My mama who art in Heaven
She had chestnut hair
I pulled ten burrs from my blue jeans
She knew I’d been out there
Out past red hill and your cold skin
Lost way up in the dark
Salvation lies in a whisper
Ain’t from around these parts
Me and Davy Mac we were best friends
Been that way since we were two
My stepdad was a Baptist
(he) made damn sure I knew
First time I went up
Just followed minion creek
You bushwhack for a good hour
Then burn off all the ticks
A zippo and some whiskey
Just a couple kids
Lookin’ down down down down down
Down the draw off Hutchins Ridge
Fire road turns into rubble
Ain’t maintained any more
Bet you if a statey ever saw smoke
Probably let it go
One hand begat lightning
Comes down to rod and wrath
Mama had the prettiest shoulders I never seen
God bless her soul for that
I stole my old man’s bowie
Guess I am cut out for this
I’m going down down down down down
Down the draw off Hutchins Ridge
Just ’bout one way up there
One more I know off
Where the portage of your own blood
Is what is not your fault
Lone morning dove kills silence
In rising melody
They played Taps for my real dad
Died USMC
Cirrus winds clean my lean-to
On this perched apple tree
Sinse tucked in my bedroll
Get high as I can be
Knuckled roots
Grip the ledge
In my boots
Standing dead
Threw an apple as far as I could
Must be another way to live
I’m going down down down down down
Down the draw off Hutchins Ridge