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
Jeanna' Soul 