I was walking home late one night
late because I had been drinking
that’s what my wife tells me
and mostly she’s right

she says I drink to avoid her
drink to avoid our charming home
and mostly she’s right
that I drink all our money away

what I don’t throw away
and mostly she’s right
so I said to myself
as is a man’s sole right

to stalk in the night, muttering
alone piss drunk with fear rage and agitation
when he came behind me, and said,
“You’re mine, don’t worry,

you’ve always been mine,
don’t sweat it, let the big things
take care of themselves.”
I never looked behind me, all I said was,

“Get thee behind me.”
and as my wife likes to point out, I also added,
“You’ve got no agreement with me”
to which I heard a reply,

“Don’t need no contract with the likes of you – you’re mine.”
and I paused at that – I looked at the sky
black nightly tucked between blank walls
and all I could see was I was blind

“Don’t follow me”
“But I have to follow – it’s you who leads.”
So I ran and listened to the echo
of worn shoe soles, silent padding heart beat,

following, don’t look back it’s following me
and I came to the crossroads
cried out “Lord take away what’s following me”
and I turned around and looked to see

But there was only the road I fled upon
nothing following me
I looked side to side, saw two roads head in either direction
and I stood up and said,

“All I want is my time, full time that’s all;
and when I die a funeral of friends
to sing one final blues song”
and then lightning smoked and thunder spoke

and I fell down on the ground and the rain swept over me
and I could not tell what lay in front of me
whether I cried that I was free
or whether I sold my soul

that night at the crossroads

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