A stranger on the road

I met a man upon my travels,

at twilight as the day unravels

A man unkempt with dreaded hair

in faded clothes, and feet so bare

And as he neared he could not disguise

his cheeks were moist, red were his eyes

And so I hailed him as a friend

and asked what sorrow bought this end

 

“Do you know” this strange man spoke

“the pain of having your heart broke ?

Betrayed by those you gave your all,

your words twisted, defiled your call ?

A house once free now bought and sold,

pockets of crumbs now filled with gold

An open yard now padlocked fence,

whilst tenants defile innocence

A flowing river's now been dammed,

theyʼve turned a lion to a lamb

Twisted all about my life,

from neutered message to vanished wife

Those i love now seem to blame

me for the deeds done in my name

So now this place i leave behind,

a place of solitude to find

For now i see, but didnʼt then,

that a crack runs through the heart of men”

 

With that he stopped and turned away,

and watched the disappearing day

Then without a word he turned,

and left, but inside questions burned

Who was this stranger filled with tears ?

Why did his absence birth such fears ?

These answers that i could not tell,

but then he waved, as in farewell

And just above his jackets arm..

a hand with scar right through the palm