She said to me

so long ago

“Don’t you go bawling,

squalling, and carrying on

after I’m gone”

I’ve kept that promise

that I made

over and over

Twinkling blue eyes

looking straight through

my own tear-filled brown ones

She would say

over and over

“You love me too much

I don’t know what you’ll do

but promise me

you won’t go

bawling,squalling and carrying on”

So here I am

keeping that promise

best as I can

brown eyes still fill with tears

but I don’t go

bawling and squalling

I just keep

carrying on

Days when I feel all alone

and I long to hear her voice

Times when I feel

like dancing

and Elvira comes on

and I just can’t help

but sing along

When I pass by a cart

piled high

Orange Crush, Big Red and Pepsi Cola

or see all those Little Debbie cakes in the aisle

I find myself smiling

shaking my head

wondering how in tarnation

we ever ate that

When I feel that hunger

for a pot of stew and skillet cornbread

hot as fire prune cake

straight from the oven

and that call she used to make

“Come on over and fix you a plate”

I just keep carrying on

Nights when I can’t sleep

and my body aches

I try all the old remedies

that she taught me

and I just keep

carrying on

I touch base

keep track

stay in touch

best I can

her words echoing in my head

“We ain’t got much family

so love on what we got”

I dig in the dirt

plant anything with a root

Stop and at least

get out and look

at any roadside sale

and I don’t go

bawling and squalling

I just keep carrying on

Sometimes it don’t make

too much sense

but I find myself

thinking of what she would be saying

whenever I’m facing

another predicament

and there’s no-one that understands

It keeps me from

bawling and squalling

and keeps me

carrying on

best I can
👣❤ Jeanna’ Mead

8 00 a.m 7-21-18

http://www.jeannasoul.com