Simple Place

By Andrew R. Duckworth

We lost the magic of a simple place
With a few old men
Strumming some old guitars
With scuffs all down the fretboards,
And open lips spilling truth
As if they had just eaten a scroll,
Happy but grave faces
Giving eyes of knowing,
Giving eyes of hard love,
Showing wisdom on their wrinkled skin.
They would welcome you in,
Not ask questions-
Just tell you what you need.
We lost that magic.