I'VE GOT A PICTURE
OF HIM
BAREFOOT
IN THE MUD
BEHIND
HIS GRANDPA'S PLOW
AND TWO GRAY MULES
WHEN HE TURNED
TEN YEARS OLD
IN MAY OF FIFTY-THREE
HE GREW UP
FEARING GOD
IN WASHBURN
TENNESSEE
THE CLOSEST THING
HE HAD TO A DAD
WAS HIS UNCLE BOB
AND HE COULD ONLY
DREAM OF THINGS
LIKE
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
AND THAT LITTLE BOY
WITH BIG BLUE EYES
AND CALLUSED HANDS
HUH
BECAME MY OLD MAN
WELL SHE WAS
A KENTUCKY GIRL
BORN
ON VALENTINE'S DAY
THE FOURTH CHILD
OF FIVE
TO MY GRANDMA
EULA MAE
SO SHY AND BEAUTIFUL
WITH SUNSET HAIR
AND EMERALD EYES
AND HER DADDY
SPENT HIS LIFE
WORKING
IN THE COAL MINES
NOW IN MY EYES
ALL MY LIFE
MY DADDY'S
BEEN A SAINT
BUT EVEN SAINTS
NEED ANGELS
TO SHOW THEM THE WAY
AND OVER THIRTY-SEVEN
YEARS AGO
HE ASKED
FOR MARGARET LYNN'S
HAND
AND THAT ANGEL MARRIED
MY OLD MAN
AND THERE WERE TIMES
I TRIED TO BUCK
THE TRUTHFUL THINGS
THEY SAID
BUT NOW I'M GLAD
THAT MORE THAN ONCE
THEY RATTLED
MY STUBBORN HEAD
'CAUSE MY FOLKS
ARE JUST LIKE
MOUNTAINS
I LOOKED AT FROM AFAR
BUT NOW THE CLOSER
I GET TO THEM
THE BIGGER THEY ARE
BUT TIME SEEMS TO FLY
ANYMORE
AND THE HOLIDAYS
ARE SO FAR APART
THERE'S NO WAY
A PHONE CALL
COULD EXPRESS
WHAT'S IN MY HEART
SO THIS IS JUST A SONG
TO SAY
HOW THANKFUL I AM
FOR MAMA
AND MY OLD MAN
FOR MAMA
AND DAD