[Sun_Sparkz]

I would love to be able to write a good ballad... ive tried but they all end up either too cheesy or depressing. I have a few country droving books and i really like this one called Vale Rusty Reagan. It makes me think about all the times I avoid a drunk at our local little inn, or everytime i've ever known of an old town drunk. We have a few of them come by in our little country town, and i never associate with them, but these words made me think about a few of them in a light i never had before. I wish i could write something that could do that to people. move them as it moved me.

Vale Rusty Reagan

Old Rusty Reagan’s cashed his chips
No more he’ll go on droving trips,
And no more grog will pass the lips
Of drunken Rusty Reagan.
He died of drink, or so they say
Or pure neglect, but anyway
The sands of time have slipped away
For luckless Rusty Reagan.

Although he camped upon the flat
The bar was his true habitat
And home was underneath the hat
Of drifter Rusty Reagan
There’s none to say from whence he came
Not sure, in fact ,if that’s his name
To Rusty, though, its all the same
Dead finish Rusty Reagan

No relatives with reddened eyes
Will weep at Rusty’s sad demise
No lowered flag at half-mast flies
To honour Rusty Reagan
We’ll miss perhaps his ugly dial,
His raucous voice and toothy smile
We’ll miss him for a little while
Then forget Rust Reagan

Perhaps somewhere someone will wait
A mother, sister, brother, mate
Who’ll wonder as they vainly wait
For absent Rusty Reagan
I’d like to think some tears might fall
For Rusty’s ilk, no-hopers all
Who answer that last trumpet call
Unmourned like Rusty Reagan.