They say he worked for the government
In the shadows of statues and monuments
Earning all the little perks there for a while
But he wanted more than a paycheck and a smile
They say he kept it all to himself
His hunger for every book up on the shelf
Out on his moss covered porch he sat every night
With an empty whiskey glass and an old flashlight
They say he only ever had one love
A beauty that we could only dream of
It ended when he was a young man years ago
They say he traveled around the world one time
Sailing a ship he bought with his last dime
Finding his way back home with a brand new start
To an empty house and a worn down broken heart
They say he gave all he had to life
Leaving no kids behind or widowed wife
Just the peeling paint on his old front door
They say they buried him on sacred ground
Named a street for him in his hometown
Remembered by powerful men more than you'd think
They whisper his name once a year and have a drink
They say you make the mark you want make
But death gives so much less than what it takes
And all we are in the end is what they say
Copyright 2016