In Life and Dreams

[couchgrouch]

In Life and DreamsHe set a tape recorder on his fancy desktold me he had a few questions to askI stubbed out the only smoke I hadsaid I'd tell him all I knew about my dadthat he raised me in the hilly countrysidea stone's throw from where steel horses rolled bythough a broke farmer was all he'd ever behe hoped for a brighter future for mebut sometimes it seems, the past is all we serveand in life and dreams, we get what we deservesome mornings we had milk and honey mealsbut most we choked down coffee and Chesterfieldshe had some cash hid for me in the cupboardfor college like he'd promised my motherbut when our crops drowned in dust that last timeDad left for town saying there were papers to signcos just when a farmer thinks he's getting aheadhe's getting older and more behind on his daily breadand sometimes it seems, the past is all we servebut in life and dreams, we get what we deservethen one evening Dad parked his old Pontiac'neath a blood red moon on the railroad trackthough stories tell his jalopy just stalledthe note he left me said he traded his dust for goldwell, that suit doubted I'd say how dad passed awaycos there's times life insurance don't payI'da thought his heart was hard...that he'd heard it allbut somehow I had the money for college that Fallyeah, sometimes it seems, the past is all we servethat in life and dreams, we get what we deserve(c)2004 Robert George