“Fallen Man”

  

c. 2026 Rod Ice

All rights reserved

(7-26)

 

 

If I took a leg up to the saddle

And sat tall, against the sky

Would it matter to the one who holds my heart

Would she see that I’m empty inside

I might do the best to prove my worth

It’s a task I’ll take in hand

But when those horse hooves slip on stone

I’ll become a fallen man

There’s no shame for those ones who wake

To see the morning sun

And I’m a member of that tribe

With a blade and loaded six-gun

But when the air turns crisp and cool

I find there’s a different feel

To dusting off a cowboy hat

And turning on my bootheels

 

The judge’s word hits hard

When there’s no spot to land

Down in the dirt, and lonely

Just another fallen man

 

If I found a way to speak

Of what I see when eyes are closed

Then maybe I could cash my chips

Like a gambler, being exposed

But the truth is a strong medicine

One I take with hesitation

It’s bitter in my throat, you see

A rush of bad sensations

I know my place so well from this

A time spent wildly wandering

From coast to coast and back again

Feeling nothing except the sting

Of a jealous girl who took my love

But never had my name

She couldn’t make that leap of faith

And I was left in pain

 

The judge’s word hits hard

When there’s no spot to land

Down in the dirt, and lonely

Just another fallen man

 

If by chance I changed the script

Of a moving picture arc

I’d write the plot in pencil

And make corrections in the dark

But that detail is not to be

I’m riding out, in secrecy

With a gaze into the yellow orb

That will blind my memories

That hopeful hop to another town

Will take me from this place

Where I have failed to prosper

A feeble runner in the footrace

Perhaps when I am no longer known

I’ll take heed of lessons learned

A second start in the anonymous guise

Of a drifter gone ‘round the turn

 

The judge’s word hits hard

When there’s no spot to land

Down in the dirt, and lonely

Just another fallen man

 

I don’t care for the sounds of woe

No shedding of tears for me

I’ve got no need of a warm embrace

No yearning for sympathy

Every step I took was done

With the knowledge of my path

And now that it has brought me here

I’ll hear the devil laugh

It’s assured that the grave will hold

What’s left of these old bones

Ashes from the fireplace

Of an abandoned, happy home

I couldn’t stay there willingly

When my lady friend departed

I heard the call of eternity

An end to what we started

 

The judge’s word hits hard

When there’s no spot to land

Down in the dirt, and lonely

Just another fallen man