King for a Moment
by
Kelly M. Kirkpatrick

A company town prisoner,
A heartless survivor,
A man who’s surrendered his dreams.
A work-a-day world,
A long turning cycle,
Under a sun never seen.
He works unwanted
By wants and desires.
It’s easy to live with the lie.
If he looked sunward
And saw what he wanted,
The light would hurt his eyes.

But it’s alright,
King for a moment.
It’s alright to be who you want.
It’s alright,
King for forever.
It’s alright to be who you are,
But don’t be fooled by dreams.

So he’s seen the light,
And his mind is disturbed.
The pattern has fallen apart.
No longer can he live
Time clocks and patterns.
Now he must live from the heart.
No more working
For other men’s dreams,
To be another man’s tool.
Now he must learn to live
Just as they live
And see the other men fools.

His dream is too far
For a man of his measure,
So he watches it slip by the way.
He sees himself
A little too clearly
And senses the end of the day.
He returns home
To the mines and the factories
And loses his face in the crowd.
A moment of pride,
An hour of madness
was all that he was allowed.

But it’s alright,
King for a moment.
It’s alright to be who you want.
It’s alright,
King for forever.
It’s alright to be who you are,
But don’t be fooled by dreams.