Whisky Train

He's sitting alone, drinking again
Taking a ride on that old whiskey train.
He stumbles on board well before noon
And settles down to wait for the moon
For a trip that lasts
Til the rising of the moon

He never forgets the horrors he's seen
Or the images left from places he's been
All of the things that he had to do
When he was a soldier fighting for you

His hands were steady and his eyes were fine
When he took his place at the front of the line
He could wait for hours then strike like a viper
Courage and nerve were the pride of a sniper

But his ticket was punched
In that foreign land
Now his day is complete with a bottle in hand
The whiskey will push the memories aside
And give him a space were it's easy to hide

To those who don't know him
He's only a drunk
A useless old man down on his luck
They can't imagine his trauma and pain
Or the reason he rides that old whiskey train