The red and white pole finally stopped turning The neon in the window lost its burning Old Arthur swept the clippings to the door Said he cannot pay the rising rent no more It was not just a place to cut your hair It was the heartbeat of the local square The empty chair Sitting by the mirror in the sun The empty chair Where the neighborhood was rolled into one We laid down our armor and we spoke our mind Leaving all the bitterness behind Now it is just a memory in the air Looking at the leather on the empty chair We used to argue about the mayor and the mill But nobody walked away looking for a kill Just a room full of fathers and of sons Learning how a proper city runs No hidden agenda and no digital feed Just men planting a common seed The empty chair Sitting by the mirror in the sun The empty chair Where the neighborhood was rolled into one We laid down our armor and we spoke our mind Leaving all the bitterness behind Now it is just a memory in the air Looking at the leather on the empty chair Now they turned the corner to a coffee chain But the people inside are out in the rain Staring at their hands and never looking up Drinking isolation from a paper cup The empty chair Sitting by the mirror in the sun The empty chair Where the neighborhood was rolled into one We laid down our armor and we spoke our mind Leaving all the bitterness behind Now it is just a memory in the air Looking at the leather on the empty chair Who is next. Nobody is next. © 2026 The Shady River Bard. All rights reserved.
