Ray Bear

Member since March 24, 2026

Member for 2 months, 24 days

Under the Willow Tree

Posted Jun 16, 2026 · 24 lines · 1 critiques

The weeping tresses brush the cold, quiet shore,
where lonely waters wear a bright glass of gold;
I lie at rest upon the dark, mossy floor,
and watch reflecting memories now unfold.

The silver leaves above begin now to sigh,
a gentle shroud of heavy grey, mixed with green,
As purple twilight stains the deep, amber sky,
and slowly slips into the calm, dark routine.

I trace the ripples on the clear, polished glass,
like ghostly chapters drifting far from my view;
The happy, barefoot summers all meant to pass,
the freezing winter winds that turned me so blue.

I hear the echo of a sweet, distant laugh,
the warmth of embers that have long since gone cold,

Read the rest of the poem Show less

And quiet breathing of a strange epitaph,
of very tender stories left quite untold.

The graceful willow tree now bends to weep,
for all the happy years I once held so dear;
It sings a soft and very deep, earthly sleep,
to dry the lake's reflected, sorrowful tear

My fading heart grows still, the grim shadows blend,
the quiet water meets the bright, starlit dome;
A truly beautiful, descending, calm end,
and I am finally at peace, going home.

Ray Bear’s timeline

June 2026
16 Tue

Posted a poem
Under the Willow Tree
"The weeping tresses brush the cold, quiet shore,"
Open thread 24 lines
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
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

>> View all work

Contest Wins

This member has not yet won any contests.

on Demolition by Text from @Sen99

on Demolition by Text from @Misspoetrynportraits

on Where Summer and Winter Meet from @Trouble

on Outlaws Vow from @Geezer

on Where Summer and Winter Meet from @Trouble

on A World Barely Missed from @Lavender

on The Dead Mesa Requiem from @devoejack24

on Where Summer and Winter Meet from @patrickgadoury

"We Laugh Instead" by @Wallyroo92

"drops of heaven" by @Flower Girl

"jeong" by @crypticbard

"The Calliope Played" by @William Lynn

"Today " by @Eric Clausen

"Carnival NIght" by @Karriss Carey-ivory

"as memory fades" by @crypticbard

"Sweet the rain fall" by @poetaldo

April 2026 — 19 poems

on "SCREAMING TREE!" by @Ebon Croe

Membership begins

About Me

Recent Work

Contest Wins

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