When she said, Dont waste your words, theyre just lies,
I cried she was deaf.
And she worked on my face until breaking my eyes,
Then said, What else you got left?
It was then that I got up to leave
But she said, Dont forget,
Everybody must give something back
For something they get.
I stood there and hummed,
I tapped on her drum
I asked her how come.
And she buttoned her boot,
And straightened her suit,
Then she said, Dont get cute.
So I forced my hands in my pockets
And felt with my thumbs,
And gallantly handed her
My very last piece of gum.
She threw me outside,
I stood in the dirt where everyone walked.
And after finding Id forgotten my shirt,
I went back and knocked.
I waited in the hallway, she went to get it,
And I tried to make sense
Out of that picture of you in your wheelchair
That leaned up against
Her Jamaican rum
And when she did come, I asked her for some.
She said, No, dear.
I said, Your words arent clear,
Youd better spit out your gum.
She screamed till her face got so red,
Then she fell on the floor,
And I covered her up and then
Thought Id go look through her drawer.
And when I was through
I filled up my shoe and brought it to you.
And you, you took me in,
You loved me then, you never wasted time.
And I, I never took much,
I never asked for your crutch
And I dont ask for mine.