I saw the movie "Cool Hand Luke" a few months ago, and this poem has been kinda haunting me ever since. I guess it was time for it to be written.

"He was smiling... That's right. You know, that, that Luke smile of his. He had it on his face right to the very end. Hell, if they didn't know it 'fore, they could tell right then that they weren't a-gonna beat him. That old Luke smile. Oh, Luke. He was some boy. Cool Hand Luke. Hell, he's a natural-born world-shaker."

- Dragline

On The Line

Ain't nothin' normal anymore,

Not that ever it was.

But the hot and the cold,

And the bush and the road,

Ain't like they was befo'

Ole' Luke - Cool Hand Luke,

Came an' shewed us the Clarity

And the Heart and the Parity

You kin git when you's like us.

But Luke was a boy with mo' in in his head.

He was jus' a young man,

With nowhere to go but dead.

Nowhere to go but dead, Boss.

Nowhere to go but Dead.

Nowhere to go,

But that Place,

You know?

Nowhere to go but dead.

I knowed he was a stange 'un,

Like as we all are.

But he hit it so fine,

Not even the line,

Could break the man that was

Ole' Luke - Cool Hand Luke,

Ran and was free even then,

In the chains and the pen,

Of the Box - he beat 'em.

In some way I couldn't understan'.

Sho' he was a young man,

With nowhere to go but dead.

Nowhere to go but dead, Boss.

Nowhere to go but Dead.

Nowhere to go,

But that Place,

You know?

Nowhere to go but dead.

Life, it ain't fair - none of it,

I knowed that forever.

And some how he wouldn't,

Or couldn't or shouldn't,

Believe that it was the way of it all.

Ole' Luke - Cool Hand Luke,

Had somethin' that none of us had.

Unspeakable - that's what it was,

Somethin' sure made him be him,

When all and ev'rythin' was agin' him.

Yes, he was a young man,

With nowhere to go but dead.

Nowhere to go but dead, Boss.

Nowhere to go but Dead.

Nowhere to go,

But that Place,

You know?

Nowhere to go but dead.

A handful of nothin' A cool handful o' nothin',

A young man stuck in a lan',

So set it that shouldn't understan'

He's to be dealt no cards,

He's to have no place,

Ole' Luke - Cool Hand Luke,

With all the world agin him.

Just nowhere ever to go.

So he went there, y'know?

And shook the world he lef'.

Met the big Boss - I bet,

They's laughin' in Heaven yet.

Nowhere to go but dead, Boss.

Nowhere to go but Dead.

Nowhere to go,

But that Place,

You know?

Nowhere to go but dead.