Cradled in her arms, colicky and crying,
She holds him close and tracks her steps
she's etched in the old wooden floor.
Silently she sheds her tears in unison
with her tiny son.
Another sleepless night is drawing near.
Can she bring comfort to him?
Can she speak words to soothe his soul?
Will her countenance show she loves him?
Or will his cries dictate the rhythm for which
her heart will beat?
He's 17 and late again, the clock strikes 3 a.m.
The back door opens but not so quietly,
as she watches him stumble into the washing machine,
trip over the coffee table and collapses onto the sofa
where he sleeps the drunkenness away.
Pain and sorrow flood his mother's heart.
His life in shambles as he's lead astray.
Intelligent and full of talent
she recalls his finger's as they danced across his violin.
"Fisher's Hornpipe" he would play.
His eyes would twinkle, his smile infectious,
"Mom, one more time," he'd laugh,
if he missed one note, he'd say.
Can his mother comfort him?
Can she speak words to soothe his soul?
Will her countenance show she loves him?
Or will his cries dictate the rhythm for which
her heart will beat?
He needed help, he couldn't do it alone.
The bottle and tobacco were his friends.
To the airport they headed.
He would fly to California.
The ties that bound him had to end.
Mom hugs his neck tightly,
she feels his fears and turns and walks away.
As she sits in the car, she sees her son stand at the ticket counter.
Through the big glass window his scared eyes meet hers
and he helplessly mouthed the word slowly, "M a m a."
And for a moment frozen in time
she saw her hurting little boy
and her tears flowed as she drove away.
Can his mother comfort him?
Can she speak words to soothe his soul?
Will her countenance show she loves him?
Or will his cries dictate the rhythm for which
her heart will beat?
Years would past, he'd take a wife
and darling children were his pride.
A happy life, a promising job,
his own world for him to guide.
One day he breaks, controlled by his demons,
he starts a fight, runs from the police and
finds himself in jail.
The charges stacked against him,
his heart with no remorse, has cast his family away
all for the love of self.
Still, can his mother comfort him?
Can she speaks words to soothe his soul?
Will her countenance show she loves him?
Or will his cries dictate the rhythm for which
her heart will beat?
Another sleepless night is drawing near.
