Walk Your Line
Walk your Line
A word to the blind:
From the day your first mount and ride
Till the moment you die
Walk your line
Walk proud and high
Through each and every wreck your stride unwinds
Walk your whole heart
spine upright
till it breaks if you like
But drink the whole pint down
and with an appetite for burning in the stirrups
See if you can swallow the time.
Walk, right away from your childhood dreaming
lay it beneath your feet in caliche
And when you're yearning most to tie on a tourniquet
Telling yourself you deserve it
stay in line, as you're not entitled to anything.
Never more a burden then when asking for money
and worthless for thinking of quitting
cuz there's nothing in the world worth half it's weight
unless for it you're bleeding.
Your life's only worth your life's work
the grinding gears in your temple, spinning
Always on time, you can count on it
strides lengthening
but despite it all you'll walk well beyond all you thought
you'd get
When you first agreed to begin
When for what you signed on for you've nearly forgot
Some crockpot reason to pursue a living
in what to most is only a vacant lot
You'll have to walk to the empty spot on the map
just past where your mom and dad had given up.
And then keep walking
Bypassing your own bragging rights stopped dead in their tracks
and all parts plastic inside you have snapped in half
In fact, you'll soon be worn so far past the point of no return
to think you were actually born on its welcome doormat.
Everything is past the big fancy hat
walk, before your feet get frozen, stuck to the bar
for something more than can be bought no matter who you are
To be the one who takes it this far
and to become the soul of the man
as if you've finally landed – working for the homeland
Riding for the brand, cuz you were given a single chance
And walk for the credit of at least one loop correctly cast
and for the wisdom of knowing if and when to turn em back
or hang on for dear life like you've dallied your own hand.
And stick by the very skin of your big toenail, as you pitch in the norther winds
just trying to send you clear to rock bottom
and only then, they might not prevail.
So go on out, the time is now
Walk high and proud, and take a breath in town
then keep being the nail, always driving deeper down
never quit walking the sacred ground you're standing on now
If you think you love that gal.
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