Mama Should've Swallowed

Mama always told me to walk the straight and narrow,

But her words just cut through me like an old rusty arrow,

Every time I stumbled, she was quick with her advice,

Never saw her falter, not a hint of sacrifice.

Down in this little town, where the cornfields grow,

Secrets buried deep, where the winds don't blow,

Mama held the Bible, with a grip so tight,

Forgot that love and grace were also in that light.

Oh, Mama, wish you’d let loose and simply swallowed pride,

Instead of skewing judgment, pulling us all aside,

Maybe we'd have flourished, like those fields of golden grain,

Instead, we're washed in tears like endless pouring rain.

Daddy took to silence, his words left unspoken,

The weight of all her judgment, left his spirit broken,

In the church of whispered sins, on those pews of old pine,

Mama's brand of righteousness, it left us all behind.

Sister ran away, took the back roads out of town,

Nobody saw her leave, not a single tear was found,

Mama never mentioned her, erased her from our life,

But deep down you could see it, it cut like a knife.

Oh, Mama, wish you’d let loose and simply swallowed pride,

Instead of skewing judgment, pulling us all aside,

Maybe we'd have flourished, like those fields of golden grain,

Instead, we're washed in tears like endless pouring rain.