Jasper Mikels

You lived just up Poverty Ridge

In a skyline trailer

Decorated with shame and dog shit

I got stuck behind you

On my way to school

And I'd fly by on 135

As I rehearsed the Golden Rule

Small towns ain't much for small talk

They know your mother's maiden name

And every traffic stop

People said you weren't all there

And not to stare

So we'd just walk right past ya

Jasper

Your dog rode shotgun

On your rummage sale runs

You were draped in dirt and secondhand shirts

And secondhand buzz

I heard you hit a little girl

And you were never the same

Is that why you drove so slow on the old slab road?

Were you haunted by her face?

Small towns ain't much for small talk

They know your mother's maiden name

And every traffic stop

We all laughed, said you needed a bath

Like you didn't even matter

Jasper

Well, you died alone

They found you after something like fifteen days

Stack of Sunday papers made your run-down neighbor

Call the cops to investigate

Your dog rode shotgun

To the Jackson County pound

To sit and wait for the same old fate

You already found

Small towns ain't much for small talk

They know your mother's maiden name

And every traffic stop

You didn't make the front page or the prayer chain

Or the happy ever after

God knows you must've gone through hell, had a story to tell

But nobody ever asked ya

Wish I'd asked ya

Jasper