A Knapsack Full Of Blues by Laurence Neill

"The hobo has two watches you can't buy in Tiffanys.
On one wrist the sun, on the other wrist the moon, both
bands are made of sky". Jack Kerouac, 'The Vanishing American Hobo'

A Knapsack Full Of Blues

Tobacco dust and cornbread crust,
Some Mountain Dew.
Frying pan, fresh road-kill, Spam
For evening stew.
Is he king of the road or a new Tom Joad?
In the red-eyed dawn as he lifts his load
With the breeze at his back
And a knapsack full of blues.

He's hit the towns where the air is brown
Over chimney stacks.
Built fires of Pine, drunk short-dog wine,
Read Kerouac.
Guess that son-of-a-gun was born to run
Thru fields of gold in the morning sun
With the breeze at his back
And a knapsack full of blues.

He won't shirk his fair share of work
Shows a certain style.
And he knows the score, he avoids the law
Keeps a low profile.
But the Siren song whispers 'Don't stay long
The highway waits, it's where you belong
With the breeze at your back
And a knapsack full of blues'.

He's seen the moon - a bright balloon
Above desert sand.
Heard silence fall like a widow's pall
On a lonely land.
Ragged and dusty, he's a bard in mufti
He's a troubadour like Woody Guthrie
With the breeze at his back
And a knapsack full of blues.

He left a wife in another life
Even had a kid.
They can't say why he walked away
Just know he did.
At close of day he may feel regret
But he chose the way, now his course is set
With the breeze at his back
And a knapsack full of blues.

You roll the dice and you pay the price
Or learn to duck.
He enjoys the chance to tilt his lance
At Lady Luck.
He could rail at fate but he carries the weight
The road is a drug and the cravings' great
for the breeze at your back
And a knapsack full of blues.

Late at night you can feel the bite
Of his slide guitar.
Like a sling-blade knife shaving shards of life
From his repetoire.
And each song throbs like a living thing
There's a time to sob - there's a time to sing
'Cause you can't predict what each day may bring
With the breeze at your back
And a knapsack full of blues.

© Laurence Neill, 2009

Musical fragment by Ferenc Snetberger.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Art
• Poetry
• Laurence
• Neill
• Knapsack
• Full
• Of
• Blues
• Jack
• Kerouac
• Vanishing
• Hobo
• Ferenc
• Snetberger

[zaza90100]

complimenti....

ottimo lavoro,

ciao Gugulia,

video eccezionale, francesco.-

[gugulia]

@zaza90100 dear zaza, sorry for my belated reply. thank you for your words, we both love this video, one of our favourite 'babies'. grazie mille...

[HerAeolianHarp]

Such a great take on an American archetype--really a long vanishing one. I love the rhythm of the poem set against the soundtrack of the train and all the good and vigorous American-sounding word endings: short, brisk, textured. Evocative b/w images of train travel are an extra treat, so faved. :) Grateful to the YT friend who sent this my way and delightful to see SF and Kerouac at the end.

[gugulia]

@HerAeolianHarp one of our most loved creation if not the one. good to see you on that train. thank you from us.

[NewOrleansWoman]

BRAVO !!! I feel like I just stepped into another life for 5 minutes and took a journey I have never been on.....the poem is WONDERFUL and the train in the background BRILLIANT !! 5 stars ! We need more of this on utube !

[gugulia]

thanks very much from both of us. one of our favourites. thank you...

[gugulia]

as to our judgement this is one of the peaks of our collaboration. and we,re happy you discovered it. thank you

[watdog98125]

evocative. thanks.

[gugulia]

thank you

[gugulia]

dankje vel may, beijos