“Saying Goodbye”

  

c. 2026 Rod Ice

All rights reserved

(7-26)

 

Saying goodbye comes easy

To a heart you intended to break

And from the beginning of this roadhouse affair

I knew your love was never a keepsake

It was a matter of whiskey, poured in the glass

And a dancefloor turn on your heel

I kept you entertained for a moment

But after that, the clock made its appeal

Saying goodbye comes quickly

When your plan has been to skate

A ruby-red curve of confidence

From lips with so little to say

I took my cue from that flutter

The wide wings of a butterfly

You knew every move and made it stick

Right until last call arrived

 

Saying goodbye...

 

Saying goodbye comes naturally

With your eyes upon the door

I didn’t pay enough real attention to know

What you had been there, looking for

I won’t curse your skill as a deceiver

Because I was too damn naïve

I never should have let myself get tricked

And taken out for a tease

Saying goodbye becomes a habit

When you’ve had the cowboys on parade

We all figured wrong and paid the fee

A hard lesson in being played

Saying goodbye is a chore to chase

A profession for cold-blooded dames

Who delight themselves with fancy fools

Getting beaten at their own game

 

Saying goodbye...

 

Saying goodbye comes swiftly

When the night runs hot and fast

The gentlest touch and a kiss on the cheek

Meant nothing with an empty glass

You were off that stool and hustling

You disappeared like yesterday’s news

When I looked around to figure it out

I didn’t have a gawdamn clue

Saying goodbye can be a sin

But not if you don’t ever believe

There’s no breaking of rules when your guide

Is nothing more than a motel passkey

But get a good laugh before you leave

‘Cause I won’t be drinking alone

There are plenty of losers at quitting time

And one of them might follow me home

 

Saying goodbye...

 

Saying goodbye feels like freedom

When you have no sense of pride

The only cause you keep is to prowl the streets

Bedhopping and hitching a ride

That lifestyle has its shiny side

It might seem to be a laugh

But when you’re skipping down the sidewalk

Don’t forget what you could have had

Saying goodbye leaves a mark

It’s a jolt that the mind can’t forget

With a bow raised to the target

And an arrow right through the chest

I’m ready for a bottle on the bar

Got to drink this mood away

But the morning will make things much clearer

Tomorrow is another day

 

Saying goodbye...