just keep moving

he had no notion how deadly hot
was the fire he danced with daily
he could not foresee that sudden
swift descent into hell on earth
he became convinced he had sold
his soul to the double-dealing devil
but couldn't remember how or when
he was certain there was no way out
death would prove but worse, and eternal

he wasn't tooled to know how to escape
there seemed no relief, nowhere to turn
no-one to talk with, he no longer recognized
the stranger occupying his body shell
it seemed forever he couldn't leave his home
during daylight hours, venturing out only
at night for necessary food and supplies
it was love for his mother, then alive
that kept him from committing suicide

when all seemed lost, he found himself
penniless, homeless and hopelessly alone
the emotional agony and mental anguish
seemed excruciating, unending and unbearable
the city became so hard, cold and unforgiving
he rightly sensed it would soon devour him
there was nothing left but to hit the road
and keep moving, only just keep moving !

the highway soon became his only friend
in time it seemed not to matter which
direction he was headed, as long as he
could keep moving, only just keep moving !
while he traveled out on the open byways
he didn't need sweet soothing mary-jane
only but to keep moving, just keep moving !

he must have traveled 100,000 miles
in those lost years alone on the road
during times he chose to stop for a while
that powerful urgent compulsion to linger
with sweet mary-jane would surface quickly
the only solution he knew could help was
to keep on moving, only just keep moving !

now in his seventh decade it's but a short
time since being driven to surrender to
the merciful universal powers that be
only now can he be still and calm here
without being driven to hit the road again
in times of trouble, conflict, grief or strife
he's no longer compelled to just keep moving !

thanks to the merciful universal powers that be !