Day 12: Ray Daniel

Ray Daniel writes first-person, wisecracking, Boston-based crime fiction about Tucker, a hacker whose inquiring nose, smart mouth, and inability to use a gun get him into, but rarely out of, trouble. Terminated (August, 2014) is Ray’s first novel and the first book of The Tucker Mysteries. Born in Boston, Ray graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Computer Engineering and a Minor in English. He previously contributed the 5-2 haiku "Santa Ana Winds", based on the first paragraph of "Red Wind" by Raymond Chandler. Recently fascinated with the sestina, he wrote the following for Day 12 of 30 Days of The 5-2:


SPEAKING FROM BEHIND THE GUN

Speaking from behind the gun,
He tells his lie,
Resenting the probing question,
But not willing to shoot
the woman who saw him steal
her backup plan for love.

The inscription read, "For my love."
Carved into the gun
As a message to those who steal,
A warning to those who lie
It is a woman's right to shoot
One who brings her honor into question

In answer to her question
He told her of his love
The reasons he would not shoot
The unloaded nature of the gun
It was all a lie
He, too, had seen her steal

For there are many ways to steal
to swap security for a question
and trust for a lie.
He had thought he'd won love
until he found her gun
and realized whom she'd shoot

She said she wouldn't shoot
That there was no reason to steal
Her pretty little gun
That she had no question
Regarding his love.
This too, was a lie.

They had both told their lie
Neither wanted him to shoot
Instead they wanted to love.
They had seen each other steal
Had both raised the question
of the purpose of the gun

They can live with a lie, forgive the urge to steal.
He agrees not to shoot. To give up on his question,
They'll bask in love. If not, there is still the gun.