A Lone Bird in Flight is a poetry collection that explores three major themes: living under the crush of good and bad that befalls us day to day and year to year; a deep concern for America and the fate of democracy; and a look at "dwindling years" as he writes about fears, happiness, dying, lost love, twilight years, and other themes reflecting 90+ years of living.

All proceeds from the sale of this book are donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation to provide financial support to wounded warriors, and scholarships to children whose parent died in special ops activities.

A sickly child of divorced parents and an unhappy childhood, Ray Marik dropped out of high school and joined the army. He excelled as an 82nd Airborne paratrooper and as a member of an elite Special Ops Airborne Ranger unit. After honorable discharge he was employed as a marine operating engineer and later became an educator earning two post graduate degrees and a Fulbright appointment to England. He taught special education students on the high school level and engineering students on the college level. He was a 25-year community volunteer, remarried at age 83 and lives with his lovely wife Mary in Seattle, Washington. He is also author of Special Education Students Write, And Strode Blindly Into Oblivion, and Where Eagles Go To Die