V E R S E 1

Out in Orleans County, Barre’s quiet grace

Twenty-four acres, just us and the sky

Polly and Ivan a quarter-mile ‘round the bend

Nights so still you could hear the Lord walk by

I’d drive Kathryn to Rochester, sixty miles of road

Doctors to keep her strong and free

One day a dark car shadowed us all the way

out the driveway, wouldn’t let us be

V E R S E 2

Crawled past slow as we helped her from the seat

Cold eyes staring like they owned our fear

Whole ride home nobody said a word

Just the hum of tires and the weight of something near

Next week that same car parked back by the pond

Hidden in the field, sitting all day

Kathryn called the Sheriff, but they were gone by then

but I kept still kept my eyes out for the car

P R E - C H O R U S

Then sunrise on the porch, what do I see

A big ol’ Carp rolled tight in yesterday’s news

No paper delivery out this far from town

Message received; my temper burning like Hades

C H O R U S

So I nailed that fish to a shooting target

Hung it high on a tree right by the road

I wrote on the target, “make my day”

Sick and tired of the harassment

Bus dropped the kids off, driver wondering

The next morning saw them parked up the road

told ‘em to go through the woods to Polly’s in case —

V E R S E 3

I headed up the roadside quite-like, saw the car parked

two men coming fast through the brush and trees

made it up the roadside quiet-like where the car parked

ran in the woods fast through the brush and the trees

shots fired over my head; heard them whistling by

I dropped to the creek, hid in the mud and leaves

waited silent ‘til they passed right in front of me

Came up quiet behind with a bead on their backs

But the grace of God, Himself stayed my hand that day

I hollered, “Never come back. Next time will be different.”

V E R S E 4

They ran like cowards, tires screaming a hundred plus

I followed just far enough to watch them disappear

pulled back in as the Deputy rolled by

Checking on shots; Kathryn called in fear

Kids were shaken, she held them tight

but everybody safe in the morning light

I stood there thankful, For the good Lord above

for the strength and patience God gave me that night

B R I D G E

Lord, you stopped me from crossing that line

When vengeance felt righteous and blood called my name

you protected my family, you tempered my pride

turned a dark day to glory in Jesus’ name

F I N A L C H O R U S

Never saw that car on our road again

the Carp and the sign did the job, I guess

but the real victory was not in scaring them off

it was grace in the creek when I needed it most

than you, Lord for my wife and my kids

for the land and the peace and the life that you give

than you most for the hand that stayed mine

on that old country road; one more time

one more time