I have been you.
I’ve stood where the path disappears.
I’ve watched the light retreat like it owed me nothing.
I’ve whispered to the sky and heard no reply.
But I kept walking.
And something walked with me.
The forest was quiet, but not kind.
Branches reached like questions I couldn’t answer.
The sun had left without a warning,
and the shadows moved like they had purpose.
I looked up for stars, but the sky was empty.
No moon, no map, no mercy.
I stepped where the ground felt unsure.
The wind carried voices I didn’t recognize.
I thought about turning back,
but the way behind me had vanished.
I closed my eyes and whispered the word I always say—
not loud, not proud, just true.
I trust you now to care for me
when I don’t know what care looks like.
I trust you to take my hand
even when I don’t reach for it.
I trust you to lead me where I ought to be,
not where I planned to go.
I’ve followed maps that betrayed me.
I’ve chased light that never stayed.
I’ve stood in storms that didn’t ask my name
but still knew how to shake me.
I’ve walked through dust that clung like memory
and left me changed.
You don’t need to shout to be heard.
You don’t need to shine to be seen.
You don’t need to prove you’re real—
you just need to stay when I fall.
I’ve learned that faith isn’t loud.
It’s the quiet step forward when nothing feels certain.
I’ve been the man who doubted the dawn.
I’ve been the voice that questioned the silence.
I’ve been the one who asked for signs
and missed the ones already given.
But I’ve also been the one who kept walking
because something inside said “go.”
The forest didn’t change, but I did.
The night didn’t end, but I found light.
The path didn’t appear, but I moved forward.
The dust didn’t clear, but I breathed through it.
I didn’t find the answer—
but I found the one who walks with me.....the one... who walks... with me......

All Rights held by songwriter Edwin H. Balder. Thanks to all the wonderful talent that made these recordings possible including the Del Studio Players, Tina, Tommy, Hot Cookie, The Indivisibles, AKB, and TBOJAR   For More tracks like this enjoy The Jubilee Line Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/edwin-balder/sets/the-jubilee-line?si=0e644986d56741c2b6eb7dc09f516a71&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Storm and Dust written by Edwin H. Balder

In the shadows of Apache Junction, at the foot of the majestic Superstition Mountains, sits a weathered hacienda. This desert oasis is home to an enigmatic figure, a songwriter whose journey reads like a long, dusty road of honky-tonk bars and college cafeterias. He wasn't chasing fame or glitter; instead, he chose the soul-crushing beauty of music for music's sake.

Years spent hunched over sticky barroom tables and scribbling lyrics on napkins earned him a reputation—not in the spotlight but in the back rooms where deals are made. He wrote melodies that found their way into the hearts of stars who had lost their own muse. He sold his creations for cash, with no recognition, but the whisper of his songs carried the weight of his soul.

Finally, he bought this piece of desert paradise—a stable income from his timeless songs allowed him to live comfortably, if anonymously. Here in this hacienda, with his family beside him and the mountains as his backdrop, he found the peace to write hits under his own name. He chuckled at the irony that now, without chasing fame, he could create music that brought him joy.

In the end, it was never about the spotlight. It was about the journey, the stories, and the songs that wrote themselves through his life. As the sun set behind the Superstitions, casting long shadows over the hacienda, he strummed his guitar and sang—content, unknown, and unburdened by the world's gaze.


Copyright 2019 Edwin H. Balder

I may be dead when fame comes but my real glory was always JULIE & The Kids. Thank you for such love

Storm and Dust written by Edwin H. Balder

Edwin Balder