Caleb's Reprieve

James Michael Taylor

From a poem by Pete Thompson.

CALEB’S REPRIEVE

The crowd is restless/It’s a quarter to noon
They’re here for a hangin’/And it better be soon
Sun beating down/The law’s not in town
Hangman’s dirty boots tappin’ slow…

Dragged from his cell/Caleb is pale
“Oh, for a drink,” Is all he can think
Sun beating down/The law’s not in town
Hangman’s dirty boots tappin’ slow…

Kids fight for a view/Little girls are here too
Trap door is set/A dollar a bet
Sun beating down/The law’s not in town
Hangmans dirty boots tappin’ slow…

There was a time/To cheat was a crime
A card up a sleeve/Could bring one to grief

The noose in it’s place/Up aside Caleb’s face
When off to the west/There’s a whisper of dust
Sun beating down/The law’s back in town
Hangman’s guilty boots tappin’ slow…

(C) 2019 Royal T Music