ONE MAN AND HIS GUITAR

When I was in college friends would sit around and it wouldn’t take us very long

Before someone brought out a guitar, started singing then we all sang along.

Once out of college I attended concerts in stadiums and enormous ball fields

Where the music was loud, the crowd immense and everyone vociferously squealed.

We didn’t care if it was raining or in humid 100 degree heat

We sang, we danced, we screamed and no one stayed in their seats.

It’s been years since I attended a concert and I guess it’s time to confess

That as I grow older although I don’t mind big crowds I find I seek them out less.

Saturday Deborah and I attended a house concert-we’d never been before

Truth be told we had no idea what to expect when we walked through the door.

A small group of people, many whom we didn’t know, I think around 49

Were gathered round in small groups eating and drinking wine.

Shortly we all squeezed into the living room-we didn’t have to travel far

We sat down...waited and soon...in walked one man and his guitar.

He was tall and thin and wore a straw hat and it didn’t take him very long

To look over the crowd and smile then tell a story and sing a song.

It’s funny how sometimes life comes full circle because at the evening’s end

It seemed less like attending a concert and more like with my old college friends.

He transported us back to simpler times and it didn’t take him very long

Before this one man with and guitar had the rest of us singing along.

His name is Jonathan Byrd--in folksinging circles I’m sure he is a star

But for 2 hours in our friends house he was just one man and his guitar.

You can have your gigantic concerts with your pop divas and rock and roll stars

As for me give me a house filled with friends, a sip of wine and one man and his guitar.