Photograph ©Copyright 2007 by John-Ward Leighton
AN OLD HANK WILLIAMS' SONG
An old Hank Williams' song
about the lost highway
that seems so long.
Smiles in a day of rain
Prince Charming in different clothes
how he got here nobody knows.
In a day of rain and puddles
the Princess is in open toed shoes
she must be royalty in a warmer drier place
her feet are wet but it doesn't show on her face.
There is a woman with her back to me
in nonstop babble
but
who listens as the line-up passes
dripping wet with steamed up glasses.
The singer, I can't remember his name,
sings in a gravelly baritone
about the rules of the game.
My Princess arrives
blue umbrella in hand
looks down and says,
"Hi"
and makes my day.
This poem rambles between
a search for words and photos
and where it will end nobody knows.
The ambient sound and tightly attired
bums and breasts;
who knows where
my eyes will come to rest.
Arty types in the latest fashion
with ridiculous pointy toed shoes
looks at the hand out newspaper
in search of the news.
We are all on the lost highway
for how long or how far
there is no way to say.
The day stretches out from us
in endless surprise
good luck and bad luck
in spooky disguise.
Hope,
that faint hearted wish,
always ends in the grave
there is no one that hope alone can save.
Do the right thing now, today,
that's the only redemption.
Our lies and sins
are hard to expunge
without exception.
The tread is long and fine
and often gets broken
in our travels of time.
This started three hours ago
on the Lost Highway
this was the thought that started my day.
What could go wrong?
It's only
an old Hank Williams' song.