Broken Branches

Broken Branches

Darden Smith

Two people stand on the corner

Counting up some bus fare change

A boy and a girl, twenty six or seven

Clothes are all disarranged

Which way does the wind blow

How blue is the sky

Can you count the teardrops

Falling from a mother’s eye

Hey, that’s somebody’s daughter

Hey, that’s somebody’s son

Somebody’s pride and joy

Turned out to be

Broken branch off the family tree

Too many back alleys and back seats

Too many park bench beds have they seen

Too much careless love, she’s showing just a little

Top button undone on her jeans

Which way does the wind blow

How blue is the sky

Can you count the teardrops

Falling from a mother’s eye

The family portrait savage and true

The damages done when you tore it all in two

Love wounds, the little lost sheep

I say a little prayer when I see them on the street

Hey, that’s somebody’s daughter

Somebody’s son