To James McMurtry, from the crowd that night

(2) Facebook

__________________

"TUNE IT"

The son of a cowboy novelist 
and one of our finest Western 
apes of angels, come to 
story/song 

stood raw 
like a sort-of 
modern, American 
Elvis Costello 

onstage, messing with 
his strings.

So I stood
in the crowd 
always right
next to her, and screamed 

"YEAH!

TUNE IT!" 

I got such an elbow in 
the ribs, for that! Aimed 
right and hard from my better, 
sharper than-back-then 
half, 

as she laughed, 
but 

It was so well-worth it, because 
I meant every word.

And
she knew I did,

hence the hard-struck 

nerve.