I can hear my mother calling me
she tells me how well I done
she couldn't be more proud of
anyone I spoke to the spirit
these words were true
all I ever wanted to do is to love
my mother and please you
I can hear my mother calling me
she’s in the kitchen cooking
up something good to eat
I lift the top off the pot to see
before I could get a taste
the moment passed away
I can hear my mother calling me
I answer softly “yes ma’am"
here I am she tells me the
thing I done wrong then beats
me like I’m a runaway slave
so next time I’ll know how to
behave I go back to my room
I lick my wounds and curse
the womb from which I came
I call out to the spirit these
words are true all I ever
wanted was to love my
mother and to please you
I see two trains headed
toward each other I don’t
want to see them crash
these words I speak
untruthfully I always fail to
look away I sense the back
doors insecure I go to find
it ajared before I can fix it
to close I see someone
in the yard suddenly I
hear a loud voice ask
"were you born in a barn”
I don’t know what it means
and I never did I know I’m
of age but it’s like I’m still
a kid on punishment with no
idea of what I done
literally “it beats me”
the thought defeats me
I close my eyes I drift off
to sleep I can hear my mother
calling me I get out of bed
to go and see open the door
and walk into a dream
and for the life of me
I don’t know what it mean