The Naked Truth

"The Naked Truth," by poet Allen Richey, is a story about a never-ending love between a man and a woman-a relationship that will last forever and a day. The context is of raw emotion put into words; it is not for the faint of heart. This story is a wild ride, with its ups and downs, laughter and tears. A few say that, while in love, only the strong survive, but sometimes it takes a strength outside ourselves to survive some of the things we live through. While writing of life and love, Richey also mixes his poetry with politics, ideas of spirituality, and some Native American wisdom. The writing is not meant to be offensive, but, rather, thought- provoking. Some of the poems hit hard at the realities of life, such as the cruelties of a tax system and simply becoming a slave to a job ("Taxpayer Blues") or surviving the hardships of life ("New Beginnings"). Each and every poem was born from a personal experience of Allen Richey, but, in a broader sense, the compilation explores the real-life circumstances that we all live through daily. In essence, Richey's poems touch the soul and help one "look past the veil."