Mad Prophet Of Fame

Mad Prophet Of Fame
© Surazeus
2024 03 30

Gold sun that gleams in oaks of my backyard 
plays tricks on flashing circuits of my brain 
that sparks bright timeless hour of my childhood 
fifty one years ago when I was eight 
living in the small hilly Texas town 
haunted by blind ghost of the cowboy clown. 

That world of hippies and the Vietnam war 
that gleams around me in the cars and trees 
has vanished in daze of the purple haze 
to nothing more than television show 
children watch on Saturday afternoon 
that documents the prophet troubadour. 

Long after ghost of the prophet passed by 
along the railroad tracks outside of town, 
toting guitar forged by devils of Hell 
into machine that kills fascists and fools, 
I follow with my red guitar painted black 
to sing at dawn on Miami beach sand. 

Awake with spirit of the rolling stone 
that animates the mad prophet of fame, 
I stand on street corners in nameless towns 
on lonesome highways sea to shining sea 
and sing the sorrows of the aching heart 
that tumbles from sore hands of Sisyphus. 

When I arrive with lyre of Mercury 
to face three-headed demon of my fear, 
I tell the girl riding carriage of Death 
that I have come to rescue her from Hell, 
so she requests I sing uncanny spell 
that helps her follow Light of Liberty. 

Driving my long green Mercury sedan 
from maze of Manhattan through fields of wheat, 
high over Rocky Mountains past the moon, 
I glide along faded Oregon Trail 
to star in movies down in Hollywood 
with shy daughter of Marilyn Monroe. 

Performing folk songs in the circus tent 
with the blind midget and the bearded lady, 
I sing ancient tales of heroes and kings 
who sail for home lost on the wine-dark sea 
to folk in cowboy hats and gingham skirts 
who pray for salvation from nuclear bombs. 

Sitting on back porch in hill town of Athens, 
I play guitar and make up new folk songs 
about lost people of America 
while mad robin I named Achilles pecks 
at locked chamber door of Charles Baudelaire 
who drives white pickup to fish at the lake.