A Mothers Search

I walked right through the passageway and sat myself right down The subway would soon be coming and taking me out of midtown But as I sat there waiting, an old lady sat two seats down from me And tears were coming down her face from what my eyes could see The woman seemed to be way past sixty with stringy hair and all And as she rose when the train pulled up she stumbled in the dim lit hall Many people walked around her some even cursed as she lay there Her eyes seemed to ask for help but no one had the time to spare They only cursed and went their way, some even called her insane Soon the train was leaving as she and I were the only ones that remained Should I go over and help her or just sit like a fool and stare ahead? If I sat there and did nothing I knew I’d pay for it when I went to bed Yes, nightmares of her face would haunt me as a tear rolled down my cheek And I could tell she was hungry because she really looked sickly and weak I reached down and lifted her up and sat her back down in a seat She looked more like warmed over death and I noticed she had swollen feet “Where are you headed?” I asked as the words came out against my will You remind me of my little boy she said, back in ‘52 we named him Bill But somehow I lost my husband and the state took my little boy And I’ve been searching all over the city and so far it’s turned up no joy What was your mama’s name son? Is she still around anywhere? I know you think I’m off my rocker but frankly I really don’t care I’ve been beaten by the police, kicked out of soup lines as well Been cursed at worse than a sailor and been damned to that burning hell You see people don’t see my heart, they only see the ugly that I’ve become And yes I reckon they’re right because I’m known as Charlotte the bum But at least somebody cares because I can see it in your pretty brown eyes Yes, her sincerity really got to me and for that I couldn’t hardly lie I helped her over to the elevators and we rode up to the main street Where I called a taxi so the woman wouldn’t have to stand on her feet She’s asleep in the master bedroom after a meal down at the corner Deli But I noticed as we were both leaving, she grabbed a few extra pack of Apple jelly All those years I’d been searching and coming up with zero’s to show But one night down in the subway station I saw the direction I needed to go Someone was searching for her son and I was searching for a mother And now we had what each was searching for, we now had one another She might not have been my real mother, but who really cares these days That’s the story I’m telling and that’s how the games are played