this young woman
the age of 22
she woke up one morning
married with a baby on the way
her heart started racing
she looked around the room
recognizing nothing to be her own

she turned her head to the side
to check out whom she lie beside
this stranger
she’d given herself away
but something was very different today
the walls were closing in
here’s where her story begins

she sneaked out of her room
in her frumpy flannel gown
slipped on her sensible sneakers
and headed for the door
in the dark, tripping over
the mess of her life
she found a pencil and a grocery bag
and here’s what she wrote
she said I have been promised my whole life
that this was it
that I was nothing
till I had a man and a baby or two
but something just aint right
the only life I have inside
is this child
too heavy laden with
her momma’s broken dreams

grabbed her keys
pulled out the driveway
and headed for the highway
laughin, screamin, cryin
drivin south
once she hit the boarder
no more lookin over her shoulder
she felt free for the first time in her life

she was alive again
in a brand new world
traded in her old
pink flannel down for
a red skirt that twirled
got a job shinin shoes
and at night she sang the blues
and her belly grew and grew
time to decide what to do

she went back to her old man
see how he felt
about her plan
he had another in her place
same flannel gown
different face
with panic in his eyes
he said, “don’t tell her, she’s my prize!”
“just sign the papers; no more lies”
“I have a right to my life, too.”

From then on
She picked no bones
She had a life that was her own
now her baby had a home
And so did she
Gathered up her courage
And moved on
Picked the next place and
She was gone
Took me some time to track her down
That funny woman got around

I showed up on her front porch
Breathed in real deep
Knocked on the door
Heard her walk across the floor
And I felt faint
Turned the knob
Pulled back the screen
She saw her
And I saw me
Something passed in between

Hey mom. How have you been your whole life? Thank you for my life.