Two bullets, three shots

(Boom-chicka rhythm. Steady, plainspoken, low male voice.)

I woke before the rooster called,

Dust on my boots, back to the wall.

I carry what I carry, truth or not,

Two bullets, three shots.

I said I’d keep my temper tight,

Hold my tongue and walk it right.

But words get loose when daylight rots,

Two bullets, three shots.

I count my sins on a steady clock,

Tick for the heart, tock for the talk.

I swear I aim, but the math won’t lock,

Two bullets, three shots.

⸻

I loved a woman straight and clean,

Crossed my fingers, crossed the line between.

I promised less than what I bought,

Two bullets, three shots.

I keep my hand where folks can see,

I mind my step, I mind my creed.

But faith’s a load a man can drop,

Two bullets, three shots.

I draw a line in gravel and chalk,

Say what I mean, mean what I thought.

I try to stop when I should stop,

Two bullets, three shots.

⸻

I don’t blame steel or the way it’s made,

Or the dark for how it stayed.

If there’s a miss, it’s mine to own,

I pulled the truth and grazed the bone.

⸻

I stand my ground, I face my name,

I pay my dues, I take the blame.

I pray for mercy, I pray a lot,

Two bullets, three shots.

I walk a path that’s narrow and rough,

I say I’m ready when I’m not.

I live with less, I carry enough,

Two bullets, three shots.

⸻

I’ll holster doubt, I’ll mind my thoughts,

Two bullets… three shots.