Owen Stroud

it took me twenty-five hours to drive
from the Midwest down to the sea
tracin’ every backwoods bend
kickin’ up the Ozark gravel
gettin’ lost on the Bootheel backroads
still they carried me all the way
to where land ends

I been livin’ out here in the middle
of a land so wild and free
lookin’ up to the silver planes flyin’ over me
and never thought I’d say it
but there’s no place I’d rather be
than livin’ out here in the middle of the world
and I’ll miss her when it’s time for me to leave

I been high out there on the prairie
I’ve felt that Kansas wind
blowin’ ‘cross the landscape of my soul
greener pastures, sweet slow river bend
feed that wide Missouri River
and let it roll, let it roll along (chorus)

she’s far behind me now
time took me away
but still those skies are in my heart
streaks of lightning, prairie thunder
let me sleep beneath those stars (chorus)