Coming out of the coughed-out clouds of Kaiser Steel Mill they marked our house with a piece of chalk

In the time that time takes, it seems like a mystical land to me with rural ranches around the Jurupa hills

Where I was ten wearing around a camouflaged army helmet

I had a beatnik fourth grade teacher that made me the drummer in "Albert and the Exterminators"

She also defined my painting in a conclusive way that I still use today

My father belonged to a secret society that made him come home drunk and fall out of a diesel truck

My guardian angel mother had to leave this world for heaven

Soon after I was elected King of my elementary school at age twelve, a glorious but short-lived reign

I got thrown into dangerously precarious situations that inspired my escape at age sixteen

Moving into the laundry room of a house at the beach with some college guys

A consequence of tremendous possibilities, I worked many jobs, painted houses, delivered ashes from a cemetery

I'd been playing guitar but bought my own and started writing songs ‘cause I couldn't pull off other people’s

Scribbled and smudged ink stains in a detective notebook, I'd perform these songs at "Hoot Night"

The Heritage was a place with a magnified stage where Tom Waits was doorman

He was generously eloquent to me probably because I was quiet, I'd get there early to hang around him

In the back room they had a turntable and one night Mr. Waits played "Young Brigham" for me

An album by Ramblin' Jack Elliott, I got all the records I could and for some reason

I could play and sing just like Ramblin’ Jack, dress just like him

Finally figuring out that that was beyond strange, so I went back to my own songs

In the time that time takes I worked, became potter in residence at Mission San Diego De Alcalá

Married the magnificent Julie and waited for Chris Goldsmith to become old enough to produce my album, "New Army of Ragged Angels"