Tabitha Tuder’s Mama

You wouldn’t know it by the faded flowers in the yard

But spirits there are broken and time goes hard

The sun can be shining all over town

But here one solitary cloud hangs round

She dusts her room and straighten her shoes

Like she might walk back into em off the six ‘o clock news

She’s pretty but the world hardly looks up

When your mama makes lunch and your daddy drives a truck

She cant help but wonder but she don’t dare

Let her mind linger too long there

There’s a number written by a 12 yr old face

In a file in Nashville labeled cold case

And an old box fan still cuts the heat

Ruffled curtains blow on Lillian Street

Five sex offenders live on this street

The whole goddamn world crawling with creeps

Too close to where her dresses twirled

Too close too late too bad little girl

Poor people gotta have a lot of heart

Who’s worth more than five thousand dollars

Elizabeth Smart

Please pray for Tabitha Tuders mama

Even if you don’t pray at all

Please pray for Tabitha Tuders mama

Even if you don’t pray at all

Still in her heart still in her head

Still curled up on a pallet at the food of the bed

Too close to where her dresses twirled

Too close too late too bad little girl