Ray Bear

Member since March 24, 2026

Member for 2 months, 22 days

Demolition by Text

Posted Jun 10, 2026 · 36 lines · 3 critiques

My thumb was swift, my judgment blind,
I bared the cellar of my mind.
A text detached from all restraint,
designed to make a vicar faint.

It detailed gossip, raw and deep,
a secret I was sworn to keep:
Our cousin’s plastic surgery,
and Uncle Bob’s fresh perjury.

I meant to send this toxic draft
to sister Sue, so we could laugh.
Instead, I watched with frozen dread,
the pastor’s name right at the head.

It went to Pastor Timothy—
A man of grace and piety.

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The lethal arrow left the bow,
and time froze in the status quo.

Then came the text-pocalypse wave:
Three bouncing dots above the grave.
He typed. He stopped. He typed again.
I reached for scotch, and drank it then.

My phone vibrated, buzzed, and shook,
I dropped it in the soup I cooked!
It splashed the wall, it hit the cat,
who leapt and squashed the hamster flat!

The panicked cat knocked down a light,
which set the curtains blazing bright.
The kitchen burned, the fire spread,
as total chaos turned my head.

Outside, the frantic sirens wailed,
while Uncle Bob—just freshly bailed,
received the text the pastor sent,
and kicked his desk in discontent.

He broke his toe, he screamed in pain,
as chaos reigned in his domain.
My phone is fried, my house is black,
and there is no way to go back.

Ray Bear’s timeline

June 2026
11 Thu

Received a critique
on Demolition by Text from @Sen99
"What a catalogue of disasters ! a true maelstrom of mayhem all reported by text message, you have an interesting life ? thanks for the chuckle Sen99"
10 Wed

Received a critique
on Demolition by Text from @Misspoetrynportraits
"I enjoyed reading this. Thanks for the laugh. Very witty 🤣"
10 Wed

Posted a poem
Demolition by Text
"My thumb was swift, my judgment blind,"
Open thread 36 lines
09 Tue

Posted a poem
The Midnight Garden
"Old legends speak about the shifting will-o'-wisp,"
Open thread 78 lines
07 Sun

Received a critique
on Where Summer and Winter Meet from @Trouble
"You're welcome Ray"
06 Sat

Received a critique
on Outlaws Vow from @Geezer
"Now yer talkin' cowboy! I love the way that it just rolled off the tongue and down the trail toward the end of the story. Sounds like the beginning of the story. I can see it now, some Dirty Harry music from High Plains…"
06 Sat

Posted a poem
Outlaws Vow
"Cold bone, hot iron and a shallow grave,"
Open thread 4 lines
05 Fri

Received a critique
on Where Summer and Winter Meet from @Trouble
"I must say that the title caught me so I had to read it. I love the metaphors of the summer and winter it was very smooth to read Good job"
05 Fri

Received a critique
on A World Barely Missed from @Lavender
"Bravo! To follow such a strict structure, and to have a tight, focused theme is inspiring. Well done! I enjoyed this! L"
04 Thu

Posted a poem
A World Barely Missed
"The gold sun fractures against the glass,"
Open thread 19 lines
04 Thu

Received a critique
on The Dead Mesa Requiem from @devoejack24
"the second line 4th stanza i think you get take out "blackened" better rhythm. same wit some the articles "of", "the" ruins the rhythm love the story its fun"
04 Thu

Received a critique
on Where Summer and Winter Meet from @patrickgadoury
"I just finished writing a seasonally themed northern poetry anthology, so obviously you’re preaching to the choir with this kind of piece. There’s a lot here I admire. If I can offer any useful insight, it’s that, IMO…"
04 Thu

New follower
@Cpwe Skele
04 Thu

Posted a poem
Where Summer and Winter Meet
"The golden sun descends on silver frost,"
Open thread 48 lines
03 Wed

Posted a poem
The Dead Mesa Requiem
"A decade passed since weary lawmen died,"
Open thread 60 lines
May 2026
31 Sun

Contest commendation
05/26 New Member Contest

with "The Embers Burn Low ".
27 Wed

Critiqued
"We Laugh Instead" by @Wallyroo92
"Life's like that sometimes regards Ray"
26 Tue

Posted a poem
The Unanswered Glow
"The screen lights up the darkened room:"
Open thread 38 lines
26 Tue

Posted a poem
The Hunt
"Dawn breaks like a bloodshot eye,"
Open thread 14 lines
23 Sat

Critiqued
"drops of heaven" by @Flower Girl
"The cadence here is lovely. You’ve perfectly captured that quiet, wondrous magic of nature and renewal. Thanks for sharing this piece of peace! Regards Ray"
23 Sat

Critiqued
"jeong" by @crypticbard
"Well done, the line about the body avoiding the kitchen island out of habit rather than longing is brilliant. You’ve perfectly captured how grief and memory live in our muscle memory long after a routine changes. Beauti…"
22 Fri

Critiqued
"The Calliope Played" by @William Lynn
"This is absolutely stunning. You’ve captured that bittersweet, aching nostalgia of youth so perfectly. The imagery of the carnival lights blinking awake like fireflies and the town shrinking beneath the Ferris wheel fee…"
22 Fri

Critiqued
"Today " by @Eric Clausen
"This is incredibly raw and powerful. The progression from isolation and burning anger into that heavy, hollow exhaustion is so relatable. That line about the "question stones" grinding into dust perfectly captures the w…"
21 Thu

Critiqued
"Carnival NIght" by @Karriss Carey-ivory
"Love this! It starts out so magical and sweet, and then that plot twist at the end hits you like a bad mix of fairy floss and gravity. Perfect ending! 😂🎡 regards Ray"
21 Thu

Critiqued
"as memory fades" by @crypticbard
""Hours of toil simmer away in rivulets of forgetfulness." What a gorgeous, heavy line. The pacing of this perfectly mirrors the rain cascading down. Beautiful tribute to hard work and quiet release. Regards Ray"
21 Thu

Critiqued
"Sweet the rain fall" by @poetaldo
"A brilliant depiction of sensory overload and eventual peace. The water feels like a total reset from the oppressive heat and the weight of the crowd's stares. Beautifully structured as a full loop of a day. Beautifully…"
20 Wed

New follower
@Summer Days
19 Tue

Posted a poem
The Severed Wings of Midnight
"The golden sun is but a heavy chain,"
Open thread 16 lines
13 Wed

Posted a poem
Heaven or Hell
"Damnation"
Open thread 30 lines
12 Tue

Posted a poem
Turquoise Shadows
"The water breathes a heavy, leaden sigh,"
Open thread 18 lines
10 Sun

Posted a poem
Gone Unnoticed
"The air would not thin. The sun would not cool."
Open thread 10 lines
07 Thu

New follower
@Candlewitch
02 Sat

New follower
@Clentin
April 2026
30 Thu

Contest commendation
04/26 When the Sun Says Goodbye

with "The Violet Tide".
18 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 04/12/26 to 04/18/26

with "Almost Glass".
15 Wed

Highest posting month
April 2026 — 19 poems
04 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 03/29/26 to 04/04/26

with "A Brief Forever ".
04 Sat

First contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 03/29/26 to 04/04/26

with the poem "A Brief Forever ".
March 2026
25 Wed

First critique offered
on "SCREAMING TREE!" by @Ebon Croe
24 Tue

First publication
Gamble for your Life
24 Tue

Joined Neopoet
Membership begins

First poem published 1 days later.

About Me

About me

From Sydney Australia. I love Villanelle and Lyrical Prose. Creative writing is a dual-purpose lens: it helps us zoom in on our own lives to make sense of them, while also providing a wide-angle view of worlds that don't yet exist.
I love adventure and write not only of my childhood but of cowboys, pirates and treasure hunters. Also Romance and undying love.

Location: Sydney Australia, AUS

Contest Wins

Winning Submission	Contest	Contest Date
The Embers Burn Low	05/26 New Member Contest	1 May, 2026 – 31 May, 2026
Almost Glass	Neopoet Weekly 04/12/26 to 04/18/26	12 April, 2026 – 18 April, 2026
The Violet Tide	04/26 When the Sun Says Goodbye	1 April, 2026 – 30 April, 2026
A Brief Forever	Neopoet Weekly 03/29/26 to 04/04/26	29 March, 2026 – 4 April, 2026