a mournful drinking song

Oh, the reaper’s gone a’courtin’
And he’ll dance away the night
Yes, the reaper’s gone a’courtin’
And he’ll dance away yer life.

His favorite song is a mourning dearth
And he always loves a wake
He rises early to catch you quick
And he always stays up late.

He loves to sit and philosophize
While sippin’ fruity wine
And he’ll be the first to tell you
that he’s never not on time.

Oh, the reaper’s gone a’courtin’
And he’ll dance away the night
Yes, the reaper’s gone a’courtin’
And he’ll dance away yer life.

My mother caught the reaper’s eye
And has teased him ever since
But she’ll never let him in her bed
Cause,

“you c’ain’t never love a man who gets mud in the sheets.”

My father loved the reaper long
And played his mournful keys
And when daddy breathed his very last
The reaper laughed at me.

Oh, the reaper’s gone a’courtin’
And he’ll dance away the night
Yes, the reaper’s gone a’courtin’
And he’ll dance away yer life.

I almost let him take me
In the middle of my car
And a dared him still to tempt my hand
But he left only a scar.

So if you spot him through a window
Or in the bottom of yer glass
Don’t sing all his catchy tunes
Or you’ll be fertilizin’ grass.

Oh, the reaper’s gone a’courtin’
And he’ll dance away the night
Yes, the reaper’s gone a’courtin’
And he’ll dance away yer life.

untitled

it is iniquity that drives us to make sense & understand
age sets into recognition and there we see a broader stance
death comes to the window and we gaze at truth at last.

i am a preacher-man's only child -
he wanted a son, but got a daughter
he made me stone then hit me hard to find the water.

i have stared down the ages that he left for me to wander
when the pain became too great and he cried out at last
"heal me, Lord, for i have sinned" and he broke upon his past.

i looked and was sure i saw his face
until i blinked and saw my own.
blood proved strong a tie though i could not keep his name.

i am a preacher-man's only child -
he wanted to believe, but broke his altar
the vision proved strong a hold though he never would remember.

i looked again, and saw the winter
the cold seeped in and the blessed numbness was my shelter
i never wished for warmer weather

i saw the days, i saw the age, i watched the death
i dreamed of rain and took his pen and drank his wine
his music started off key but soon a strong chord took hold.

here lies a dead man, poor child never knew better
i heard he wandered away one day and came home a preacher
but he never found the words to break the spell.