THE SLOT
Been driving all night
On the road to oblivion
last night I left
No more job
Or dirty apartment
To rent
So I pointed west
and started driving
Trying to forget
My heart is crying
Life is a tough road
For guys like me
Too much time
In the penitentiary
Shaking it off
The sun glints
On the window shield
Hints of where
I am bound
passing endless
corn fields
Up ahead on the horizon
I see a palace of sorts
A casino or hotel
A heaven
not hell
I drive up
a beat up mess
met by a valet
at the entrance
to this place
He says
“Welcome to the Slot “
And “have a good time”
I’m thinking
that’ll be tough
I don’t have a dime
So I enter the doors
where the doorman awaits
he nods and smiles
As I enter
this wonderful place
I wander around
taking it all in
Wondering when
My welcome wears thin
and lost again
I find a bar
a familiar home
For a drowning
and reality postponed
There were others sitting
in the dark of day
I thought and wondered
what were their stories
And what brought
them here today?
A sultry older woman
caught my eye
She was watching me
Made me nervous
I can’t deny
She said
“Look Honey
“I’ve been watching you
You don’t belong here”
which I knew
Was definitely true
She said “Here”
in a seductive way
Reaching in her purse
So she gave me a dollar
A bright shiny coin
and said “give it a shot”
I paused and thought
And dropped it in
A nearby slot…
The fruit tumble
Shudder and shake
The slot machine
Shudders and quakes
Lights sound
and a siren screams
I made it I think
Its all in sync…
Disbelief as the
commotion roars
people are cheering
For me for a change
A wave of surprise
Then I turn my eyes
To the woman
Who gave me my prize
But she was gone
A phantom once more
Life is different now
No running from the past
I have a stake
Some insurance
A future
That looks vast
My mystery woman
Has no name
So I call her my
Silver Angel
Been driving all night
On the road to oblivion
last night I left
No more job
Or dirty apartment
To rent
So I pointed west
and started driving
Trying to forget
My heart is crying
Life is a tough road
For guys like me
Too much time
In the penitentiary
Shaking it off
The sun glints
On the window shield
Hints of where
I am bound
passing endless
corn fields
Up ahead on the horizon
I see a palace of sorts
A casino or hotel
A heaven
not hell
I drive up
a beat up mess
met by a valet
at the entrance
to this place
He says
“Welcome to the Slot “
And “have a good time”
I’m thinking
that’ll be tough
I don’t have a dime
So I enter the doors
where the doorman awaits
he nods and smiles
As I enter
this wonderful place
I wander around
taking it all in
Wondering when
My welcome wears thin
and lost again
I find a bar
a familiar home
For a drowning
and reality postponed
There were others sitting
in the dark of day
I thought and wondered
what were their stories
And what brought
them here today?
A sultry older woman
caught my eye
She was watching me
Made me nervous
I can’t deny
She said
“Look Honey
“I’ve been watching you
You don’t belong here”
which I knew
Was definitely true
She said “Here”
in a seductive way
Reaching in her purse
So she gave me a dollar
A bright shiny coin
and said “give it a shot”
I paused and thought
And dropped it in
A nearby slot…
The fruit tumble
Shudder and shake
The slot machine
Shudders and quakes
Lights sound
and a siren screams
I made it I think
Its all in sync…
Disbelief as the
commotion roars
people are cheering
For me for a change
A wave of surprise
Then I turn my eyes
To the woman
Who gave me my prize
But she was gone
A phantom once more
Life is different now
No running from the past
I have a stake
Some insurance
A future
That looks vast
My mystery woman
Has no name
So I call her my
Silver Angel