Momma said,
“Don’t stray from the yard.”
But I did,
didn’t have to go far
as a kid,
because the world’s so large
that you never really know where you are.
I grew up,
into a fine young man.
Met a girl,
had the whole thing planned.
My whole world,
on a ring on her hand;
now we’re faced with a future
that we can’t understand.
Momma said,
“Don’t stray too far.”
Momma said,
“Don’t forget who you are.”
Momma said,
“The world’s just a rock
and the Sun’s just a star
and you can’t escape either one
for very long,
so you better love living while you are.”
Momma told me,
“Go out and live like I showed you.”
So I’ve been gone,
walked the whole world over.
Even walked in the stars
by the hands of God,
but it’s like Momma said;
“This life’s not very long.”
and when I finally got home
she was gone.
So now I tell my children,
“Don’t wander too far.”
I know one day,
they’ll walk in the stars,
but while they’re still small
I’m gonna hold ’em all close;
just me and my family
and my Momma’s ghost.
In the night,
I can hear a voice in the dark,
saying,
“Boy, don’t stray from the yard.”
HG – 2017
