stolen letter

I know this is probably a bit late -
you're probably halfway to wherever
you're headed by now, but if not,
if you haven't left yet - well hell

get to it! Do it, do it all - not necessarily
all in one shoot the works binge, you can stretch
it out in bits and snatches over a life lived
to the full in-between,
and savor

the feeling
of always being halfway to wherever you're headed,
making plenty of stops along the way.

Except one thing though: I'd advise against
the flirting with the cowboys in front of their girlfriends
part, just from a shallow knee-jerk compassion standpoint.

I mean,

just picture if you were a cowboy's girlfriend,
and along comes a small-talkin', back-seat-sleepin',
carefree, so-hard-tryin', ocean-driven skinny-dippin' girl

with no clear plan

in a car full of good music and cheap cigarrettes,
and she jumps out and starts flirting with your cowboy
boyfriend right in front of your face?

I suspect at that point, it would "be on."

But what the hell
am I saying, trying
to check your resolve
with my cold counsel?

Don't pay attention to me.

Pay attention to the other half
the woman you know you could be.

She's talking, clear now

and calm,

and definite.