we found your name across the chapel door
carved in cursive with a table fork
muddy hymnals
and some bootmarks where you'd been

the shaking preacher told the captain's man
the righteous suffer in a fallen land
and pulled the shade
to keep the crowd from peeking in

we found your children by the tavern door
with wooden buttons & an apple core
playing house
and telling everyone you'd drowned

the begging choir told the captain's man
we all assume the worst the best we can
and for a round or two
they'd gladly track you down

we found you sleeping by your lover's stone
a ream of paper and a telephone
a broken bow
across a long lost violin

your lover's angel told the captain's man
it never ends the way we had it planned
and kissed her palm
and placed it on your dreaming head