Arkansas River Of Tears
There's a river in Arkansas
A river so deep and so wide
It flows over steep hills
and through lush valleys
Every drop in that river is a tear
A tear that a young girl cried
A child whose soul cried out
for acceptance and love
A child who prayed for a friend
A friend who would see her
for the real person that she was
She cried for the tears she saw
in the eyes of her sweet mama
Tears put there by neglect
A neglect perpetrated by Mama's siblings
The child cried more tears
as she watched her Mama go hungry
so that the kids could all be fed
There were uncles with money
They could have helped
But they never did
And Mama never asked
There are so many tears
in that beautiful old river
Tears of pain and sorrow
Flowing softly through the years
There are also tears of joy
The way her Mama held her first child
How proud Mama was when
that child was named for her
The smile on Mama's face
Brought joy to her heart
and tears to her eyes
Her Mama's long gone now
Most of Mama's siblings are too
The little girl has moved far away
But that old river still flows
Over the steep hills
and through the lush valleys
That she called home
A long, long time ago
Sometimes, if you listen real close
You can hear a new tear drop
As it splashes into that old river
A tear from that little girl
When she awakens
In the middle of the night
With old memories on her mind
by Missmarry
( (c) 2004 all rights reserved)