timeo danaos et dona ferentis

 

Everyone considered him the coward of the county
he`d never stood one single time to prove the county wrong
his mama named himTommy,the folks just called him yellow
but something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.
 

He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison
I looked after Tommy `cause he was my brother`s son
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy:...
son my life is over,but yours is just begun
 

Promise me..son, not to do the things I`ve done.
Walk away from trouble if you can
it won`t mean you`re weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope you`re old enough to understand:..
Son ..you don`t have to fight to be a man.
 

There`s someone for everyone and Tommy`s love was Becky
In her arms he didn`t have to prove he was a man
one day while he was working the Gatlin boys came callin..
They took turns at Becky....there was three of them
 

Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin
the torn dress,the shattered look was more than he could stand
he reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy`s picture
as his tears fell on his daddy`s face,he heard these words again:...
 

Promise me..son, not to do the things I`ve done.
Walk away from trouble if you can
it won`t mean you`re weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope you`re old enough to understand:..
Son ..you don`t have to fight to be a man.
 

The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom
one of them got up and met him halfway..cross the floor.
When Tommy turned around they said..hey look all,yellow`s leavin
but you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door..
Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him
he wasn`t holding nothing back he let `em have it all
when Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standing...
he said -This one`s for becky-as he watched the last one fall
....and I heard him say............
 

I promised you...Dad..not to do the things you done
I walk away from trouble when I can
now please don`t think I`m weak,I didn`t turn the other cheek
And Papa... I sure hope you understand:.......
Sometimes you gotta fight when you`re a man.
............................Kenny R.