Written by

Walter L. Jones & Sandra Magle

Copy Right January 31, 2007

Authors note: In the days of hard liven and a harder life,

the church of choice was often a corner bar.

Most times a spill over from the night before.

Many a rescue mission preacher stopped in to give a speech

and try to save a soul or two with the best words known.

Country salvation.

Broken but Loved by all

Early Sunday preacher started to spill

His second eye-opener in grace

Voice trembled cold but as pure as

The two fingers of Kentucky gold

He sipped.  Are you ready to greet

Country salvation or has your soul been sold

Cowboy preacher scowling

In soured grimaced wear

Murky eyes blear unfocused day

Tattered blight, two barstools away

Speared in sunlight, her unkempt hair

Smoke ring spun halos ethereal fair

Lady Mary drunk of the bar stool drool

Preacher's hope filled; old cowboy fool

"So tip your bottle back my sister,

Give me your hand, we'll reach this side of eternity,"

He played for the country band

for absent alms but personal sanity

Singing duets of love grief impunity

Much more goin' than a one night stand

Nodded the preacher to lady Mary drunk

Her emptied drink and laughter gone

A life, a shadow called,

Soul soiled from holding too long

Too many lovers of sky and alley

Too many had in drunken dawn

Humming an old Hank hymn,

Pausing to think, her litany wheezed

"What comforts pleased, stopped in summer breeze

Nothing freer than hearts' in comfort need,"

He paused to hold the holy book, a quick pathetic look,

Sunday's mourn, "Can we pass beyond Kris's coming down

East of Eden, ill equipped trip called faith;

From the belly of a whale, "Jonah  gotta long."

Teared lady sang in to me

Why she sent his saddle home.

Played in jukebox choir harmony

An old Hank wrote his son

Kissing the other side of rest

She smiled giving him a hand,

"Heaven stands the barrier true

Of love, God always gives his best."

Holding now, bar stool built for two:

One lady Mary drunk, one cowboy preacher fool

Stop the music watch the cross as it fills the room

Love never dies, sometimes flowers from cactus bloom