Locked and Loaded

[couchgrouch]

Locked and LoadedMy good neighbor Charlie from down the hillsometimes he drops by with a new batch from his stillbut tonight I've killed my porchlight and latched the screendoorI've found my own jug and I stare off in the fieldsthere's a storm rolling in on the wind's clear wheelsand it looks fright'ning when midnight lightningwants to mate with my sycamorewhen doubts gather and my poor chest tightensI look to burgundy for comfort and guidanceyeah, I'm locked and loadedno one can get inlocked and loadedand there's a gnawing withinblue streaks criss cross the blackness like veins of lightthey feed shadowy mem'ries then vanish from sightleaving my heart in the lonely dark to search for meaning somewheresaw my girl today with a sober guy who looks like meguess she left me for the man I used to benow my soul is crawling cos something is callingmy name from up the cobwebbed stairsmy wine-shot eyes mount each step to the atticwhere on the shelf by my golf bag is an old automaticyeah, I'm locked and loadedno one can get inlocked and loadedand there's a gnawing withinCharlie pours himself another ouncelooks up the hill to my housebut it's too stormy to come up tonighthe thinks he made too strong a batchcos he swore that last lightning flashlooked like it came from insideI was locked and loadedno one could get inlocked and loadedthere was a gnawing within(c)2005 Robert George