A Winner In My Book

[couchgrouch]

A Winner In My BookI was quite a rabblerouserclimbin' trees put patches on my trousersonce a cherry bomb, went off wrongand flattened dad's old shedbut he could always reach mehe preached without bein' preachycos my dad, said he hadas much to learn as I didhe'd hoist that King James off the shelfwith a cover he'd sewn and resewn himselfsquint to read those words in redhe'd say that man had nothin' but don't forgethe's a winner in my bookhe gave more than he ever tooka man for the agesa hero in all of life's pagescalled a fool and a sinnerbut he's a winner...a winner in my booka simple man dad was hesitantto criticize the presidentbut he didn't spare, that crazy mayorfor makin' our town dryhe thought turnin' water to winewas this world's first moonshinelater he said, shine in his shedis why it blew sky highhe always hadda pay cashhis credit wasn't worth yesterday's hashcouldn't count on money to counta loser by the banker's accountbut he's a winner in my bookhe gave more than he ever tooka man for the agesa hero in all of life's pagescalled a fool and a sinnerbut he's a winner...a winner in my booknow I hold that Bibleand stare at the stone with Daddy's namethe best way to lose my sense of lossis think of what he gainedcos the dates in that granitesay he left this planet to meetthe winner in my bookwho gave more than he ever tooka man for the agesa hero in all of life's pagescalled a fool and a sinnerbut he's a winner...a winner in my book(c)2005 Robert George