I’m so TIREDSixty-plus years of adulting has me just TUCKERED ME OUTWhy do I have to make decisions?Be the responsible one?I’m so EXHAUSTEDOf always doing the right thingWhy can’t life just gently kiss my assAnd bother somebody else?I am WORN TO A FRAZZLELooking out for othersWhat about me?Hey over here! I EXIST!ZonkedFinishedDepleted2026
KendallIt started with a hectic, mad dash southTo a frustrating city with no vacanciesBut oh, the outcome was so sweetA bright-eyed, beautiful baby girlThe last bundle of joyTo grace our familyYou made us complete,Like placing that last piece in the puzzle.Life, like it is known to do,Handed you your own peculiar playlistWhich you have mastered… Read More Kendall
On a pot-filled dirt road Stands the church of my youthMy memories, though, do not speak of religion Rather, the scenes played out thereBusting from the basement as Sunday School ends And running the gauntlet of smoking DeaconsThe chill on my spine As Brother Jones rose with the spiritThe pitchers of Kool-Aid Never mixed rightThe… Read More The Harwine Street Church of My Youth
Second edition, retitles “Please allow me to introduce myself…” Firstly you should know that I am a card carrying curmudgeon. This includes a sarcastic sense of humor, a limited amount of patience and deep down inside a caring heart. Find inside these pages my attempts at self-expression. Poetry and short essays fill the pages. The… Read More Doing the Right Thing (Always the Right Thing) by Roy O Richard – Rostie Publishing
15 poems that reflect on the current state of our democracy. Satire and sarcasm fill the pages as little worker ants follow the orange rule of the orange god.Buy it on Amazon
A Collection of Poems About the Vehicle CityIn memory of all those who made and continue to make this place home.The industrial city of Flint sits on the banks of the Flint River, a significant source of commerce and transportation for the Ojibwe Nation. The river, called Biiwaanagoonh-ziibi or Flinty River by those earlier people,… Read More FLINTOID: A Collection of Poems About the Vehicle City by Roy O Richard, Sarah Louks, Ralph H Marlatt, Katherine Cary-Place, and Gaylia Kenslow-Stogsdill – Rostie Publishing
The little worker ants,Averted their eyes when the black vans stopped,They ignored the men in black masks,Pretended not to see their neighbors disappear.It MIGHT of crossed their little minds,To speak out or question, yet they never did.For the orange clown was keeping them safe.They smiled in satisfaction as their brains numbed,From the propaganda of the… Read More The Worker Ants 015
The little worker ants had no ideaAt what their miniature wallets would feel.The promise of falling pricesAnd cheaper goodsHad mesmerized their tiny brainsAnd clouded their sound judgmentsTheir ginormous egosCould not fathom their now-empty pocketbooksAnd once again, they ralliedTo find false blame and accountabilityFingers were pointed at past high command, neighboring countriesShopkeepers, people of difference, and… Read More The Worker Ants 014
The little worker ants,Never, ever, ever fact-checked.For that would be a sin.To question the wizard of the land.Whatever sprouted from the orange cheese puff’s mouth,Well, that was Gospel and truth.For he was all-knowing and saintly.Would never lie or mislead.After all, they believed he was there for them.Cause he said so and smiled at them often.So… Read More The Worker Ants 013
The little worker antsLearned the saluteKept their mouths shutAnd numbed their little brainsThey bought their red hatsSent in their contributionsDisplayed their yard signsAnd waited for redemptionNone dared to questionOr voice concernThey just marched alongFollowing the pack They felt justified,And righteous.Hatred was the truth.Discrimination, the answer.Or so they believed.Harboring evil towardThe diverse and differentAnd ill will towards… Read More The Worker Ants 012
Ramblings of an Old Coot 