Mansfield 44905

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 * co-written with Mark Narmore * 

You could throw a rock one side of Richland to the other
Half the kids ain’t got no dad the rest ain’t got no mother
I put Richland in the rear view and never turned around
Now me and this old 40 watt gonna’ clean that attic out

Opened up a shoebox my mama musta’ saved
Couple dozen envelopes scribbled with my name
Ripped ‘em open one by one started to understand
Probably scared to death I’d turn out like my old man

Finally met my father in the letters that he wrote
Yeah his memory ain’t too far from me tonight
About a half mile west the return address Reformatory Road
Mansfield 44905

House is empty but it’s fillin’ up my heart
Talkin’ with my daddy up here in the dark
Asked about the science fair and how little league was goin’
What about the girl next door wonder how he coulda’ known

Finally met my father in the letters that he wrote
Yeah his memory ain’t too far from me tonight
About a half mile west the return address Reformatory Road
Mansfield 44905

Never told me what it was what kinda’ line he crossed
That took him from his only son
But that don’t bother me because every single one of us
Is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done

 - June 2020 -                                                                                                                       #367