Resolve to Write 2024 #103

“Enough,” declared my brain
“Agreed,” said my heart
“It’s Bo-time,” said my stomach

At the crux
You will sink
Or you will swim

I have returned to myself
Vim and vigor
For now

I crawled into your brain
I warned you it would happen
But now I work to unravel the knots

“What a mess you have made
For someone so clearheaded”
I tut as I separate and straighten

If everyone were honest with themselves
They could be honest with each other
But it is a rare thing indeed

Maybe what you want
Is what everyone else wants too
But you’re too afraid to ask

Or maybe not
Maybe gloom despair and agony
Misery on all

Happiness is a state of mind
Pigs in slop awaiting slaughter
Think they’re happy too

Maybe they are
Because it’s the only life they know
That is no life

Oh Sarah, here we go again
I can’t get past the pain of what I want to say to you
I’m too old now to learn how to let you in
So I’ll run away just like I always do
She said if there’s something I should know then tell me now
Before I go and give my heart away
So I can get on with my life
You can go on with your strife
Wish you’d speak the words those eyes are trying to say

Sometimes this life feels like a big old dream
I’m floating around on a cloud inside
When my cloud starts coming apart at the seams
Oh Sarah, that’s when I slide

There’s going to be times that I gotta go away
But don’t worry baby I’ll come home
Out on the road is where I’m going to find my way
But I’ll always find the time when I’m alone
So forgive me if sometimes I seem a little crazy
But G’damn, sometimes crazy is how I feel
And my brain is starting to swirl
Down the drain of this old world
And there’s only one thing girl I know is real

It’s the love that I feel in your arms
It’s the glow you wear around you like a charm
It’s the tender in your eyes
That keeps me safe and warm at night
From this life

Oh oh
Sometimes this life feels like a big old dream
I’m floating around on a cloud inside
When my cloud starts coming apart at the seams
Oh Sarah, that’s when I slide

~Sturgill Simpson ❤️

Love from Appalachia,

~Amy

Resolve to Write 2024 #102

I am so thirsty
And I am mad at the rain

I am also mad at myself for a variety of reasons
I can tell you
Never ask me to dress you
Because today I wore navy pants
With a black top
And black shoes
And the heck of it is
I had the navy pants on yesterday
With a navy and coral top
But the pants looked black
So I changed
But today
When we had a break in the rain
I walked outside
And saw that my black pants
Were navy
And this would have never happened
If it hadn’t been raining
And that is one reason
I am mad at the rain
And mad at myself

I am weak
Powerless
Evidently my body has decided
I can survive on three hours of sleep
Or maybe five
But not eight
My gut has also declined
Any rhythm
My teeth would like their say
But they are clenched together
And my heart can’t do anything but pound
So with all that going
My lungs think they should puff rapidly
To match the chaos

So I have come home
On this miserable day
And lit a candle
And rubbed velvet ears
And wrote a poem
To try to curb my rage
Without a liquid aid
And I’m doing quite a bit better
Even if I can’t reconcile
Who I am now
The wind howls
And so do I
At least the coyotes are curled up
And silent

If you came here
Expecting me to cheer you up
As always
Perhaps you should ask your jester
What you can do for them sometime
It’s not always butterflies
I cannot force a grin
I know my eyes are sad
And my tongue has been lethal as of late

What if it gets easier
Instead of harder


Love from Appalachia,

~Amy

Resolve to Write 2024 #101

When your heart is broken
There is no safe place
Music brings the memories
Books always have a way of speaking
What’s dwelling in your mind
Well meaning friends
Encourage conversation and
Try to offer explanations
But often pull from their own experiences
That may not be very beneficial
And you can't focus anyway
You can’t see a way through it
So nothing helps
It is best to sit in silence
And try to wrap your head around the here and now
And not what ifs and maybes
Best to stay strong
Hold it together for one more day
Or hour
Or minute
Or whatever you can muster

Three rabbits chasing each other
Round and round
For hours now
Why aren't they tired
The squirrels appear and shake their tails in admonishment
Like they weren't acting like that just yesterday
They don't mind the rain
So why should I?
Never
Not once
In my wadded up existence
Have I allowed myself
The luxury
Of a breakdown
And five drinks later
I still hold my head up
Bartenders wise beyond their years
Speak of grace
Although I am shamed

Must sleep now
Although there is much left unsaid
Still here
Can’t quit
It’s not my nature
Willing to face another day
One more day
One more night
Probably in a long line
But I’m still here

Pushin’ Time
-Miranda Lambert

Are we fools for rushing in?
'Cause I already dread the end
Lonely ain't no place to start
I guess that's just where we are
Oh, how I remember well
The sunset on September 12th
I disappeared to get a drink
You still kept your eyes on me


Sometimes love acts out of spite
And good things happen over night
Can't take it slow 'cause you and I are pushin' time


I didn't plan on falling fast
I didn't know I could be kissed like that
Now I'm trading miles for minutes
This bed's too big without you in it

Love from Appalachia,

~Amy

Resolve to Write 2024 #100

100 days of writing every day
Has certainly proved a challenge
Through fatigue and boredom
The day getting away from me
Or can’t get a moment’s peace
Total brain block
Once, too filled with alcohol
I have written
I have written of birds
But not swans
I have written of ships and shores and shoes
I have written of books
Of course I have written about my dog
I have journaled
And made up stories
And repeated tales about fishin’
And I have written a spot of poetry this month
Because it is April
And April is for poets
And fools

I have written of love in almost every post
Whether it is about the aforementioned
Or East Tennessee
Or food or farmers or frogs
So if that is what you scrounge for
You should find it in nearly every post
I cannot
Will not
Stop writing
Even if it’s painful
Even if it’s revealing
Even though it’s no good
I can’t quit
Even if I wanted to
Once my mind is made up
I never could
Except guitar lessons
And maybe that’s why
Because I was a disappointment
And I never wanted to be that again

Skin crawling
Cold
Short breaths
Teeth chattering
Anxiety I suppose
Since I’m not on drugs
And I usually like rainy days
Desiring quiet in my head
But impossible with the sniffer
Who has stayed on the phone all but twenty minutes today
And I could not hear myself think
He coughed thirty nine times
In nineteen minutes
A reprieve tomorrow at last
If only I could sleep
I could collect my racing thoughts
And methodically place them in rows
And package them neatly with tissue paper
Leaving out the most cherished ones
To enjoy regularly
I have to stop naming favorites
Because it leads to trauma

I don’t know
But it did
And here we are
With a saddled bronc
Now to ride
No brakes
No clutch
No quit
Because that’s how you get through
Too bad it’s much longer than 8 seconds
Feels like 8 years
I need to lose myself in this book
Like some people lose themselves in a TV series
Or in another human

April Showers
Bring May flowers
…but what do Mayflowers bring?
Pilgrims!
(Not sure if that’s a poem or just a joke, but it’s all I’ve got)

Love from Appalachia,
~Amy







Resolve to Write 2024 #99

Today is the birthday of my dear friend Emily
Who deserves so much more than a poorly written poem
That doesn’t even rhyme
Or have iambic pentameter
So I sent her flowers
But I wish I could give her
All the dogs
And all the books
And all the sweets
Because Emily loves pit bulls
And Emily loves cozy mysteries
And Emily loves lemon cheesecake and Reese’s
And that is partly why
Emily is my friend

But she is also the best listener I know
And always has the wisest words
Things like
“matters of the heart are often complicated”
And “Kroger has our bread on sale”
This is pertinent information
And she is wise beyond her years
If she hadn’t bought a purple collar with daisies on it
We may have never truly met
But I had just gotten one for my goat
Who was named Daisy
And I opened my big mouth and told her so

And ever since then
We have chattered about dogs and books and ailing mommas
We have shared stories about crazy friends
And their boyfriends and husbands and sisters and children
And tattoos and cows and hot air balloons
(I have no personal experience with hot air balloons, that’s all Emily)
There is never any shortage of hysterical animal videos between us
Sometimes
You never see a friend
But you know they’re right there
Ready to put a hand on your back
Sometimes
They put their hand in yours
And pull you back
Happy Birthday my sweet friend ❤️

I really really wanted to share some Aerosmith lyrics here, since Steven Tyler is her hero, but Aerosmith songs are A. Really melodramatic and B. Not really poetry so I had to go a different route.

Because daisies
This one hangs on her fridge already

Love from Appalachia,

~Amy

Resolve to Write 2024 #98

I have spent eight hours
On my porch
Today
So far
And in that time
I have observed
So many carpenter bees
Working the redbuds
Chester
Chasing the carpenter bees
Except he can’t fly
So he falls off the porch
Tally two
Robins
Round with eggs
Doves
Singles and severals
Crows flapping
Hawks gliding
And I swear that tree has gotten greener
While I sat here
Mr. Jenkins tilling his garden spot
Yes it’s Sunday
But I think he enjoys it
Many vehicles
With windows down
And arms out
I approve
Clouds gently sliding across the sky
West to East
So many airplanes
And Lifestar

I have had two wardrobe changes
And now under my t-shirt quilt
I wanted to spray weeds
But I’m secretly relieved
The weather has been too chilly
I have only sneezed once
Even though everything is yellow
I have drank a lot of water
And wondered about putting sunscreen
On my hands
And my forehead
I do not want a repeat
Surgical procedure
I did not read my book again
I did not do laundry
I just sat with the bees
And thought
A haiku would be easier

~From Winnie the Pooh, by A.A. Milne

I eat my peas with honey
I’ve done it all my life
It makes the peas taste funny
But it keeps them on the knife!

Love from Appalachia,

~Amy

Resolve to Write 2024 #97

To write a poem in five minutes
Is a skill I do not possess
Just like simple math
Or complicated math
Or any math
But fortunately math skills
Are not on display
Like grammatical ones

And so I will tell you
Of my evening
At the roping pen
The first one this year
And it was not too hot
And it was not too cold
Until it was
And I had to teetee

Of the twenty riders
There were two in blue sweatshirts
One horse who flipped completely backwards
Riderless, thank God
A dozen lazy
No count
Counterfeit
Steers
And I smiled
About a horse deal that could not be made
Because the horse in question
Was bought for $300
Made $3000
And he was offered $1000
Then $1500 in the next breath
There was hesitation
But he liked his little horse

I wondered what the sorrel mare thought
About being talked about
Right there
Her future in their hands
She blinked
Her intelligent eye
And didn’t move much
I wondered if her mouth hurt
Or if her saddle pad felt okay
And if she likes doing what she does
Or if she’d rather be a trail horse

But mares don’t talk
And the deal wasn’t struck
And I think everybody was relieved
Until the horse who was upside down
Tried his trick again
And I remembered a black filly I once had
Named Octavia
Who broke everything
Including my foot

So third go lasted six seconds
And Waffle House was my future
Diced and covered
And the perfect waffle
From a genuine Waffle House waitress
Sparkling personality
But less than ideal teeth
And her story
Which you never know
But you have to listen
While you eat your waffle
And wonder what life decisions
Brought her to work third shift
At Waffle House
And she probably wondered
What brought us to her
But she didn’t ask our story
But I would have said
In summary
27 years
3,492 cattle
Give or take
68,505 beers
Three rings
One buckskin horse
And here we are

Goin’ and a-Blowin

~Chris Ledoux

I’m a goin’ and a blowin’ and a headin’ down the road tryin’ to make a livin rodeoin’
I’ve been a driving all night ‘neath the pale moonlight
Waiting for the sun to start showin’
Theres too many miles and not enough time but I’m gonna make it
Just the same

well its a mighty tough life but I like it alright
You know I wouldn’t have it any other way

Well I’ve been drinkin’ that ol black coffee & it tastes like tupentine
And I’ve heard every song on the Bill Mack show pert near fifty times
And a little green man on a motorcycle passed a little while ago
Boy I can sure use some sleep but I gotta keep a headin on down the road

Lets drive up get out and get on another one and boy you better win
Cause your moneys gettin’ low and the banker gets mad
When them hot checks start rolling in
Well ain’t life great on this interstate a lookin’ out for smokey the bear
And flyin high on caffeine and copenhagen and a breathing that cool night air
Well its a mighty tough life but I like it alright
You know I wouldn’t have it any other way

Love from Appalachia,

~Amy

Resolve to Write 2024 #96

Another day of Redbud Winter
Or is it Locust??
Will we get three of those
Since we’re getting three hatches?
Or is this just
Spring
And we need to take every day
As it comes
I think so
As I ladle more soup into my bowl
More insulation
I tell myself
And add cheese

So jittery
From too much coffee
And suppressed aggravation
Downgraded from the rage of yesterday
Looking forward to tomorrow
And coffee
And finishing books
And conversations about birds
Or what have you

It is just words
I tell myself
As I read the story aloud
For the first time
To the one it’s about
Even if he insists it isn’t
And I tear up
And my throat closes
It is just words
Keep reading
Don’t you dare cry
Just words

Why am I such a tender heart
I need to stay tough
Not a wimpy little girl
Way too late for feelings
Adjust the armor
Draw the sword
And march forward

I hope that someday
A poem reaches your heart
And caresses your soul
And makes you yearn
For something you had long forgot
Like when you stumble across a retro toy
In an antique store
Or your grandmother’s perfume
On a scarf in a drawer

In my library
It doesn’t matter what winter it is
It doesn’t matter
What time it is
But it does matter
Because I cannot keep my eyes open
And these are just words






Sometimes It Be That Way
~Jewel

Night with its shattered teeth
Attempts to speak
My pen is present but
Courage left via the sink
And I'm sorry
I snuck up on you
From behind
I'm sorry not all
My love letters did rhyme
And I'm sorry that
Jesus died for my sins
And I swear to God
It won't happen again
And I'm sorry
If it was my swerve that
Tempted you to sway
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way
And Romeo was
A very nice man
He said
"Jewel, I don't think
You quite understand"
And I'm sorry if you had
To explain it like this
I'm sorry I was a point
You were destined to miss
And I'm sorry
I spoke to you irreverently
Down in the hollow
By the old olive tree
And I'm sorry
If my heart breaking
Ruined your day
Oh well
Sometimes It be that way
I said
"Oh well, I got nothing
Left to sell
This love was a bell that
Rang unheard in the air
I was bound to find out
That you didn't care
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way
And Aphrodite with
Her neon lamp
Kissed Neptune
They put her face
On a stamp
And I'm sorry
I used it to mail
A letter to you
I'm sorry I'm glue and
The rest bounces off of you
And I'm sorry not even
This jet's metal wings
Could get across
These simple things
And I'm sorry
If I ever sang
Your name in vain
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way
And Goldilocks
Well she knew three bears
They all ate oatmeal
And tiptoed upstairs
And I'm sorry
I never got to
Find you like this
Sleeping like a baby
And swaddled in bliss
And I'm sorry for
All the times
I forgot to imply something
In between the lines
And I'm sorry
If my heart breaking
Ruined your day
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way
I said
"Oh well, I got nothing
Left to sell
This love was a bell that
Rang unheard in the air
I was bound to find out
That you didn't care
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way
And shadow's long fingers
They dance on the wall
Electricity chases
Its tail in the hall
And I'm sorry
If my arms to you
Were just empty rooms
I'm sorry
I never could comfort you
And I'm sorry
St. Petersburg is
A miserable town
And I'm sorry
If I am bringing you down
And I'm sorry
If I caused you pain
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way
And flame licks the air
With its silver tongue
Night has many hands
But I have just one
And I'm sorry
I walked in on you
Unexpectedly
I'm sorry
I never served you
Camomile's tea
And I'm sorry
I didn't always have a match
That could start
A fire big enough
For your heart to catch
And I'm sorry
If it was my swerve that
Tempted you to sway
Oh well
Sometimes it be that way

Love from Appalachia,

~Amy

Heart and Soul on a Fork

There were no sunglasses in evidence Wednesday morning, April 3rd, 2024, when a group of students from the Culinary Arts Division of Walters State Community College met and traveled to a local beef producer’s farm just outside of Sevierville, Tennessee. The spring day was overcast, blustery, and thirty degrees cooler than it had been the two previous days. The old timers would label it “airish” but to the rest of us, it was strictly cold. But a cold day out in the field is still better than a warm day behind a desk, and we were all thankful it wasn’t raining.

The landowner, Lynn McMahan, had taken the day off from trucking to host the group of students, together with organizer Mike Sharp, TN Beef Industry Council & Cattlemen’s Association; Dr. Katie Mason, a professor with the University of Tennessee; Mallory Fancher, a recent graduate student of ruminant nutrition; Sevier County Ag Extension director Adam Hopkins; and Amy Johnson, secretary for Sevier County Soil & Water Conservation District and Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS).

Students were here to see firsthand where the beef they prepare comes from, starting with the calves born on site in October. We drove up the graveled lane to the large barn. We gathered inside, hunkered in clothes that proved inadequate against the wind that howled around the corners. From the front of the barn, the mountain was clearly visible and beginning to fill with vibrant greens as new growth climbed up the ridge.

Lynn, who sits on both the Sevier County Farm Bureau and Soil & Water Conservation boards, Master Beef Producer, and member of the Cattlemen’s Association, runs anywhere from 40-60 momma cows on his property, which he rotationally grazes for optimum forage. It started as a method to reduce parasites, but as time went on, other perks surfaced. The property graciously described as “rolling” farmland would be described as “pretty steep” by anyone who traversed it on foot. But the cows don’t mind. They happily cropped the tender spring grass and quietly moved below us as we talked about farming in this day and age.

Lynn is a thoughtful, methodical, soft-spoken man who depends on his vet of over twenty years for vaccine protocols. He is not one to chase down the latest technology or trends advertised on RFD, relying instead on proven vaccines and dewormer. What works for him as a part-time farmer may not be the ideal program for cattlemen everywhere. He is focused on gentle cows, Hereford Angus cross, who provide a calf every year. He keeps select heifer calves for replacement stock and buys some along as needed. His bulls are kept on site, vet checked in November, turned in with the ladies January 1st, and pulled after heifer checks in early April. Calving season is October-November, weaning takes place the following June, and shipped to market about 45 days later. During this time, the entire herd are inoculated for respiratory diseases, blackleg, pinkeye, tetanus, treated with an injectable dewormer, and provided with fly tags. Bull calves are banded and navels dipped within 24 hours of hitting the ground. Fly mineral with IGR is provided free choice year round. The action never stops at the farm, and there’s always something needing repaired or built between fencing and equipment, and a field needing sprayed, fertilized, limed, or seeded.

Adam and Mike fielded some questions about antibiotic free meat, and how it is a bit of a marketing gimmick, because all meat labeled for human consumption must be free of antibiotics, hence the “withdrawal period” stated on the label. Producers are no longer able to buy over the counter antibiotics, they must all come via a veterinarian prescription, and vets are not licensed to distribute without having a clear working relationship with the requestor. Industry professionals are anticipating vaccines to be prescription only before much longer. It is imperative to always read the label on whatever product you are using, as loading and withdrawal varies by vaccine and brand. The new cases of Avian Flu found in Texas were addressed, and how many diseases are carried through natural water sources and bird droppings. This is why educated producers are focused on transitioning to automatic waterers for all livestock. Two were in sight from our vantage point on top of the hill.

Dr. Mason led us into a discussion about preferred breeds of cattle for industry needs, and the characteristics of specific beef breeds. She referred us to her handout as we walked through the life cycle of a beef cow. It takes two to three years to bring beef from farm to fork. Students learned that calves weigh between 60-100 pounds at birth, weaned at the producer’s discretion between 6-12 months old, finished on either grass or at a feedlot (typically out west) on mainly grain and plant by-products with some roughage. They will weigh 1200-1400 pounds on the hoof at market. Once slaughtered, you are looking at only half that weight as packaged meat. They found this information staggering. Mike spoke up and showed examples of byproducts that are incorporated into feed, which included corn syrup, corn starch, oils, flours, rolled oats, and even jellybeans.

Students were curious about how the selling was handled. Once you have shipped your cattle to market, you aren’t at liberty to dicker and demand a higher price. You are paid whatever the bidder agrees to per pound. That is the end of the farmer’s share, no matter what the finished product brings. It is difficult to equate a quality steer with excellent lineage for marbling bringing $1.40 a pound live weight, and his Porterhouse steak costing upwards of $50.00 in a restaurant. It was a humbling moment looking at it from a farmer’s standpoint. You factor in the cost of equipment: tractors, rotary cutters, hay baling equipment, not to mention land taxes and of course, fertilizer, the lifestyle is overwhelming, and sometimes downright discouraging. Farmers fight all the same things the rest of us do, but they are also fighting or working with the weather. So when a developer comes along with an offer to buy the land for more than you could ever hope to profit in twenty years, and there’s no one in your family seeming eager to take the reins, it’s hard to turn down a life with a little cushion around the edges.

One of the students asked what incentives were offered to keep farmers in business. Amy stepped in to talk about the grants available through NRCS and Tennessee Department of Agriculture on a cost share basis. These programs are in place, along with TAEP, to provide monetary assistance to fence out ponds, creeks, and rivers and put in automatic waterers, build hay and equipment sheds, provide access roads, and many other conservation practices. When the producer has some equity in the project, in addition to financial assistance from a government agency, they are more likely to stay the course. A willingness to farm boils down to passion and loving what you do. Love for your craft cannot be bought. Those of us who have stood with a producer on their place, their Heaven on Earth, know the truth of this as they look you in the eye and tell you their purpose. Their farm is their pride, it is their joy, and sometimes, it is their heartache.  

We moved outside to observe the herd a little closer and our discussion turned towards nutrition and digestion, with Mallory explaining the sophisticated bovine stomach. We’ve all observed cattle grazing, but they require more than the sparse grass in winter, and that’s where hay and protein supplements come in.  

It is often impossible in education to know if you’re making a difference. Your students move on, and more likely than not, you never hear from them again. If you have an alumni association at the college level, you can maybe track their success. But the children we try to reach, the young ones watching what goes into growing our food, and then into our bodies, it’s hard to tell what sticks past recess, let alone into adulthood.

Just before the class dispersed, Lynn motioned us into a circle. He spoke of a day at school where his 4th grade class filed into the auditorium and a man talked to them about a program called 4-H. He gave details about what the club entailed, from raising chickens or a hog or a feeder steer. Students were encouraged to come pick up a flyer from the front of the room once the presentation ended if they thought they might be interested. But our host was so painfully shy at that age, he couldn’t make himself go talk to the man and get a brochure. He was in the group walking out when the man approached him. Little Lynn didn’t know this man, but this gentleman knew him, and knew his dad, and knew his grandad. “Here, son, take one of these. I think you’d enjoy it.”

And that man was Mike Sharp, the organizer of so many events in our county and beyond. The man who has never tired of spreading the word about quality beef. The man who does it because he loves it, and who was standing with us today, in the barn of a man who has built a life around conservation agriculture…because it started with a pamphlet about 4-H.

Resolve to Write 2024 #95

When I have found myself 
Inordinately angry
Over a little situation
In an otherwise unblemished day
I also find that a Reese’s cup
Or a cuddle with my dog
Or a glass of wine
Or losing myself in a book
Is a successful method
Of moving past it

But when I have caught a liar
-No matter how small-
And plan confrontation
Nothing settles me
Until I have brought matches
And kindling
And kerosene
And dynamite
And lit the fuse
And watched you burn
Hopefully it comes with
A volcanic explosion
Because I find those
Very satisfactory
But I will appease myself with blisters

Do not cross
An Irish temper
With an overly caffeinated Gemini
Who has already had it
With dinging phones
And snot sniffers
And pure laziness
And renters who don’t know their address
Or how to park
Or to wear pants
When it’s fifty degrees
And the wind’s whipping
And there’s snow on the mountain

Do not mistake my friendliness
For kindness
Or familiarity
For friendship
Do not think
Because I listen
I care
And if you lie
Say goodbye
To anything more
Than detached professionalism
Because it is blatant disrespect
That made you tell me
An untruth
And you think
That I am stupid
As you are
No lie is insignificant
Because if you’ll tell a tiny one
For no good reason
Then you’ll lie
About important things
And if you’ll lie
You’ll steal
And now I know
Everything I already did

Love and zero tolerance from Appalachia,

~Amy

P.s. there really truly is snow on the mountain!! I TOLD you it was cold yesterday!

P.ps. I forgot to include a poem from a real poet. So here ya go, from my favorite songwriter, Sturgill Simpson ❤️😍😍😍😍😍

Well that label man said son now can you sing a little bit more clear
Your voice might be too genuine and your song’s a little too sincere
Can you sing a little more about outlaws and the way things used to be
He told me you just worry about writing them songs leaving everything else to me

Daddy was a Highwayman but he never wrote any old country songs
Papaw never stayed out raising hell til the break of dawn
But he raised a proud coal miners daughter and I’m proud to be her son
She told me boy I don’t care if you hit it big, cause you’re already #1

That’s the way it goes in this day & age
You ain’t gotta read between the lines you just gotta turn the page
Well the most outlaw thing that I’ve ever done was give a good woman a ring
But that’s the way it goes, life ain’t fair and the world is mean

Well I still got the wife and the dog but I swapped the truck out for a van
Gonna hit the road find the end of that long white line in the promise land
Won’t hear my song on the radio cause that new sounds all the rage
But you can always find me in a smokey bar with bad sound and a dim lit stage

https://youtu.be/L1ntJzX6Zcg?si=z1PS2kPyILiSzd4D ~for your listening pleasure ~