No mom or dad until I was six
Mom worked we lived with Step Grandpa
Dad spent his time in taverns
Mom went home to a rat infested apartment
I was in my crib playing with a black widow spider
My world was huge road pipes, rats and snakes
Sis and I were left with Grandma and Grandpa
We moved to our new home first grade
Dad came to rob Mom and broke out all the windows
Mom had her nose broken several times and black eyes
I shadowed boxed priming the moves to take on dad
I was in constant fights with other boys
She finally gave him all but the house payment
Each payday he would come and get his booze money
After school I would go to the field house
I would take home what the other kids didn't eat for Sis
First grade teacher wanted to set me back to first grade
I learned math from Leo Lasson the hometown baseball announcer
I could figure out batting averages and ERA' divide
Other kids read the three pigs I read the sports page
I proved I could read better than most and add and subtract
I was the kid in the boarded up house son of town drunk
I went door to door selling seeds picking wild blackberries
Most I gave to Mom but saved enough for two movie tickets
I had a crush on the girl up the street who sang in the church choir
I just knew we would marry when we grew up a neighbor lady
Gave me some handme down jeans and a new shirt from her son
It took all the courage I had to knock on her door, "Punky
you are the last person on earth I would go out with. You
will be just like your dad a drunk and never amount to anything."
I saw her obituary quite young three broken marriages
She never left the old neighborhood and lived in a trailer park
I always looked in the mirror had few girlfriends i felt unworthy
I met my wife of 54 years in college I'd never amount to anything
Would stay there playing basketball until they kicked me out
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