Harking Back to the Age of Reason (1)

Daddy Don’t Go

 

Never been to the park

with me Dad before.

But we’re goin’ now.

He’s made me a kite!

It’s a funny thing,

made outta brown paper and sticks

We’re in the park now

and Dad’s got the kite thing.

It’s got a long string.

‘Okay mate, you hold the kite. Got it?’

Wow! I never knew he’d let me

hold it.

Reckon he loves me lots.

‘Okay Dad’. It feels real good

hanging onto this kite thing.

Dad says he’ll walk away a bit,

and then we both have

to run to make the kite go

up in the sky.

He’s far away now;

I can hardly see him;

and he’s takin’ ages...

‘Okay boy, you start running now’

Why do I have to run?

 I think Dad told me

but I can’t remember.

Well, he’s me Dad,

so I’ll do what he says.

But I hate running:

I feel stupid.

Dad’s running too.

Very fast.

So am I, but...

‘Let it go!’ He’s yelling now.

What? I don’t get it.

‘Let it go!’

So I let it go, but it just falls

and I’m tripping on it, and

now I’ve broken Daddy’s kite.

All the paper’s ripped

and the sticks are all busted.

I’m so stupid.

I think Dad’s mad with me.

He’s walking away real fast.

I hate this kite thing.

‘Daddy!’

I’m yelling and crying and running

‘Daddy, don’t go!’

I Just Act Like I Don't Remember and Mary Acts Like She Don't Care

I come from down in the valley where mister when you're young
They bring you up to do like your daddy done
Me and mary we met in high school when she was just seventeen
Wed ride out of that valley down to where the fields were green

Wed go down to the river
And into the river wed dive
Oh down to the river wed ride

Then I got mary pregnant and man that was all she wrote
And for my nineteen birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse and the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle
No flowers no wedding dress
That night we went down to the river
And into the river wed dive
On down to the river we did ride

I got a job working construction for the johnstown company
But lately there aint been much work on account of the economy
Now all them things that seemed so important
Well mister they vanished right into the air
Now I just act like I don't remember, mary acts like she don't care
But I remember us riding in my brothers car
Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir
At night on them banks I'd lie awake
And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take
Now those memories come back to haunt me, they haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it don't come true
Or is it something worse that sends me
Down to the river though I know the river is dry
Down to the river, my baby and I
Oh down to the river we ride


Thanks Bruce, for the music and the lyrics that are truly poetry