Bobby

You’re going to give your mother a heart attack

Climbing on the rafters of the barn like that

Get your feet on the ground

Your chores done fast

Before the bus comes

Strong as an ox, stubborn as a mule

Still smaller than most the boys at school

The dinner bell rings you’ll eat your weight in food

If they’d let you

At least that's how I imagine you

The kid version of a man that I once knew

Racing your bike down the tree lined street

A notch in your belt for every tractor you beat

The dog at your side and the dirt in the heat

Of the afternoon sun

Dressed for church in your Sunday best

Your holey-est socks in honor of the blessed Savior

Neighbors, family and friends

Gathered around you

Everyone’s a sinner and everyone’s a saint

The kind of small town living

Where everybody knows your name

And there goes Bobby with his eyes of blue

The kid version of a man that I once knew

Did you rule the rink

When the temperature dropped?

Like Bobby Hull taking a slap shot

Like Bobby Ore dancing on ice

Your namesakes on your mind

But you were one of a kind

Bobby

Mind your little sister

While Mum cans the peaches

Swear it wasn’t your fault when she screeches

Get outside and leave the kitchen in peace

Just for once

All the aunts and uncles around the piano

Cowboy tunes and gospel like the Grand Ol’

Opry right there in your living room

Long past bedtime

Bobby

Who did you know and who did you love?

What kind of life were you dreaming of?

Sometimes I like to imagine you

The kid version of a man that I once knew