Hold On Don’t Let Go

I had to pay a ferryman
To take me up the river
Four days watching bodies float by
Just to go to see my mother die

She sat in the garden
Her hands on her lap
Said you remind me of my son
Haven’t seen him since before it all began

He was a man finding himself
I hope he’s done that now
And if we reunited
I would say to him

When you have what you need
Even if it wasn’t what you wanted
Reach out your hand
And hold on and don’t let go
And if you look into her eyes
And yet look over her shoulder
Hold on to her hand just a littlе longer
You might change your mind

My mother lookеd at me
Mottled paper skin
She smiled at the nurse
Took her medication

She said the nearness of death
Has a way of clarifying
But now that it is here
It is no less terrifying

When you have what you need
Even if it wasn’t what you wanted
Reach out your hand
And hold on and don’t let go
And if you look into her eyes
And yet look over her shoulder
Hold on to her hand just a little longer
You might change your mind

Reach out your hand
And hold on and don’t let go
And if you look into her eyes
And yet look over her shoulder
Hold on to her hand just a little longer
You might change your mind