The Author of this series is Robert Cline. This series of three poems were based on his life.
A Mother Tries
And so, she did as he had asked
she took upon herself the tasks
Of raising this her youngest son
and two more, all three as one.
She strived to teach them wrong from right
at night she prayed with all her might.
It seemed as though, at least with one
the smaller one, her youngest son
For he, it seemed, would not be taught
and all her teachings came to naught.
On his own he tried to stand
in his struggle to become a man.
And when at last his manhood gained
he stood alone in ball and chains.
Then in his mind his thoughts raced back
to a father lying on his back.
To the things his dad had said back then
by twenty-one he'll be in the pen.
Now all alone in his cold dark cell
his mind remembers, all too well.
All the things his mom had said
now all too soon his mother was dead.
He bows his head, and cried and cried
he knew full well his mother tried.
May 15th, 1992