Did

.

y

o

u

.

go

.

s

o

.

far

.

d

o

w

n

.

that

road . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

where

.

y

o

u

.

will

never

–

–

again

know . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

r

–

–

–

never

again

feel

.

t

h

a

t

.

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

glow . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ that

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

glow

–

–

called

home . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Did

.

y

o

u

.

go

.

s

o

.

far

.

d

o

w

n

.

that

road . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

where

.

y

o

u

.

can

.

n

o

.

longer

fill

.

t

h

e

.

hole

.

i

n

.

your

soul . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Did

.

y

o

u

.

go

.

s

o

.

far

.

d

o

w

n

.

that

road . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Did

.

y

o

u

.

go

.

t

o

o

.

far

.

d

o

w

n

.

that

road . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

although

.

y

o

u

.

try

.

t

o

.

hide

behind

.

a

.

soothing

smile

.

o

f

.

wine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

.

c

a

n

.

see

.

i

t

.

in

.

y

o

u

r

.

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ I

.

c

a

n

.

see

.

i

t

.

in

.

y

o

u

r

.

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

the

starshine

.

h

a

s

.

died . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ Yes,

.

t

h

e

.

starshine

.

h

a

s

.

died

–

–

from

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ from

behind

.

t

h

e

.

days

–

–

when

.

y

o

u

.

were

wild,

.

a

n

d

.

prized,

.

a

n

d

.

alive

.

w

i

t

h

.

fire . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

pumping

.

w

i

t

h

.

pride . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ from

behind

.

t

h

e

.

days,

–

–

when

.

y

o

u

.

were

delighted

.

b

y

.

desire . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

otherwise,

.

f

o

r

.

a

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

such

.

a

.

happy,

.

a

n

d

.

kind,

–

–

carefree

guy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ then,

.

f

o

r

.

a

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

you

.

w

e

r

e

.

such

.

a

.

happy,

.

a

n

d

.

kind,

–

–

carefree

guy

–

–

who

smiled . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

laughing

.

a

t

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

laughing

.

a

t

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

laughing

.

a

t

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

mile,

–

after

mile,

–

after

mile,

–

after

mile,

–

after

mile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

line,

–

after

line,

–

after

line,

–

after

line,

–

after

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

rolling,

.

a

n

d

.

riding

.

t

h

e

.

dice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ rolling,

.

a

n

d

.

riding

.

t

h

e

.

dice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

flying

high

.

a

n

d

.

flying

blind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

wild

.

a

n

d

.

alive

.

w

i

t

h

.

fire . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

speeding

.

w

i

t

h

.

desire . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

s

–

–

–

the

future

–

–

raced

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

s

–

–

–

the

future

–

–

raced

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

s

–

–

–

the

future

–

–

raced

by . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

spinning

away

.

f

r

o

m

.

the

starshine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

spinning

away

.

f

r

o

m

.

the

starshine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

spinning

away

.

f

r

o

m

.

the

starshine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

spinning

away

.

f

r

o

m

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ it

.

w

a

s

.

spinning

away

.

f

r

o

m

.

you

.

a

l

l

.

that

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ spinning

away

.

f

r

o

m

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ spinning

away

.

f

r

o

m

.

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

who

.

w

a

s

.

then

.

f

o

r

.

a

while . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

such

.

a

.

happy,

–

a

n

d

–

kind,

–

–

carefree

guy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

living

a

life

–

–

still

filled

.

w

i

t

h

.

a

future

–

–

which

could

.

h

a

v

e

.

been

wide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ which

could

.

h

a

v

e

.

been

bright . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

now

.

y

o

u

.

ask . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ yes,

now

.

y

o

u

.

ask . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

over

eyes

.

o

f

.

wine,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

line,

–

–

after

line . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

f

–

–

–

I

still

–

–

see

.

t

h

e

.

same

guy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ if

I

still

–

–

see

.

t

h

e

.

same

guy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

ten

years

behind . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ if

I

still

–

–

see

.

t

h

a

t

.

guy

.

w

i

t

h

.

starshine

.

i

n

.

his

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ if

I

still

–

–

see

.

t

h

a

t

.

guy

.

w

i

t

h

.

starshine

.

i

n

.

his

eyes . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

–

–

–

I

gazed

.

i

n

t

o

.

the

sky . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

replied

.

w

i

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

that

.

y

o

u

.

were

still

.

t

h

e

.

raging

fire

.

o

f

.

delight . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ that

.

y

o

u

.

were

still . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

~ that

.

y

o

u

.

were

still . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

the

guy

.

s

o

.

fine,

.

h

e

.

burned

.

u

p

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

.

w

e

r

e

.

still

.

t

h

a

t

.

guy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

.

w

e

r

e

.

still

.

t

h

a

t

.

guy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You

.

w

e

r

e

.

still

.

t

h

a

t

.

guy . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

replied

.

w

i

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

replied

.

w

i

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

replied

.

w

i

t

h

.

a

smile . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

smiled

.

i

n

.

my

reply . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

I

lied.

Reflection:  

Written in reflection of someone who used to be a star entertainer at nightclubs back when he was in his early 20s and continued down that path many years later. I pondered what that path might have done to him over the years. Hence, I began the poem with: “Did you go so far down that road,” and then just let it take its own path. The remainder of the poem is not necessarily a reflection of him but perhaps someone who went down the wrong path for many, many years . . .

I used to song “Wild Time (Rough Trade Session)” by Weyes Blood to play repeatedly in the background at low volume to create the “moodset” for the poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.