what u gon’ do w/mama/?/

what she do w/u

/wipe yr nose & ass/

now u mad

/wont be long b4 u gonna need yr ass wiped 2/

what u teach n ya’ kids/?/

/what u gon’ do w/ mama/?/

/what they gon’ do w/u/

granny was mean sometimes/so what/life had been mean/now it was running out/like dead husbands/ & the ungrateful daughter/w/ that tribe of grandchildren/caught in the middle of the mother/daughter

divide/why the hell wd she be nice/after that/then/while the pain sang constantly off key/& constant/like a lover who stayed past the loving leaving/constant companion to yrs of memories/not all good/some wonderful but far away/some bitter as un peeled persimmon / you want nice/dying is not nice/living was hard/& the end was crushing slowly all dreams ever dared/grace stayed in the hallway/afraid to enter the room/hope had fled/gravity sat by the bedside/holding cold hands/w/colder hands/why would she be nice/having given all/receiving so little/poor return/she would cuss you for the folks who were not there/as you stood there/ waiting on her/waiting for her/waiting/she giver of hugs/milk & cookies/the best sweet potato pie/so small/so much pain u cd smell it in the room/on her clothes/on yr hands on the drive home/she was granny of a thousand smiles/she had forgotten how to smile/she spoke to dead folks/called you by your mothers name/and she cried/in pain/in grief/for leaving/she wd accuse u of stealing/and u had/not money/but love beyond measures/all that sweet/sweet love/u took/& took

/what you gon’ do w/mama/?/what they gon’ do w/u/

?/throw out yr life/?/sit it on the sidewalk/throw out yr love letters/photographs/sell yr trinkets/give them away/let the trashman take ’em/fight over it/while they cry over yr body/what

u gon’ teach ya kids/?/

what u gon’ do w/mama/?/w her correcting tongue/her sharp eye/seeing u/saving u/reminding u/she raised u better/expects something/

what u gon’ do/?/w/mama/?/w/u

u gon’ wait till she dead/?/

to succeed/to wake up/to grow up/to show up/to bring her flowers/to love her like she loved  u/ w/o no conditions/how long b4 u get it/ when she blew up/when she showed up/when she didnt show up/when she came looking for u/when she hugged you so hard u thought u would break/when she gave u her last/when she borrowed/went with out to give u/& how it hurt her/when she didnt have it to give/

what u gon’ do w/mama/?/