Up Next, A Country Song
written by: John Grey
How can I explain it.
Imagine a trembling heart
and a cold wind through the upper branches
and old wounds to be pecked at
and then try to put to put a voice to that.
And then when it’s late at night,
under a pale moon,
at a bar that’s half inside, half outside,
and the beer on draft is golden,
and the jukebox bumps down
to the next disk,
what do you want to hear?
your mother’s lullabies?
a brass band?
Not now.
Not when she’s walked out on you
and you miss your folks
and your truck needs more work
than you can pay for
and you’re feeling like
you’re part of a body count.
This is what you need:
guitars and fiddles,
Loretta Lynn
sweetening the parallels
between your life and the words,
and a tune so personal
it could pick you out in a crowd.
It’s the south.
It’s the mountains.
It’s the rivers and fields.
It’s home.
It’s songs that broadcast far
sung for people
who don’t travel well.
- A Shoreline Somewhere - November 5, 2024
- Sarah, A Lady Of Grace - July 15, 2024
- Relax - April 14, 2024
