Friday after work in a pickup headin' home, Radio humming through a half-ton of chrome. Never thought twice ’bout the ground I’d tread, Two good boots and miles ahead. Morning came with a quiet room, And a doctor standing in the gloom. He said, son, it’s a brand-new road, And it’s gonna take time to carry that load. One hard turn and a world gone black, I looked in silence at a limb I lacked. Balance a life on a manmade leg. Fell down hard, but I rose again, Steel and straps where bone once lay, And a stubborn heart won’t fade away. Pain and pride both holding my hand. Determined again I'd walk and stand Cold steel rails in a rehab hall, Mirrors watching every fall. Sweat and anger on the floor, Trying to cross ten feet more. Every step felt twice as far, This missing leg trying to leave its scar. Sweat on my brow and anger too, Cursing the ground I once knew. But every fall lit a deeper flame— I’d walk this earth just the same. Step by step, learning the ground again, Finding my balance every now and then. Every stride like a hill to climb, Every inch borrowed back from time. Fell down hard but I stood somehow, Different man than time would allow. Step by step, learning the ground again. Now I move through a crowded street, Boot heels tapping steady beat. They never see this man-made design How I learned to walk with grit and time. They just see a man going where he goes— Not the miles it took for a path never chose. Step by step, strong and steady now, Years have carved it in somehow. Lost my leg but I found my ground, Found my stride and I held it down. If you look real close when I pass by, You might catch the rhythm in my stride— One leg of bone, one built by hand, Both carrying the same strong man.
