Book 4

Books two and three
never saw the light of day,
they went into the trash
and the trashman took them away.
They were poems destined
for a one-time show,
written on the backs of business cards
and shopping bags
and stuffed into pockets
and then into boxes until finally they fell
to the clipping room floor.
Perhaps they’re finally free.
This is Book 4.
©Peter Bray 1979
All rights reserved

There was no Book 4. It was, as stated above, a collection of poems that got written and edited, tossed out by me after my first chapbook in 1973, waiting to do my next book whenever that might be. AND in 1982 the writing-publishing bug hit me gain, and I did Book 2 which was the time-and labor equivalent of doing the fourth book. Then some 20-plus years later, Joel Fallon, our first Benicia Poet Laureate suggested, “Peter, you oughta do a poetry book of your work poems, you have quite a collection on my website, www.poetrymatters150m.com .” “No, Joel,” I responded by email, “ I’ve done two chapbooks already, they’re great fun, but there’s no money that I’ve ever found in poetry.” But he insisted, and began laying out a book for me by e-mail, chosen from my poems on his website and sent to me for proofing. He persisted and I acquiesced. “Ok, Amigo, I’ll do it.” And I did. Then a DVD, a website, www.peterbray.org/pedro and another, www.Handymanservicespeterbray.com and one for First Tuesday Poets, www.Beniciafirsttuesdaypoets.com and one for Benicia Literary Arts, www.Benicialiteraryarts.org and that brings us up to the present except for “Taproot & Aniseweed,” since 1987, the Benicia Herald column, “The A Cappella Handyman” since 2008, and “Pedro’s Friday BLOG” since earlier this year, AND a recent design-remake of Taproot entitled, “The Naked Oyster.” And a bazillion other graphic-poems uploaded to my Facebook pages. Oh, yeah, and 12-20 other entries on www.Youtube.com of songs or Open Mic’ performances around town. All great fun! When in doubt find a hobby or avocation that drags you through both the thistles and the joy of publication.

Peter Bray lives, works, and writes about town and has written this column since 2008.

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