The Ballad Of Broken Joe Poem by Thoughts of a Single Man

There is a legend in these parts about a silent solemn man
who rides upon the dessert wind with a six string in his hand
he drifts with the sand from town to town seeking those who do wrong
and where he finds injustice you can always hear his cryptic song

his name is Joe and legend has it that he once smiled every day
until some desperadoes came to town and stole his joy away
at the show he performed and thrilled the crowd as he did every night
but as he played those men stole away to the home of his child and his wife

they took his wealth and with the devil's fire burned every song he ever did write
they struck his child down and laid filthy stains on his loving mate and life
then they dispatched of her so cruelly and left that night without a sound
but you could hear Joe scream for miles on the dawn when the bodies were found

they say this is why that never again could a single word by him be spoken
for the man named Joe was filled with fire though his heart was forever broken
he never spoke he just rode off with a six sting on his back and gun in hand
for no one can really truly say what something like that does to the soul of a man

three days later the town awoke to a song they had never heard
as Joe stood over three headless cadavers never saying a word
no one in town saw him again but his legend spread quick and fast
it was said that if you ever heard that song then that sound would be your last

wherever evil marked itself and wherever there was death and pain
you could hear the song and those who did wrong were never seen again
like the hand of silent vengeance he would come riding into town
and murderers thieves and villains alike were all smote and fiercely struck down

so to all you so called bad men and all you gunslingers best to know
that your end of days has come so you had best to run if you hear...
The Ballad of Broken Joe
Thoughts of a Single Man 2012tm