Shannon Adsero How to Live Right

How to Live Right

Shannon Adsero

The Colorado rivers blood red Beneath an Arizona sunset Its scarlet waters shimmer And from pain I am delivered How could I explain the motion of the water to you?

And In the land of enchantment Where the golden buttes Plateau Then fall again, a gentle staircase History’s mantlepiece I left my scars behind

I’ve been wandering for so long Lost and yearning for too long I’ve been wondering for too long Just how to live right

What would you say if I told you I was fine? In a Santa Fe casita; red adobe dream The cold pink scent of wine on my lips Beneath a cumulus laden sky Would you believe me?

I won’t look back, or acknowledge the asphalt Stretching behind us as we travel on In Amarillo the sun is big, and fat She hangs low in the sky and the light gets in my eyes She knows I’ve been blind, but she wants me to see

On the bank of the Rio Grande I smirk to myself and think This trickling stream ain’t so grand A thousand westerns and dusty cowboys invoke the legendary name But standing here I see we’re just the same We’re beholden to the patterns of the rain

I compare myself to the weather As if a storm could explain The frantic beating of my heart When I look in the mirror And see nothing behind my eyes Just a fragile disguise I’ve been carrying from town to town