Don Conoscenti

slept an hour in texarkana
on an empty country road.
woke up with a flashlight in my face.
young deputy saying 'save your story,
i don't need to know.
you're going to jail for sleeping in this place.'

but i did not throw my fists
i didn't scream at god for this.
and i did not put a bullet in my brain.
but this young deputy wasn't giving me an inch

for an hour in texarkana in the rain

pushed a  picture in his hand. said
'that's my first and only child.
y'know i drove all night from Austin in this rain.
she got sick, man, we tried everything
to hold her in this life ...
she died in my arms yesterday'

but i did not throw my fists
i didn't scream at god for this.
and i did not put a bullet in my brain.
but this young deputy wasn't giving me one damn inch
for an hour in texarkana in the rain

i did not throw my fists i didn't scream at god for this.
and i did not put a bullet in my brain
but i shot him with his own gun
when he tried to cuff my wrists ...
for an hour in texarkana in the rain