Mordecai

We'd see him in the distance on the trail along the rim His silver head against the mountain sky And grandmas face would open up when she saw that it was him And she'd say daddy grab a chair it's Mordecai And it seemed to me he brought as country store there on his back As he layed it all before us on the ground And I knew he'd finally reach into that ragged old back pack For the candy that he always brought around He said My papa was a wanderin' jew And its my fate to be one too I'll roam these mountain trails until I die Perhaps one day I'll see my home Then he smiled and turned to go And we all said goodbye to Mordecai One evening when he stayed with us I saw him at his prayers As the last light trickled through the cabin door He stood before that little yellow candle burnin' there Softly speaking words I'd never heard before And I told him how my grandma said it troubled her mind so That such a fine man wasn't washed in the blood of the lamb He smiled and said tell grandma if it pleases her to know That she and I both pray to the god of Abraham He said My papa was a wanderin' jew And its my fate to be one too I'll roam these mountain trails until I die Perhaps one day I'll see my home Then he smiled and turned to go And we all said goodbye to Mordecai Its been so long now since I left that hillside far behind For a place I've never truly called my home And more and more these days I see him walkin' in my mind Through the misty mountain distance all alone Mordecai was a wanderin' jew In my own way I am one too I hope to make it home before I die And if I finally find my way I'll light a candle at his grave And say one more goodbye to Mordecai