Losing my right hand man
- for Jon, the other survivors,
and the ones who didn't make it back


Dear friends -

Now it's your turn to give the orders.
"All right," I said. "Tell me to put my hands up."
Plunge your hand in water up to the wrist;
Gaze into & note what it is you soon will miss
The glacier knocks in the oil tanker
the desert sighs in my head,
And the crack in the gas tank opens
a lane to the land of the dead.

Happy New Year's! I'm about to head out with the boys on patrol.
Happy New Year's! In about an hour we will be hit by an ambush.
Happy New Year's. This is the last letter I will every write you.
Happy New Year's. The absence of my right hand is not the right hand of absence.
Happy New Year's. My boss tells me you can fool enough of the people all of the time.
Happy New Year's. Someone said something about freedom.

Should my old right hand be lost
can it not be brought to mind?
Should my old right hand be lost
we'll take a shot of kindness yet.
And here's a hand, my trusted friend,
in the dirt, and give a hand of yours.

You took a shot of kindness yet
And you're dead face down in the dirt.