South Dakota Cowboys and Other Chance Encounters

out on the open plains of South Dakota,

a man might still have a chance for dignity,

if he can survive long enough,

overcoming the shadows stirring within;

a simpler way of life,

trapped inside a play station world,

where television and X-boxes rule,

emotional ties and endless compromises,

traveling south down highway 61;

it’s not for everyone,

in fact, it’s hardly for anyone,

except the few who have no choice,

those who did not escape many years ago,

while they might have had a chance;

but still we are what we are,

in the final analysis,

that is all which ever mattered,

even as the ship upon which we ride,

slowly slips past the point of no return;

change is never easy,

freedom does not come

without a special sacrifice,

the price of an authentic life,

is more than most can bear.

.

.