In Defence Of Country Music Poem by Mary Champion

They laugh at Country Music
and highlight all its faults -
the dodgy red-neck politics,
the misery, the schmaltz.
The faithless women,
reckless, drunken, guys,
the trucks, the dogs, the guns,
death-bed good-byes.
The weepin' and the wailin',
when love makes you a fool.
The melodies are magic,
but the sentiments ain't cool.

But live a little first,
then you can choose,
for premature misjudgement
is no use.
When life has been a bitch
and broke your heart,
when love in vain
has torn your dreams apart,
when you are down
and drownin' in the blues,
when suicidal thoughts
form mile long queues,
when you are busted
and it's all gone wrong,
there's nothin' that can empathise
quite like a country song