A Simple Man

He punched the clock in a town by the river

Kept one good shirt an a worn-out pair of boots

His hands knew the weight of a borrowed shovel

His eyes knew things he never told the truth about,He loved a woman with a laugh like summer

Built her a table from a salvaged door

Then the years took turns with their little hammers an he learned what a lonely kitchen is for

He wore one good shirt to the county fair

With a crease in the sleeve an dust in his hair

He'd shake every hand by the old churchouse door

Then drive home alone past the grocery store

He knew hard roads an a long,hot day

A borrowed truck an a bill to pay

he kept his hat low,kept his promises small

Never told the whole town how close he came to fall,He was a simple man with a complicated heart

Loved like a river,broke like a branch

He went through hell an came back quiet

With a little less fire an a little more light

He lost some battles,he buried some dreams

Still gave what he had,still stood by his feet

If you asked how he was,he'd smile an say,"Fine"

Then hide the heartbreak somewhere out of sight

She was the first one to see through the grin

Found all the locked rooms he kept within

They danced in the kitchen while the coffee went cold,Made a small life feel bigger than gold

Then one spring mornin,she packed up her car

Said love can get tired from carrying scars

He watched her turn left at the end of the lane

Cursin her name,though he carried the pain There were nights he talked to an empty chair

A worn-out photograph an a midnight prayer

He knew the difference between proud an strong

An learned that staying kind could take a lifetime long

Now his hands are rough and his hair is gray

But he still leaves change where a stranger can't pay,At the diner booth he listens more than he speaks,There's a weathered peace in the lines on his cheeks,He won't call himself a hero, won't claim he was right

Just says he kept moving through the black of the night

when the young ones ask what carried him through

He says,"Love what you can an let mercy choose you,"A simple man He went through hell and came back quieter

Carried his scars where his sleeves stayed rolled

He lived,he loved,he fell down hard

Still tipped his hat when the evening got cold

He never called himself a hero

Never asked the world to understand

He just kept walking with his heart held steady

A simple man doing the best he can

There were unpaid bills beneath the Bible

A faded picture tucked inside the drawer

A goodbye that stayed in the house for years

An a weddin ring he couldn't wear no more

He had his share of bad decisions

A few bright chances he was scared to take

every morning he swept the porch clean

As if a clean step could mend a break

If you meet him,don't ask about the missin years

Don't count the places where the paint wore thin

He'll tell youthe weather,pour your whiskey for you

An If you ask about her he'll just nod his head an grin

With a quiet heart an a weathered out soul an say "man I stopped lovin her yesterday