El Charro

For Vicente Fernandez The dirt The sweat The horses, Saddles off, Brushed. The girl who thinks she is pregnant. The woman who is. The man with no money is his pocket The man with pockets full. The man who stumbles. The women who watch. The broken hearts The soon to be’s The finger waggers The I-will-nevers The I-told-you so’s. But listen! Everything stops. The world and its noise And clatter and- He sings! Listen! You can hear The sound of falling in love The quiet flames filling space And space and space again. The skirts swirl The men dance when they couldn’t before. El Charro! El Charro! Nothing is wrong When we hear your voice Fill the night Across our lonely plains And valleys and mountains. Turn up the radio Turn it up loud- Loud. El Charro sings! El Rey! He sings!