THE TROUBADOR'S WOMAN

                         By Rick Sikes

When I was weary and the road was long
          You gave me a song
When I felt I'd traveled my last weary mile
          You gave me a smile
When there seemed no tunes left on my old guitar
                                           I needed a melody, there you were
                                  I sang of sorrow and hard times
                                          But, found you easy on my mind
                                  I had done all I could think to do
                                          You gave me ideas fresh and new
                                  I grew restless and unsure
                                          Your understanding made me secure
                                 They say a man's song is his soul
                                                           You are the story I have told.....

Let us have a good day today, for we are  making memories  for the future, carefully and gently to be tucked away."

As I wrote "Flowers and Stone", memories of the countless hours I rode beside Rick Sikes up and down the Texas roads to go play his music, came vividly. It was a lifestyle different than any other, and one that I fully and completely embraced. When I met Rick, he'd burned out and  it had become mundane and tiresome to play in the honky-tonks night after night after night. Many times, he'd sit out a complete set never getting on the stage, although he was the reason the places were packed over and over again. He'd lost sight of his dream.

It never once occurred to me that I could be a new fresh inspiration for him. I was just so enthralled with everything about him and never failed to tell him how incredibly talented he was.

The poem above, was written several years afterwards, while locked in prison, but it still gives me great joy to read the words and know that he wrote those words about me. Me, the little holy-roller girl from the desert was able to inspire someone like him. How?

The only answer I have to that question, is "LOVE", pure and simple. Never think for one minute that you can't inspire another person to follow their dream because you can, if you truly believe in them and the talent they have. Don't hesitate to be someone's inspiration!

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