"...but wrong us once...
there’s not a prayer for you..."
Each and every day I am crucified,
by duplicity… and bold-faced lies.
Broken promises and trumped-up spew,
designed to entice but are so untrue.
I come from the land of ol’ Mark Twain -
Josephine Baker… and Jesse James,
where people say what they mean
and mean what they say,
the roots are strong… and they will not fray.
If it’s not in your blood
then you can’t understand,
a Show-Me native has their own kind of brand.
We will not bend, and we won’t break...
when the bullshit's deep and the truth's at stake.
You'll find us scattered all across this wide,
but the heartland spirit… still lives inside.
We are as diverse as any you can score,
yet the things we share go to our core.
We rise from the Truman and the Heinlein strains -
a stubborn attitude that never wanes,
where we treat with respect...
and are gracious through,
but wrong us once... there’s not a prayer for you.
If it’s not in your blood
then it's hard to relate,
we don't waste time on what we can't tolerate.
We shoot straight, and we aim clean...
that’s just who we are - no apology.
Copyright © 2009 Stone Bryson. All Rights Reserved.
Written December 2009
Known in many (albeit small) online circles over the past 15 years, Stone Bryson is a poet, storyteller, and essayist. He is working on various writing projects, and lives what he describes as an 'analog life.' He resides in Jackson County, Missouri.