The Brave Boy You Made

(Verse 1)
I was the first one to hold your hand, your only baby boy
In a house filled with sisters, I was your pride and joy
But I saw the shadows on the wall, the ones you tried to hide
Coming from old Puerto Rico, the only girl with nowhere to confide
You brought that strength across the sea, a heart of gold and grit
But you married a man with a hollow soul, and dreams that wouldn’t quit
He filled your head with promises, then drowned them in the glass
While you fought the silent battles, praying the nights would pass.
(Chorus)
Oh Ma, you were the anchor when the ocean pulled us down
The queen of a broken castle, still wearing a hidden crown
You were the mother and the father, the warrior and the friend
And though the road was crooked, I’m with you ‘til the end
From the island to the mainland, through the fire and the gray
It’s because of you, mother, that I am the man I am today.
(Verse 2)
I remember being nine years old, standing tall and small
Stepping right between the two of you, a shadow against the wall
He was yelling, he was drinking, but I wouldn’t let him through
Because even then, my only world was centered around you
Then came the day you’d had enough, you threw him out the door
With everything you had left, you didn’t want to fight no more
You took on every burden, the full-time job, the three of us
And in the middle of the struggle, I learned who I could trust.
(Bridge)
I know I wasn’t "number one," I know the girls took all your sight
You trusted I’d stay steady, while you kept us in the light
I felt the distance for a while, but the anger couldn’t last
A mother-son bond is stronger than the mistakes of the past
We danced upon my wedding day, a circle finally whole
And when you laid in that hospital bed, I gave you back my soul.
(Chorus)
Oh Ma, you were the anchor when the ocean pulled us down
The queen of a broken castle, still wearing a hidden crown
You were the mother and the father, the warrior and the friend
And though the road was crooked, I’m with you ‘til the end
From the island to the mainland, through the fire and the gray
It’s because of you, mother, that I am the man I am today.
(Outro)
So don’t you cry, my Ma, don’t let those teardrops fall
As long as I have air to breathe, I’ll answer every call
There’s a room inside my house for you, a place for you to stay
I’m still that brave nine-year-old boy, just a phone call away
I love you, Ma. Never doubt that.
Always.

The Acoustic Bolero (Modern Latin Folk)