Bright September

The winter thaw had broken and the days were getting longer You saddled up to ride into the town All the dreary months of staring out the window, quite alone Had given you an itch to settle down That poisonous wind that followed you from Santa Fe to Tulsa Died down when you turned and headed north It might be just the time to end this loneliness And if it's not, you've handled things like this before Marry her in bright September Tell yourself she never has to know Cause deception doesn't feel the same in summer When you haven't got the cover of the snow The autumn sees you walking by the river Making plans to build a home for her next year When she tells you there will be a child in May or June You smile, because this time you're in the clear Marry her in bright September Tell yourself she never has to know Cause deception doesn't feel the same in summer When you haven't got the cover of the snow Now the fall is getting deeper and a wind is blowing One last trip to town before the freeze As she hurries off to send a letter to her mother You taste familiar blood upon the breeze She is slowly coming toward you with a whiteness Reflected from the poster in her hand Just a picture that she'd never thought to look for Of a husband and a sorely wanted man Bury her in grey December Strike out on your own You can put a couple thousand miles between you While she lies beneath the cover of the snow