Phone Call to Folsom

[couchgrouch]

Phone Call to FolsomIt was June of '94Jeff walked in that liquor storesaw the pistol on the floorpicked it up by mistakethe air held a haunted chilltwo nickels left in the tillin back the clerk lay stillfrom a twisted wrinkle of fateJeff spent ten years in that cellwaiting for heaven was a living hellthough his girlfriend cried at his trialshe never once dialeda phone call to Folsoma phone call to FolsomJeff's lawyer was fresh from schoolhad faith in the system's rulestruth became a muddy toolhe used to dig for helpless folkbut Jeff owed another's debtthat night he bathed in icy sweathis last meal was a cigarettehe hoped his prayers rose with the smokehe left that six by nine purgatorydoubting anyone believed his storypreachers prepared him for the pearly gatescos the governor rarely makesa phone call to Folsomto a desp'rate concos when your hope is gonethe greatest gift is one more dawnand a phone call to Folsomthe shadow of that poison needlelooked like a midnight steeplebut somehow that red phone rang at 11:58the governor called but Jeff knew God had madea phone call to Folsomto a desp'rate concos when your hope is gonethe greatest gift is one more dawnand a phone call to Folsom(c)2006 Robert George