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
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 you Every 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 away 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
all day long
I think of you
subsisting on
your residue
too good to be true
too good to be true
too good to be true
warmth and style
and royal blue
all wrapped up
inside of you
too good to be true
too good to be true
too good to be true
your hair, your smile
your ballyhoo
I would pay
to be your shoe
too good to be true
too good to be true
too good to be true
sophistication
through and through
you’ll never play
the ingénue
too good to be true
too good to be true
too good to be true
I live for love
I never knew
the psycho ward
is overdue
too good to be true
too good to be true
too good to be true
by Richard W. Bray
To tease em, and thrill em, to torture and kill em,
Is her delight, they say
—Hard Hearted Hannah. Lyrics by Jack Yellen, Bob Bigelow, and Charles Bates
never said
i was nice
you got some sugar
with your spice
now it’s time
to run along
here’s a dime
to call your mom
never said
i was nice
love isn’t always
paradise
thank your stars
you got to be
with someone
as cool as me
never said
i was nice
please don’t make
me tell you twice
it shouldn’t be hard
to find the door
you don’t amuse
me anymore
by Richard W. Bray
The way you changed my life
No, no they can’t take that away from me
—Ira Gershwin
i could have
loved you better
in a million
different ways
you’ll be in
every moment
till the bygone
of my days
everything
that came before
was leading
up to you
everything
i’m feeling now
is from your
residue
i’m better
cuz of you
in a million
different ways
you’ll be in
every moment
till the bygone
of my days
by Richard W. Bray
somewhere there’s a rainbow
as beautiful as you
i ain’t never seen it
but they tell me that it’s true
somehow you appeared
when i was falling apart
you sheltered me from chaos
with your beautiful heart
sometimes life is vicious
it takes everything away
it left me with a hurting
that’s impossible to say
somehow i keep going
what else can i do?
with a little bit of hope for
the world that gave me you
by Richard W. Bray
We’re good together
It’s ready to start
Will I jump over the moon
Or get kicked in the heart?
I hear a song playing
For me and for you
Is it Over the Rainbow?
Or Little Boy Blue?
I’m a little bit timid
If you’ll pardon my scars
Does this stairway go down
Or straight to the stars
I’ve been here before
And it didn’t end well
Will you be my salvation
Or my ticket to hell?
By Richard W. Bray
masochism is lots of fun
my psyche is a loaded gun
I maximize my agony
by blaming everything on me
masochism is really cool
a crackerjack survival tool
I got booze and chemistry
to lubricate my misery
masochism is my best friend
we’ll be together till the end
it puts my nerves on overdrive
and makes me feel so alive
by Richard W. Bray
Yeah, I did your girlfriend
But it wasn’t my fault
If you weren’t home early
We wouldn’t have gotten caught
Yeah, I crashed your car
But why you blaming me?
You locked your front door
But you didn’t hide your keys
I said, “I’ll always love you
You’re the only one I see”
I was loyal for a week
Which is pretty good for me
Everywhere I go
All the people I meet
They make do bad things
I steal, lie and cheat
It’s a crazy crooked world
And everyone is rotten
Doesn’t matter what you do
It will soon be forgotten
By Richard W. Bray
