Stillborn Lyrics

Midnight and Yolanda has a long walk home Midwife in a hard labor, the baby was stillborn Still the mother asked to hold the child that never cried rocked it gently softly keening a plaintive lullaby Yolanda walks along the river road Humming softly, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" The sky has never shined so bright, the night so dry and clear Crickets and cicadas consolations in the air In the air Yolanda's husband wakes the children He dresses them for school "Your mother was up late last night I've packed your lunch for you" And so the house lies silent and they all will be home soon By the time she rises in the early afternoon And then once again Yolanda walks along the river road Where the live oak are dying, the pines are crying And she sits beneath a willow And prying from that tender trunk a dry cicada shell Crushes it in her fist as the sound begins to swell Singing hush little baby, don't you say a word Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird And if that mockingbird don't sing