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I gave my friend’s son
a book.
he’s just a young boy.
it was a gift.
it made us both happy.
he is six years old.
it is a children’s book
about the coast of Maine.
a book about my home state.
he wanted me to read it,
he wouldn’t let his dad.
“no,” he said,
“I want Jeremiah to!”
I wanted to share that
experience with him.
but my mind runs
too fast;
the words become a mess.
my mind moves
too quickly,
and they are not
the words on the pages.
this is my mind.
my words are here
and then they are
many miles
from my thoughts.
and my thoughts run,
and they are
in another world before
i find them.
it is this boy,
and his father,
and his mother
who will love me
and the words that
are not with the thoughts,
and the thoughts
that are not
with the words.
they will see me.
“I am very tired,”
I said.
“I don’t have my glasses,”
I said.
trying to excuse myself.
“The illustrations are
so beautiful.
let’s write our own stories,”
I said,
“let’s invent our
very own words.”
and he said it was “Ok,”
he said, “Ok, Jeremiah.”
that simple “Ok” held everything
i have lost with others.
it contained all
the forgiveness of my running mind,
and all the
forgiveness for my words
that didn’t follow the requests.
with him,
his father,
his mother,
i felt safe,
i felt home.


Published by Jeremiah Ray

Jeremiah Ray is an interdisciplinary artist living and working in the coastal Maine region. He holds a BFA from Maine College of Art and an MFA from the School of the Art Institue of Chicago. Jeremiah works in various literary modes; however, poetry grants him a level of freedom that he has not yet found in other styles. His earlier poetic attempts were, as he attests, "far too drenched in metaphor, people would get turned off immediately." However, various life circumstances have allowed him to shed many of the layers which cloaked his previous compositions. His visual artwork is much like his life insofar as it is a constant journey of exploration and discovery. In his formative year, Jeremiah traveled extensively before undertaking any formal postsecondary education. Prior to studying art, which has been a lifelong love of his, Jeremiah initially explored music composition and performance, English and German language, and literature as potential majors. After completing his MFA, Jeremiah intended to pursue teaching. He desired to assist others in their quest to find and hone their unique language. He has always believed that art transcends oral communication and can significantly aid those seeking to express themselves nonverbally. In 2016 Jeremiah was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer. This prompted his urgent relocation to Maine, which allowed him to be closer to his family during the months and eventually years of treatment that would follow. During the grueling months of treatment and the subsequent years managing the numerous physical and emotional side-effects from them, his work has continued to evolve, much as it has done his entire life. He has extensively documented his journey with cancer via his meticulously sustained blog (https://cyclical.life). Over the years, it has morphed into more philosophical musings on life rather than straightforward updates on his cancer journey.

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