John Brown

John Brown went off to war to fight on a foreign shore. His mama sure was proud of him!    He stood so straight and tall in his uniform and all. His mama's face broke out into a grin. "Oh son you look so fine I'm glad you're a son of mine You make me proud to know you hold a gun. Do what the captain says lots of medals you will get And we'll put them on the wall when you get home." That old train pulled out John's ma began to shout Tellin' ev'rybody in the neighborhood: "That's my son that's about to go he's a soldier now you know." She made well sure her neighbors understood. She got a letter once in a while  her face broke into a smile she showed them to the people from next door. she bragged about her son with his uniform and gun And these things you called a good old-fashioned war. Then the letters ceased to come for a long time they did not come. ceased to come for about ten months or more. Then a letter finally came saying "Go down and meet the train. Your son is coming back from the war."     She smiled and she went right down she looked up and all around But she did not see her soldier son in sight. When all the people passed she saw her son at last When she did she could not believe her eyes. Oh his face was all shot off and his hand were blown away And he wore a metal brace around his waist. He whispered kind of slow in a voice she didn't know While she couldn't even recognize his face! "Oh tell me my darling son tell me what they done. How is it you come to be this way?" He tried his best to talk but his mouth could hardly move And his mother had to turn her face away.  "Don't you remember Ma when I went off to war You thought it was the best thing I could do? I was on the battleground you were home acting proud. You wasn't there standing in my shoes."    "Well and I thought when I was there Lord what am I doing here? tryin' to kill somebody or die tryin'. But the thing that scared me most  when my enemy came close I could see that his face looked just like mine." "And I couldn't help but think through the thunder rolling stink I was just a puppet in a play.  And through the roar and smoke this string it finally broke And a cannon ball blew my eyes away."    As he turned away to go his Mother was acting slow seein' the metal brace that helped him stand. But as he turned to leave he called his mother close And he dropped his medals down into her hand.