he said,
it’s good to still be among the living;

a new year makes someone say things like that

but I wondered,
is it better than walking on streets paved with gold?

the life we leave behind is for those who will miss you

the legacy of our journey, is it in need of forgiveness;
yes it is, always

we make promises we cannot keep;
we turn out lights but cannot sleep

it is because we do not know the difference
between light and dark; or if the difference matters,
we can only listen to a poor black woman, a legacy,
singing gospel with her gift to carry the shame of men;

to carry it to God; TO GOD!

to ask him to forgive them for what they did to her;
because she knew that he would ask her a question

who have you forgiven my child?

CAN YOU IMAGINE ANY OF THIS?

the longest road out west is part of the scene

you can ride alone and think about where everyone went;
why would they not want to live here when it is so quiet;
is that why; the quiet?

even looking at the word makes you feel uneasy,
if only for a moment;
but the soft wind limps behind,
while nature focuses upon you alone,
with your rifle and your hat

beyond wondering what happened there long ago,
and what might be behind that cactus, you can only
keep walking to find what you came for; or maybe
it’s just that;
you and nobody else, with brown grass
and dry air substituted for streets of gold;
and you’re ok with that;
it's because you found somebody who agrees with you

you told her you sure like talking to her; she’s not too
******* you; she gets the strain in your life and how
it’s  really about companionship and not rearranging
everything

she is part of the living and it makes you want to live;
right up to the time that gospel song began to soar,
because that made you realize this whole thing is one;
one with her, one with God, one with that song, one
with that long road

gold ain’t got nothing to do with it