buskin with ross in denver
you have an audience now!
thanks man, not too many folks around.
i like your voice.
thank you!
the sun is sweaty light is low
mango kombucha bubbles on my tongue
denver 16th street busy with no eyes
just this wise old man
who offers me some conversation
he's ex-us army and i'm pro-peace
but honestly it's a relief
to have someone watching my back
it's a big city with even bigger drugs
and i'm not out to get mugged
yesterday someone tried to steal my guitar
at denver union station
it's a nice one, too fender
day before some kid from new orleans
gave me weed and told me to call him sir
i felt dirty and gross after
but i like the music in the city
all the open laughter
it really is a pity they don't provide
mental health services when drugs just
deepen the divide of classes
which is mainly what we talk about
and music too, i say i'm new
new to guitar and to denver city
he says it's a pity i leave tonight
but he'll play music with me
while there's still some daylight
i say that sounds good he grabs his guitar
we don't make a plan we just hit the corner
he's better at guitar than me but i can sing
all in all we bring in fifty bucks
i say this is better luck than i've had
i know four songs on guitar not too bad
but i can sing on anything he picks
from i shot the sheriff to harvest moon
my train leaves soon but we keep playin
as the day winds down a man comes up
has request after request
i know none of em, sing em all
we laugh at ourselves, pass the musical ball
back and forth til four
when a boy high as a kite comes by
leaves us a twenty, i dunno why
but i appreciate that n thank the guy
then we play some grateful dead
and some other kid comes by with his head
in the clouds he's trippin so hard
deadhead shoes, socks and shirt
hands all covered in dirt
we talk a lil and he longboards off
i sing althea to see him off
then it's late n my train will come
so last i sing house of the rising sun
n we turn to each other n say this's been fun
n turn and go our separate ways
— July 2021, Denver, CO
