Swear Jar

[couchgrouch]

Swear JarDad learned to swear in bootcampmean Marines sure cuss a blue streakand after he had a few beersMama hated to hear him speakwhen I got spanked in pre-schoolcos I'd picked up his bad wordsMama got a good ideawhat to do when he cursedshe knew payin' for collegewas gettin' pretty hardso she set up a trust, ev'ry time Daddy cussedhis beer money went in a jaryeah, Mama cleaned a jar of Skippyput it on the countertopwhen Daddy lost his temperone more dollar droppedhe got home too late for Dallasthe night they said who shot J.R.are the in-law's coming overit's a twenty in the old swear jarit was hard to break his habitcos he had stones of brasswhen preachers came-a-knockin'he'd say, "kiss my ..."and he hated how justiceseemed diff'rent for the richwhen that jury said not guiltyDaddy yelled, "son of a ..."for Monday Night Footballhe sure missed his six of Budcos even flipping the bird, counted as a curse wordand that jar kept fillin' upyeah, Mama cleaned a jar of Skippyput it on the countertopwhen Daddy lost his temperone more dollar droppedthere's disco on the jukeboxat the local hardhat barthe Doobie Brothers broke upit's a fiver in the old swear jarwell, Mama don't care no moreif Daddy says damn or hellcos he ain't had no beer, in almost twenty yearsand her boy went to Yaleyeah, Mama cleaned a jar of Skippyput it on the countertopwhen Daddy lost his temperone more dollar droppedyoung punks keyed the paint jobon his 60's muscle carwhoops, it's a lo-cal dinnerand a twenty in the old swear jar(c)2005 Robert George