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THE BALLAD OF CHARLIE
THE BALLAD OF CHARLIE
(T. Beechey)
I was sittin' in my trailer when a man came to my door
He said he was a sailor and had just washed up on shore
He said his name was Charlie, I said to come inside
He pointed to my Harley and asked me for a ride
I asked where he was headed, he said he had a date
And that she always fretted whenever he was late
As I revved up the engine, I hollered "Hold on tight!"
Right then was to begin our journey through the night
We talked of his adventures upon the stormy seas
He showed me all his pictures and shared his memories
"After twenty years of sailing," he spoke without regret
"The wind's no longer wailing and I'm tired of being wet."
I asked about his sweetheart that he was soon to meet
He said she was his best part and made him feel complete
"I'll get you where you're goin'," I told my newfound friend
He said,"You should start slowin' cause it's right around the bend."
Old Charlie was a sailor
He came up to the door
Of my little trailer
And took me on a tour
Just what was our destination?
I didn't have a clue
But I felt the man's frustration
So it was the thing to do
We turned onto a back road with Charlie holding tight
Yes,I know,I never slowed, though Charlie asked polite
We drove for what seemed hours, then Charlie said to stop
Right beside a bed of flowers with a faded rose on top
There was no fancy headstone or a flag that gently waves
Just rows of pretty flowers thrown atop an unmarked grave
I turned around to Charlie whose eyes were filled with tears
He said, "Meet my little darling, she's been here twenty years."
He said her name was Lori, they intended to be wed
Theirs was a true love story until he found her dead
I never asked the reason, for it wasn't my concern
Charlie simply said her season, all at once, fell out of turn
"And that is where she's buried." He paused to glance above
"Even though we never married, death can never part our love."
He stepped between the rows, plucked some weeds growing near
And it was then that all my woes seemed to disappear
Old Charlie was a sailor
Whose life had grown so bleak
And was growing ever paler
So my friendship he did seek
In the hope of reuniting
With the one who held his soul
I knew it was the right thing
I helped Charlie fill his role
We stayed until the morning, then he said we had to race
He left new blooms adorning her final resting place
As we left, I wondered where he had to go
He said, "Just leave me under the bridge" and I said "No!"
"You're coming home with me," I said, "and there is where you'll stay!"
"You'll have a place to rest your head!" To that,he said "Okay."
But when we got back into town, I no longer felt his hold
That's when I turned around and found his seat was now ice cold
