What I Heard

1.

I heard her mother was sick
today, last week, 3 weeks ago
there was pain, it was her weight,
it was her gallbladder the
doctors say.

she, her family, they are hers.

and she has eyes that seek questions for curious minds
and a smile worth waiting for
and she's got style and she's got rhythm
from so many Cabarets and Celebrate! days
and she's got wit that will keep one on edge
and she knows what's important

and she's a woman.
She's a woman
I'd like to be like.
She's a woman.

2.

I heard her mother was sick
and it caught the back of my throat
it caught me behind my eyes
it caught me to the edge of my nostrils.

It caught me unsuspecting
just like the last time
and the time before
it caught me right between my lungs
it caught me unprepared.

How do you help your mother?
when you're caught from mind to muscle
How do you keep uncaught
How do you keep yourself?

You've got to start catching back
I'm not sure exactly when
but catch yourself and catch your life
so you can help catch for her.