On My Father's Side

[couchgrouch]

On My Father's SideWell, Mama hardly said a wordshe just hoped that drunk wasn't hurtwhen she bailed me out after that barfightshe knew he shouldna raised his handwhen that gal didn't wanna dancecos there's lotsa short fuses on my father's sideand the day I left for boot campour dirt road was muddy n dampMama stood there silent in the morning lightthen she asked with a solemn tearwhy I wanted to volunteerwhen war had killed two boys on my father's sideand cousins useta come in torn and cursin'but she never got tired of tendin' and nursin'it's a wonder the lengths that woman went toto help the crazy fam'ly she married intoMa was raised up in Tennesseeby one mean ol' SOBtwo shots of bourbon and he'd whip off his beltone day after she met my dadhe saw her face was marked up badso he showed that drunkard how a beating feltthen that night him and Ma elopedwed in a church on a piney slopepretty soon she got used to his stubborn pridehe once roughed up a revenue manthreatened a banker on his landbut right or wrong she remained on my father's sidenow she walks five miles deep in the Smokiessweeps leaves off a grave 'neath some oak treesit's no wonder the lengths that woman went toto help the crazy fam'ly she married intocos ten years after he diedshe's still on my father's sideon my father's side...(c)2007 Robert George

[sgs4u]

another great one, Robert. I teared up thinking about my own family. I'd like to say I don't have a short fuse, but i'd be lyin'steve

[couchgrouch]

thanks Steve! I almost messed this one up trying to re-write it, haha.