Mothers Of Cabrini Green

CATEGORY

Back in the day mothers of Cabrini wouldn't allow you to leave the porch until you came of age,
You made fast friends with your neighbors and the slender catwalk became your stage,
Periodically she'd poke her head out of the screen to see if you were still there,
Then she'd go back to cooking, cleaning, chatting or relaxing in her easy chair.
You rode your big wheel, tricycle, skates, skateboards, or jumped rope for fun,
Your laughter was extra insurance that let her know you were safe underneath the sun...
When you fell off a ten speed bike for the first time your mother was right there
to dust you off and tell you to get back on...
Pretty soon you were turning corners and popping wheelies boy were you gone!
Mothers of Cabrini would walk you to school or would entrust you to an older sibling,
They'd reward good behavior or chastise you about your handwiting if it resembled scribbling.
They were your first teacher and taught you how to tie your shoe and say thank you.
They taught you to respect your elders, be kind to others and to stand up for yourself,
They wanted you to have more than they did and not have to put your dreams on a shelf.
On Sundays Mothers of Cabrini got you ready for Sunday School and church,
On weekends they allowed you to have company so for you they didn't have to search
Mothers of Cabrini would slave over a hot stove pressing your hair for you to take pictures the next day in school.
They'd take their sons to the barbershop and pay for them to be next up on the barber's stool.
In some neighborhoods children had to be in before the street lights went out,
It was no difference with the children of Cabrini they'd call you in before the sun went down without a doubt.
Kids laughed when they heard a mother doing a roll call of her children before dusk,
They'd mock the names, Mark, Steve, Vickie, Jackie, or Doreen, Marsay, Karen, Butch...yep, that was us.
If someone yelled out 'Yo Mama'....
It would certainly cause all types of drama,
You'd run home and tell her what the other kid said
and tell her you were defending her honor but she'd say
Tell the other kid to finish the sentence,
You'd stop for a moment and think 'man what was I so mad for'
and wouldn't seek further repentance...