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  • The Death of an Amicable Cowboy
    Mat_j
    26 Feb 2004

    "Everything's gonna work out now,"
    And I smiled as I looked at the ground,
    And among the weeds and scattered seeds,
    Lay my mortal shell with my blood spilled around.

    I readied to make my journey,
    I didn't know where yet to go,
    And then a cold wind from behind me,
    Gave rise to a sound I didn't know.

    And I spun on my heels to see him,
    Standing there grinning at me,
    With his cloak and his scythe and his shadow,
    My legs became too numb to flee.

    He nodded his head and said "kid you're dead,
    Don't worry I can't harm you now,
    I can't tell by a glance your death was a chance,
    But you've got one try to turn it around."

    I was taken aback and I stammered hello,
    And he held out his hand to shake mine,
    To my surprise it was flesh and blood,
    So i grabbed it and shook with old father time.

    "I know that your life was troubled,
    And sadly that can't be reversed,
    But you've got a chance to avenge,
    Your enemies trapped in your curse!"

    And I said "Man it was tough,
    But retribution isn't my style."
    So he laid down his scythe
    And from his hood, his face began to smile.

    "That's a pretty good answer,
    Would you like a cigarette?"
    I said "I don't smoke," he laughed at my joke,
    "These things can't hurt you your dead!"

    So i took the white stick off the reaper,
    And placed it behind my ear
    He said "Don't try and save it, it's ethereal,
    When i'm gone it'll just disappear."

    So I sat on the rock and I smoked,
    With the keeper of the timers of life,
    And i explained about my past,
    My mean old man and my brother and wife.

    And he agreed with me politely,
    Though he'd heard it all before,
    And when at last we'd finished,
    He summoned a white Pearly door.

    "Okay Mack it's been fun!"
    He said as he handed me the key,
    "In this line of work people hate you,
    So it's pretty refreshing to see,

    That above all the fear and spite,
    Even though it's your time to ascend,
    You're still decent and darn alright,
    I'm glad your sufferin' will end.

    And when you're good and gone,
    There are things I have to do,
    Death is always moving on,
    I just wish there were more folks like you."

    (Taken from Postcards from the Highway)