Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh

Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh

by Richard Lawry

I was walking past the trailers

At the edge of the fair

When a funny little sound

Came through the air

Puhht whoosh whoosh

Whoosh whoosh Puhht

A sound not well known

No steady beat

just a mind of its own

Putt whoosh whoosh

Whoosh whoosh putt

An engine spinning slow

But just fast enough

It hits when it needs

It misses by design

Old iron heartbeat

Keeping perfect time

Flywheels heavy

As a farmer's hands

Spinning out the work

Across the land

Governor swinging

Like a metronome

Tells that piston

When it's time to come home

Putt whoosh whoosh

Whoosh whoosh putt

Fire and coast

Till the load gets tough

Under strain

It talks a little more

At idle it'll rest

Six strokes or more

Hits when it wants

Misses by design

World's laziest engine

keeping perfect time

Missing on purpose

Loud and proud

Corn got shelled

And the water got pumped

Wood got sawed

And the butter got clumped

Wash got done

And the cream got spun

All from a hit and miss

gitting er done

Putt whoosh whoosh

Whoosh whoosh putt

Fire and coast

Till the load gets tough

Under strain

It talks a little more

At idle it'll rest

Six strokes or more

She don't fire on command

She fires on feel

Like an old farmhand

Makin' a better deal

You can't hurry iron

From nineteen ought two

It'll let you know

When it's ready for you

Putt whoosh whoosh

Whoosh whoosh putt

Fire and coast

Till the load gets tough

Under strain

It talks a little more

At idle it'll rest

Six strokes or more

Hits when it wants

Misses by design

World's laziest engine

keeping perfect time

Missing on purpose

Loud and proud

Putt whoosh whoosh

Whoosh whoosh putt

Whoosh whoosh

Whoosh whoosh putt

Whoosh whoosh

Whoosh whoosh putt

Whoosh whoosh

Whoosh whoosh

You can listen to the song as recorded by Faded Chrome at this link

You can listen to the song as recorded by The Junkyard Misfits, under the title Hit and Miss, at this link

Hubcaps and Memories

 

Hubcaps and Memories

by Richard Lawry

Years of collecting

It's all hanging there

Hubcaps line the rafters

With a fifties flair

Car parts rusting

But they've got a place

Each one a story

Each a showcase

The rafters creak

The memories call

A lifetime of treasures

Lining the wall

Hubcaps and memories

They're gleaming tonight

Pieces of the past

In the museum light

A Ford Model A

And a toy car parade

Humble reminders

Of the life you made

Antique toy trucks

On a high wooden shelf

I see your smile in each

One of them myself

They called it junk

But you called it gold

A museum of autos

And stories they told

Through grease and grit

Through laughter and tears

You built this life

Over all these years

The way you worked

Long hours each day

Things collected

Never thrown away

Now they hang

Like reflections of you

The world calls it clutter

But they don't see

Every part

Every scratch

Is a memory

It's more than the metal

The chrome or the rust

It's the vision

The dream

And the wanderlust

Hubcaps and memories

They're gleaming tonight

Pieces of the past

In the museum light

A Ford Model A

And a toy car parade

Humble reminders

Of the life you made

Hubcaps and memories

Are the best

You can listen to the song as recorded by Faded Chrome at this link

Twisted Metal

Twisted Metal

by Richard Lawry

Pulled in slow that Wednesday morning

Thinking of work and the day begun

Thoughts of orders and of scheduling

Didn't know my world had come undone

Then I saw the terrible scene

The twisted metal of a roof collapsed

Building torn in the aftermath

Under the weight of ice

The trusses snapped

Twisted metal in the morning

Frozen rafters split and torn

All our quiet little stories

Sleeping under shattered forms

I'm just standing in the silence

Breathe a cloud against the air

Twisted metal in the morning

And my hearts still frozen there

Standing here in the ice and snow

While cars are under the mangled tin

How can I recover from this day

Where safety and security once had been

Twisted metal in the morning

Frozen rafters split and torn

All our quiet little stories

Sleeping under shattered forms

I'm just standing in the silence

Breathe a cloud against the air

Twisted metal in the morning

And my hearts still frozen there

I felt small as the broken beams

Showed me how uncertain life can be

Twisted metal where once had been

Safety, security and life carefree

How do I get past this

And act like It's fine

I'm told it will get better

All I need is time

But I will always remember

Twisted metal in the morning

Frozen rafters split and torn

All our quiet little stories

Sleeping under shattered forms

I'm just standing in the silence

Breathe a cloud against the air

Twisted metal in the morning

And my hearts still frozen there

You can listen to the song as recorded by Faded Chrome at this link

Songs and Poems

 

Poems, Hymns and Songs written by Richard Lawry

Click on the links below for each poem

A Seaside Sunset

Chrome and Velvet Dreams

Whitewalls and Fenderskirts

A Solitary Place

Driving Arkansas Roads

Country Doctor

Temple of Steel

The Road Rolls On

Little Toy Train

Little Red and White Nash

Long Beach Serenade

Respect the Rust

Twisted Metal

Hubcaps and Memories

Respect the Rust

Respect the Rust

by Richard Lawry

Ford Model A sitting out behind the barn

Paint's long gone but it still holds charm

Bench seat torn, springs poking through

But that's where I learned dreams still come true

Every dent's a lesson

Every mark is a tale

Every rusty bolt

Taught me how not to fail

Daddy said, Son the shine don't mean much

If you wanna know the truth

You gotta respect the rust

So respect the rust

Every scar and every stain

Yeah respect the rust

The stories in the frame

All the busted knuckles

All the miles in the cold

All the hours of work

Every rusty car sold

Those old cars taught me more

Than a book ever could

Hard work turns rusty metal

Into something good

What time tries to take

We keep with

Respect for the rust

Yeah, respect the rust

Rust shows all the years

The tears and the tries

Rust is always true

It never shows lies

Daddy said, Son the shine don't mean much

If you wanna know the truth

You gotta respect the rust

So respect the rust

Every scar and every stain

Yeah respect the rust

The stories in the frame

All the busted knuckles

All the miles in the cold

All the hours of work

Every rusty car sold

Those old cars taught me more

Than a book ever could

Hard work turns rusty metal

Into something good

What time tries to take

We keep with

Respect for the rust

Yeah, respect the rust

Don't polish out the weather

Don't try to paint it new

What's worn is what holds together

What's old is tried and true

Let the weather take its time

Let the rain do what it must

Real strength ain't shine or polish

It's learning how to respect the rust

So respect the rust

The stories it protects

The sweat and the blood

In the moments we collect

Some folks chase perfect

But perfection never stays

We can learn a lot

From the old time ways

Respect the rust

Respect the scars

Every dent tells

Who we are

In a modern world

Where we try to adjust

We have to learn

To respect the rust

Respect the rust

Respect the rust

You can listen to the song as recorded by The Junkyard Misfits at this link

Long Beach Serenade

Long Beach Serenade

by Richard Lawry

Before the sun begins the day

I walk where moonlight washes away

Silver whispers on the sand

As waves roll in I understand

Each breath of tide that comes before

A fleeting mirror then no more

But still it comes again, again

Like mercy rolling in

Miles of beach

No one but me

A world filled

With quiet peace

The silent road

Of sand and sea

Where freedom feels

Like destiny

When the light feels far away

And I'm standing on the edge of gray

I'll lift my eyes, I'll comprehend

There's strength rising deep within

Then out of nowhere, silently

A shadow keeps me company

Golden wings tt my right side

Grace in a gentle glide

Seven feet of fearless flight

Majestic in the morning light

The eagle flies, not fighting hard

Lets the currents lead undeterred

Those who trust the Lord

will find their strength restored

They will soar like eagles on the wind

A normal life transcend

The eagle won't rush, he will not strain

He trusts the unseen breath again

A subtle move, a lifted wing

And miles are crossed without tiring

The eagle climbs, the sky grows wide

And slowly fades from human sight

He lifts his eyes, he trusts the wind

He soars on with his unseen friend

Miles of beach

No one but me

A world filled

With quiet peace

The silent road

Of sand and sea

Where freedom feels

Like destiny

Those who trust the Lord

will find their strength restored

They will soar like eagles on the wind

A normal life transcend

They trust the unseen breath again

Those who trust the Lord

will find their strength restored

They will soar like eagles on the wind

A normal life transcend

Those who trust the Lord

will find their strength restored

They will soar like eagles on the wind

A normal life transcend

You can listen to the song as recorded by Faded Chrome at this link

You can listen to the song as recorded by The Junkyard Misfits at this link

Little Red and White Nash

Little Red and White Nash

by Richard Lawry

Wheels turn low

Where the blacktop bends

This little car

My only friend

Red and white

She gleams

She shines

Takes me far

Past these modern times

Oh

The wind sings louder

Than the past

In my little

Red and white Nash

Let it go

Flying low

But not so fast

In my little

Red and white Nash

Dust kicks up

It paints the air

The sun leans down

It doesn't care

Fields roll wide

They wave

They bow

I'm heading somewhere

But I don't know how

The road unfolds

It doesn't end

This little car

My only friend

Oh

The wind sings louder

Than the past

In my little

Red and white Nash

Let it go

Flying low

But not so fast

In my little

Red and white Nash

Yesterday's a town

I don't stop in

Tomorrow's just

A whisper in the wind

I've got now

And now feels right

Underneath this

Endless sky tonight

Oh

The wind sings louder

Than the past

In my little

Red and white Nash

Let it go

Flying low

But not so fast

In my little

Red and white Nash

The road unfolds

It doesn't end

This little car

My only friend

Life is good

In my little

Red and white Nash

You can listen to the song as recorded by Faded Chrome at this link