Mother dear, do you recall The day you broke down in the hall? Do you remember why you cried ? Why father hurt you deep inside ? The old man gone for weeks on end Did cause your lonely heart to rend With sadness, made a desperate plea, Come home Steve, please come home to me!
I watched you there in that half light Your face collapsed, your shoulders slight, The tears were running down your cheek, I should have helped, I felt so bleak. A little boy can only grasp The simple things, the easy task. When tears and sobbing overtake A small boys courage tends to break. So I stood there sadly watching you Way back in 1952.
I recall trailing after you, My little sister trailing too. In failing light you staggered home Your high heels dragging on the stone. You’d been to McKyatt's corner bar To meet the girls and share a jar. We had a raspberry ade or two And the time quite got away from you. The cupboard's empty and the pan So that nights meal was bread and jam.
Some days we spent beneath the bed Whilst you and father fought and bled, We put the fingers in our ears And saw the wire wove through tears. I’ve tried to recall happy days But my head only plays replays Of all the bad and sorry stuff That made our childhood, … Oh so tough!
The last time that I saw you Mum You looked so shrunken, thin and glum, You lay there in that little bed With a pillow propped beneath your head. I can’t remember now, your words But saw my fathers' shattered nerves. He cried for all the broken dreams His tears reflect your silent screams. We left you there with hollow eyes And kissed you without last good byes.
For years I’ve thought about you Mum Wondered why it went wrong, And I’ve come to the conclusion that The war destroyed your song. That war destroyed your happiness It robbed you of your youth. It stole your key to peace of mind And muddied love and truth. It took away prosperity And ****** up all your life. It deprived you of togetherness And caused your marriage strife. You couldn’t live with tension Mum You needed party time, I understand all this because Your feelings, Mum, …Are mine.