THE ROLLIN’ MAN
If todays’ hopes should vanish,
Like footprints in nthe shifting sand,
I hope you get some inspiration,
From the story of the Rollin’ Man.
A true lust for life was what he had,
You could tell from the gleam in his eyes,
A pigeon fanatic indeed he was,
And this not a soul denies.
Telescopic – microscopic eyesight had this man,
And his concentration just wouldn’t shake.
Infinite patience to see his plans unfold,
And unswerving faith that wouldn’t break.
He was a verteran of veterinary science,
And a mystic with a crystal ball.
A winner and loser many times he had been,
But gratitude and sin were just words on the wall.
He had started out on the fringes,
Then switched over to the main track,
Which is where he met the heavies,
Who put him on defense and on attack.
He could tell you the history of every bird,
From hatching time ’till now,
Each strength, each fault, from beak to tail,
Just when the roll came in and how.
He had never found a bird he could truly say was ideal,
Tho’ some were close,
Most were not,
But his love for each was real.
Some folks thought he might crack up,
Staring into the sun and all..
Turning circles, round and round,
Or when his highest hope ended as a suicide ball.
Yet so in tune was this child of the earth,
He could see both the future and the past,
Mend a broken wing by the laying on of hands,
And make the slowest bird fly fast.
He could send psychic messages to the kit,
Through his broadcasting bellybutton door,
And bring the birds back from afar,
Or make ‘em roll like what rollin’s really for.
He knew just when the clouds would break,
And how to read the stars above,
He could say just how the winds would blow,
And understood the universal laws of peace and love.
He brought about a new thing,
And reaffirmed the old.
He knew the value of this temporary life,
And could not be bought or sold.
June 15, 1976… Los Angeles, Ca. …. Paul M. Gomez
