Images of Mama

IMAGES OF MAMA

Images of Mama
From childhood daze
Wrap me in the warmth
Of memories set ablaze
She played jazz in the mornings
And sang HOT
Over the stove
Her voice seasoned with
That heartbreak that only Mama knows
But them notes smelled good
Dipped in sunrise--
Browned-just-right
& the rhythm of her blues
Calmed us every night

Images of Mama's
Tears beneath life's fists
My soul held the bruises
Her heart felt
The HITS
Still she sang
& painted through the daytime
Then prayed to God for Light
She poured poetry over supper
Then my mama cried into the night

Images of Mama
Growing sweeter still
My veins hum with a sadness
That makes my blood chill
She laughed when the sun rose
But wasn't nothin funny
Cause they never gave her love
& she wouldn't beg for money
But ole B.B. blew
Through crispy morning air
& Smokey cruised with us
Without a single care...
Yeah...yeah...yeah

Images of Mama
Feed and help me see
This life...this love...
The "music" burns
Images of me
I now laugh at the sunrise
& again
Not all for "joy"
I try to cook-up sustenance
Shine Light into this void
But jazz still smells gooood
Come God's morning light
& there's a touch of rhythm
To my own blues
In the night