Achilles
Although he cannot stand
Defiance still remains
Hot lava in his veins
His eyes burn like black fire
With spirit like a storm
They could not make him tame
Each time he broke the gate
He ran like he was wild
Achilles!
Soft velvet nostrils breathe
The freedom in the hills
Beyond the gamble thrills
Beyond the blood-red clay
Beyond the sting of whips
Where fences do not dare
A cool breeze and a mare
The choice to go which way
Achilles!
They pushed him to the brink
Three years spent chasing gold
Although his heart is strong
His body became old
The dam just could not hold
A crack in one small bone
And his career was done
Retired by a gun
His name not etched in stone
Achilles!
If America Had a Soundtrack
If America had a soundtrack
It would be the open range
Where fear is not an option
Unless it’s of a cage
The snort of V-twin engines
The laughter of the wind
The sizzle of cracked asphalt
The ramble of a fence
The sob of a coyote
The yawn of turquoise sky
The creak of jagged mountains
The buzz of power lines
The shout of hollow canyons
The whisper of the sand
The taunt of sun-bleached bones
The prayer of thirsty plants
If God gave me the power
The music wouldn't change
If America had a soundtrack
It would be the open range
Make It Burn
Downtown late in the city watching all the people out
Boys lust for plastic women and girls hustle for a crown
They lean heavy on the bottle and jump off bridges for a rush
Sometimes they think of dying but try not to think too much
An old man in an alley with his nose in the trash
The stench and shame are so strong but his belly brings him back
A young mom in a night club dancing up on the stage
They fill up her coffers but somehow she never gets paid
Feel the pulse start to pound as the red sun sinks down
Every road is like a vein carrying life through this town
Through the glass of my car watching people walking by
Catching tiny glimpses of myself reflected in their eyes
Hungry for affection and then we get a taste
And we treat it like garbage and throw it away in the waste
We’re looking for lovers around every turn
Like we’re striking a match but can’t find the spark to make it burn
Pulled into the Wild
The road is a rope drawn taut
Pulling me into the wild
The earth climbs slowly up and up
Still downhill I slide
The mesas form a funnel
Like the long neck of a beer
West is where I'm going
And I don't have to steer
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poetry