dear unrelenting neverending uphill battle
i bought some new boots today
size twelve double wide
steel toes and hard soles
does that frighten you?
of course not
you are the unrelenting neverending uphill battle
journey with no arrival
mindless ambition, missions and visions
tall as denali
long as god’s shadow
all of us on trial
as a kid
i got my ass kicked by the other kids in school
beat down in the home that i ran from
beat down in the streets i ran to
as a man
dragged down in the great recession
lost the business i built from spit and dirt
and beaten flat in the aftermath
by the i.r.s.
cut down to size in the eyes of soulless white collars
got my ass kicked by every boss i crossed
every woman i loved, everything below
and everything above
thugged and mugged in the dark
left for dead
and i wreck myself when no one else will
cause i don’t know myself
without any bruises
can you see all the teeth in my eyes?
i’m a bubba-shaped object
hands like two pitbulls
a mind made of knuckles
a heart of scar tissue
blood like burnt diesel
my name is no-shame
and i’ve got some new boots
dear unrelenting neverending uphill battle
i’m coming for you
jalopy dreams 