making our own weather

it was in a mocking spirit
that she said to me
she wanted to be free
to climb any tree
in the forest and at dawn
i was already gone
packing a bunch of stuff
wondering if it was enough
to see me through
but i had a great view
of the fields ahead
and remembering what she said
i shifted my load
continued tramping down the road
wondering what else could go wrong?
i heard a harmonica play a comforting song
and saw a man climbing up his extension ladder
he couldn't reach the top but what did it matter?
he seemed to be satisfied
so it wasn't for me to ask him about pride
and if i did he might have lied
or he might have pretended not to have heard
i didn't want to have the last word
i was afraid of being confused
feeling wrapped up, tossed out or abused;
and then there was a dog who started to tag along
she shook her head as though i was doing something wrong
it just seemed to me she was acting like a judge
i didn't know her but already held a grudge
i quickly learned she wanted to be fed
and when nightfall came she stayed near me in my bed
she had no name that i could find
when it became dark i became totally blind
and yet in the morning i found she was quietly sleeping by my side;
it wasn't for me to ask her about pride!
so down the highway we went together,
blowing like tornadoes making our own weather.