Jeff Davis County Blues

after three nights in jail, i head north from toyavale.

switch to 285 in pecos, head up to red bluff.

my walk's real steady and my eyes are real cold

but i feel like i'm all of sixteen years old --

lost in the travel lodge, with the television on with the sound down,

i don't feel so tough.

old issues of sunset magazine to read,

sleep for twelve hours, and dream about home.

i have no place to go, so i drive up to new mexico.

fix my eyes in the rearview when i cross the state line.

and i panic, i guess. and although it's quite late,

i take the first exit to 128.

i am coming back to midlind.

i hope you won't mind.

polaroids of the two of us scattered on the passenger's seat.

i drive slowly

and evenly

and i dream about home.