Remembering Mom

©Jim Molinelli

 

[Verse 1]

She always sang the first line right, then couldn't stop from veering off.

'Till we couldn’t recognize the song. But she did, and that’s enough.

She would twist a verse around, and slide her own words in.

We truly knew the words went wrong, when Dad rolled his eyes and grinned.

Though her words were never right, our laughter always was.

Still she sang like nothing’s wrong, in a world she'd built for us.

When we’d try to "sing it wrong", we could never do it right,

Only Mom could wreck a song, and still make it feel alright...

 

[Chorus]

She could turn a room around, when she’d sing a single line.

Just bend the lyric sideways, and make the moment shine.

It just takes one random thought, to recall how Mom would sing,

And she's there with us again, as we laugh… remembering.

 

[Verse 2]

For gatherings at Uncle Joe’s, penny poker ruled the night.

They’d stack up coins, shuffle cards, and get things set just right.

Once the game was underway, Mom and Joe would do their thing,

They would start “George Washington Bridge,” and have everybody sing!

The song had just three words, that we all belted out.

Around and around it went, until laughter drowned it out...

When people caught their breath, "One more time!" was screamed.

Then "Please don’t get them started!”, which made Mom’s smile beam.

 

[Chorus]

She could turn a room around, when she’d sing a single line.

Just bend the lyric sideways, and make the moment shine.

It just takes one random thought, to recall how Mom would sing,

And she's there with us again, as we laugh… remembering.

 

[Bridge]

Sure we laughed at her singing, but we were all in on her plan.

She was stitching us together, in ways we couldn't understand.

And she made them our songs too...

 

[Verse 3]

She didn’t sing just for the music, She didn’t sing just to be strong.

She sang to make things brighter, even when she got words wrong.

Don’t know all the words she changed, But we sure felt what they'd say.

She made the ordinary sacred, by singing through each day.

If her joy outruns the silence, And the laughter still begins,

Then her love never ended, It just changed forms again.

She improved the world by singing, leaving laughter in her wake.

Though she's not here, her songs remain, and that eases the ache.

 

[Chorus]

She could turn a room around, when she’d sing a single line.

Just bend the lyric sideways, and make the moment shine.

It just takes one random thought, to recall how Mom would sing,

And she's there with us again, as we laugh… remembering.