The Tambourine

The Tambourine

A cloth-covered bible

a button-up coat

three-tenths short pants

and a buttermilk horse

Carried a long way down

carried from town to town

the heaviest, weightiest,

treasured gold around

Rider drove here

rider drove there

rider went about

just everywhere

Took the jersey mud

to the California shore

brought the gold dustin’s back

and gave ‘em to the poor

With his father’s legacy

and The Faithful Friend

he rode and rode and rode

until the very end

And everywhere he travelled

he took it all with him

the heaviest, weightiest

treasure, pardon for man’s sin

The Gospel was his message

the road was his reward

and from his simple passing

brought ‘em all to the Lord

His name was soon forgotten

his horse died of old age

his worthless button-up coat

was torn and old and stained

His 3-tenths pants were passed around

till one young boy named Todd

second, third, fourth-handed

them and then

found

God

He also found in a trunk

a cloth-covered bible too

a little tambourine of bone

he brought home from school

And with his young brown pony

he rode through town to Maine

and starting there he carried

the Gospel to ‘sisco bay

And the old rider of memory

cheers at God’s side

as another circuit rider

takes up the call

and rides.

--MovingGirl