Redeemed

[couchgrouch]

RedeemedJoe stepped off that silver Amtrakafter ten hard years in Folsomwith a tearstained stare and tattered Gibson casehe saw the same crapshoot alleyspot-hole streets and food poison delisas he pointed his boots to Willie's placeWille tossed him a part-time gig, playing for deadbeats on Tuesday nightsbut ev'ry tune somehow felt, like some ghost was singin' open miccos when a life is lostanother pays the costwhen a man feels the need to atoneit wilts his soul and withers his boneshe runs from devils in his dreamsuntil he's redeemedJoe's last time with that parole boardthe victim's mom just sat quietdeep down she knew her bully son was no saintstill, Joe'd made some boy an orphanand he sang to bulletholes in that barthough they'd long been fixed with spackle n paintit often felt like some beast, was creepin' up in back of himhe learned to lose track of time, but it hadn't lost track of himcos when a life is lostanother pays the costwhen a man feels the need to atoneit wilts his soul and withers his boneshe runs from devils in his dreamsuntil he's redeemedwell, witnesses told the cops Joe coulda runthat kid missed four times with that old gunbut Joe just stood there welcoming his peacenow a woman begs for her grandson's releasecos when a life is lostanother pays the costwhen a man feels the need to atoneit wilts his soul and withers his boneshe runs from devils in his dreamsuntil he's redeemed(c)2006 Robert George