New Bend In an Old River

[couchgrouch]

New Bend in an Old RiverHe had a pin in his hip and a plastic kneecaphe'd limp in ev'ry morning and order a decafthe only one who shared his booth was his crutchbut one day there was trouble at the counterthe waitress was slapped by some drunken rounderand that old guy dropped him with a single punchthere was a new bend in an old rivera new trick for an old ponycos life has paths and highwaysthat may get dark and lonelythough some people on themfollow them foreversome change their minds and try to finda new bend in an old riverjust like ev'ry night Sam planned to drink and kick backbut that time when he stopped in for his six-packhe paced that liquor aisle a minute or twohis glimmer of doubt shined like an omenall his wasted years flashed by in a momentwhen Sam walked out somehow the store clerk knewthere was a new bend in an old rivera new trick for an old ponycos life has paths and highwaysthat can seem dark and lonelythough some people on themfollow them foreversome change their minds and try to finda new bend in an old riverthe movers put her new Steinway in the cornermorning shined through that window...it was warmerand she sensed the picture on the wall smiling downshe'd kept his clothes neat in their closetfor months empty days dripped out like a faucetbut in learning to play somehow she had founda new bend in an old rivera new trick for an old ponycos life has paths and highwaysthat may seem dark and lonelythough some people on themfollow them foreversome change their minds and try to finda new bend in an old river(c)2005 Robert George