Pilgrim Street Lament

(by Kevin Brown)



I know that I don't look like much
I can confess
But I seen my share of life and times
I'd bet you couldn't guess
The shelters kinda cold
I know it aint the best
If you got a minute I could tell you somethin'

I might tell you 'bout the time
With two outs in the ninth and two men on
We were playin' where the Reds played
Man I was so young
All my Glory Days
Were in that summer sun
Man I was somethin'

My feet they got the frostbite on a winter night
Man it was cold
I was sleepin' in the back of a Dodge
That I made my home
I just don't know where it was
That things could go so wrong
But I can't cry over that

But, once there was time
When I had all my toes
My feet were fast and fleet
And how my legs could run
And I could hit that ball
clear up into the summer sun
How I can recall

Now I come here when they let me
Just two or three days a week
I do my chores, pray to the Lord
They give me a nice hot meal to eat
Then I lay down where they give me
A place to sleep
And I can dream

That once there was time
When I had all my toes
My feet were fast and fleet
And how my legs could run
And I could hit that ball
clear up into the summer sun
Man I was somethin'

Note: Like to do a special callout to Mitch Albaum who inspired this song. I don't know him ... would love to some day ... but it's his relating of the story of a homeless shelter and one man in particular in Detroit (one out of many other similar stories that could be told) that prompted me to try and relate it with dignity in a song. Hope it succeeded.