The undertow was flowing at two in the morning,
through the hollows, throught the draws,
til I came through a hole and into the wild
with a line about Lincoln’s shawl and Roosevelt’s chair.
I kept on following the right of way.
Of course I look tired and worn
cheat, starve, or leave,
I’m starting to see,
I’m just confused and shut down.
Further down the road through old Mississippi
with abandoned downtowns, but it’s jail still survived
blown pages in a sea of weeds by the tracks
bottomed out, whiskey drought.
My return left me an old man
where everything seemed bought or sold.
Cheat, starve, or leave,
I’m starting to see,
I’m just confused and shut down …