Waterfowl’s Life

Alarm at four

Thermos burns my hand

Truck bed full of mud

Dog whining

He Understands

Decoys clack

Shot shells on the seat

Fog rolls down the river

Boots hit the frozen sleet

Breath in the dark

I feel it rise

Heart like a hammer under gray-black skies

This is a waterfowler’s life

Cold wind

Black sky

Gun smoke in my eyes

Feathers in the tailgate light

We live for the call and the break of light

This is a waterfowler’s life

Burning our names in the morning ice

Yeah

We were born for the blind and the flight

This is a waterfowler’s life

Camo face

Frozen in a grin

Mallards swing wide

Let the first pass in

“Take ’em!” shout

World slows to a crawl

Three shots

Echoes

Hands shake from the haul

Blood on my knuckles

Mud on my blind

Salt in my coffee

Fire in my eyes

We’re the ghosts in the reeds

We’re the guns in the trees (hey!)

Frostbit fingers

Won’t bring us to our knees

From teal in September

To that late season flight

We Take our guns

Chasing the 41

Until it’s done