COWARD OF THE COUNTY Everyone considered him the coward of the county Hed never stood one single time to prove the county wrong His mama named him Tommy but folks just called him yellow Something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison I looked after Tommy because he was my brothers son I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy Son, my life is over, but yours has just began Promise me son not to do the things Ive done Walk away from trouble if you can Now it dont mean youre weak if you turn the other cheek And I hope youre old enough to understand Son, you dont have to fight to be a man Theres someone for everyone and Tommys love was Becky. In her arms he didnt have to prove he was a man One day while he was working the Gatlin boys came calling They took turns at Becky, Nthere was three of them Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky crying The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand He reached above the fireplace took down his daddys picture As his tears fell on his daddys face he heard these words again Promise me son not to do the things Ive done Walk away from trouble if you can Now it dont mean youre weak if you turn the other cheek And I hope youre old enough to understand Son, you dont have to fight to be a man The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom One of them got up and met him halfway across the floor Tommy turned around they said, hey look old yellers leaving But you couldve heard a pin drop when Tommy and locked the door Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him He wasnt holding nothing back, he let em have it all When Tommy left the barroom, not a Gatlin boy was standing He said, this ones for Becky as he watched the last one fall NI heard him say I promised you dad not to do the things youve done I walk away from trouble when I can Now please dont think Im weak I didnt turn the other cheek Papa I should hope you understand Sometimes you got to fight when youre a man Everyone considered him, the coward of the county
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 18:22:15 +0000
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