I am Coming Back

(In A Frontier Revenge Song)

 

I punched my way outta my coffin and set the moon a’swinging like a scythe.

Brother, I am coming back

In a frontier revenge song.

A carefree whistle broke my chest and those bullets they popped out

like corks outta champagne bottles

 

It was funny, I thought I’d been dead for so long

But here I am.

Coming Back

In a frontier revenge song.

 

I was shining radiant over the little town below and

I was burning like a star.

 

At first my voice was rusty like them

hinges onna gate but then like rocks

rocks a’rolling down the scree gathering force

till the whole world screams

avalanche

 

And I declaimed to the sorry world at large,

I am coming back

In a frontier revenge song.

I give fair warning.

I am coming back.

I am coming back for all you sorry sons of bitches.

 

And the lights of the town seemed to draw breath.

 

I shook a earwig outta my ear and almost

ground it beneath my boot

but I knealt there

On the graveside ground

and whispered

To the little pincered thing.

 

And you woulda thought that poison had a voice

as I said

I spare your life

Lowly, ornery critter

So that you may bear witness that

I am coming back

In a frontier revenge song.

 

And the leaves rose up and swirled about me as I kicked down the churchyard gate.

 

You ever been seized by a

Massive Certainty?

That’s the way it was with me.

I was made of

Whipcord.

And I was made of

Tin.

And I knew they’d never be able to hang me

Again.

 

The fallings off, the fallings away, the saying goodbyes to the old pieces of me,

Well brother all that was gone and I was

Coming back in a frontier revenge song.

I strode along the lone and dusty rode and I would’ve skipped

But I knew that would be wrong.

Oh yes, my pretty spurs were jingling and they sang a merry song.

They said

That I was coming back

In a frontier revenge song.

I was coming back in a frontier revenge song.

 

Well, you know I drew my shooting irons when to the main street I came along

and it would all be in flames

Before too long.

Because I was coming back

In a frontier revenge song.

 

 

(D.Creighton 2005)