He became a Marine on September 12th
Giving up status and material wealth
So many nightmares dancing in his skull
Davey lost it all to fentanyl
20 years of fighting in a foreign land
for a country that never even gave a damn
living with the hurt that never goes away
another buddy killed himself yesterday
Finding your friends in gutted Humvee
Totally dismantled by an IED
Tommy still alive with half his brains gone
Muttering gibberish and asking for his mom
20 years of fighting in a foreign land
for a country that never even gave a damn
living with the hurt that never goes away
another buddy killed himself yesterday
Oscar in his living room, kids at play
Surrounded by love on a beautiful day
Don't make no sense when the demons get their way
He ran off in his truck and blew himself away
20 years of fighting in a foreign land
for a country that never even gave a damn
living with the hurt that never goes away
another buddy killed himself yesterday
another buddy killed himself yesterday
another buddy killed himself yesterday
another buddy killed himself yesterday
by Richard W. Bray
Public Relations
Give yourself a prize
Dancing like scarecrow
Who believes its own lies
Public Relations
The opposite of health
You’re not into truth
You’re into yourself
Public Relations
The perfect façade
A rumor of existence
A mountain of sod
Public Relations
Who would suspect?
You gotta be real
If you wanna connect
by Richard W. Bray
Every inch of you is perfect
—Meghan Trainor and Kevin Kadish
Your naughty naughty body
And your dirty dirty mind
Got my head aspinning
And I think I’m going blind
So kinetic and so crazy
How you keep a body warm
Cover me and praise me
And shelter me with storm
Your naughty naughty body
And your dirty dirty mind
Absolute perfection
From your head to your behind
So kinetic and so crazy
How you keep a body warm
Cover me and praise me
And shelter me with storm
Your naughty naughty body
And your dirty dirty mind
You’re a sinner — you’re a saint
You’re one of a kind
So kinetic and so crazy
How you keep a body warm
Cover me and praise me
And shelter me with storm
By Richard W. Bray
everything that's right
i discovered long ago
i don't have to listen
cuz i already know
don't need any facts
to show me what's true
my feelings are my guide
i live my point of view
i don't have any need
for folks who disagree
they're just a bunch of haters
but they'll never hurt me
i need to stay pure
in a very safe space
that's the only cure
for the human race
a man-hating woman
and a woman-hating man
raised a couple kids
in a pool of quicksand
daughter got away
and overcome the sad
angry little mama's boy
blames everything on dad
a man-hating woman
and a woman-hating man
smells and yells and warning bells
forty years of rage
and they never even knew
they built their own cage
by Richard W. Bray
Hypocrisy
There’s nothing true
In things that people
Say and do…
wasting all your time
until you’re dead
living other people’s lives
inside your head
you might try
and live your own
instead
What a clown
That stupid guy
His perfect life
Is such a lie…
wasting all your time
until you’re dead
living other people’s lives
inside your head
you might try
and live your own
instead
by Richard W. Bray
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.
—Emily Dickinson
I heard a funny story
I saw a good film
So many things I wanna tell you
Things to make you smile
So many things I wanna tell you
Every single day
So many things I wanna tell you
But you went away
I had a bad day
I wanted to cry
So many things I wanna tell you
To help me get by
So many things I wanna tell you
Every single day
So many things I wanna tell you
But you went away
I pulled myself together
Dug out of my ditch
So many things I wanna tell you
Life is such a bitch
So many things I wanna tell youEvery single day
So many things I wanna tell you
But you went away
Everything that happened
Was better with you
So many things I wanna tell you
But there’s nothing I can do
So many things I wanna tell you
Every single day
So many things I wanna tell you
But you went awayby Richard W. Bray
You don’t get to say who I am
You can think what you want
You can tell your favorite aunt
Just remember – I don’t give a damn
I’ll keep being me
I’ll never fit your fantasy
You don’t get to say who I am
You don’t get to say who I am
You got ideas inside your head
You can put them all to bed
It don't mean a bucket full of spam
I’ll keep being me
I’ll keep on flying free
You don’t get to say who I am
You don’t get to say who I am
So just worry about yourself
It’s so much better for your health
Than talking up a big old mess of sham
I’ll keep being me
I’ll keep on flying free
You don’t get to say who I am
by Richard W. Bray
You did not come,
And marching Time drew on, and wore me numb,—
—Thomas Hardy, A Broken Appointment
I guess I just amused you
But I felt so much more
Wondrous happy singsong
Leading to your door
A kiss, a smile, a rainbow
Aren’t always what they seem
Underneath a streetlamp
Waiting on a dream
Time to face my sorrow
Time to live my fate
The moon is now descending
The hour is getting late
Hope, rejection, heartache —
My never-ending theme
Underneath a streetlamp
Waiting on a dream
Memories immortal
Melodies divine
Radiance and laughter
A moment of your time
A kiss, a smile, a rainbow
Aren’t always what they seem
Underneath a streetlamp
Waiting on a dream
by Richard W. Bray
Your song is the sunshine
Your song is the rain
Jacarandas swaying
Humming your refrain
Both ends of the rainbow
And everything between
Celebrate your memory
You’ll always be my Queen
Your song is in the heavens
Cooing like a dove
Everyone who knew you
Is better for your love
by Richard W. Bray
Laughter hope sock in the eye's Blog 