be a thing
I tried to run for mayor
I got elected King
I guess I must be a thing
Ladies send me flowers
And cover me with bling
I guess I must be a thing
The world is a yoyo
At the end of my string
I guess I must be a thing
People say my presence
Is like eternal spring
I guess I must be a thing
As soon as I enter
The party starts to swing
I guess I must be a thing
Two billion followers
Underneath my wing
I guess I must be a thing
by Richard W. Bray
Fry me some baloney
Pile my plate with peas
Make me macaroni
With some gooey gooey cheese
Whip me up an omelet
Broil me some chops
Rustle up some grits
I’m gonna eat until I pop
I worked all day long
And I didn’t get a break
Got a whole lotta hungry
Keeping me awake
Mash me some taters
Bake me up some beans
I could eat a gator
And a mess of collard greens
Sauté me some catfish
Steep me up some stew
I’ll devour every dish
From here to Timbuktu
I worked all day long
And I didn’t get a break
Got a whole lotta hungry
Keeping me awake
by Richard W. Bray

Life’ll wallop your desire
Life’ll sock you in the eye
Life’ll set your guts on fire
Life’ll make you wanna cry
Don’t beat yourself up
Don’t put yourself down
Just keep your head up
And try and stay above ground
Life’ll pulverize your wishin
Life’ll shatter your heart
Life’ll tackle your ambition
Life’ll tear your world apart
Don’t beat yourself up
Don’t put yourself down
Just keep your head up
And try and stay above ground
Life’ll crumble your dreams
Life’ll brutalize your soul
Life’ll make you wanna scream
Life’ll detonate your goals
Don’t beat yourself up
Don’t put yourself down
Just keep your head up
And try and stay above ground
by Richard W. Bray

Figuring out just who
I wanna be
Is a burden
On my sensibility
I try to take
Responsibility
For how my deeds
Affect society
But every move
A person ever makes
Ripples like a stone
Dropped in a lake
So please don’t ask me
What you oughta do
It’s exhausting and it’s
Time-consuming too
Don’t wanna tell nobody
What to do
I’ll just be me and
You can just be you
by Richard W. Bray