Rachael Kilgour - Bobby

Bobby

You’re going to give your mother a heart attack Climbing on the rafters of the barn like that Get your feet on the ground
Your chores done fast Before the bus comes

Strong as an ox, stubborn as a mule
Still smaller than most the boys at school
The dinner bell rings you’ll eat your weight in food If they’d let you

At least that's how I imagine you
The kid version of a man that I once knew

Racing your bike down the tree lined street
A notch in your belt for every tractor you beat The dog at your side and the dirt in the heat Of the afternoon sun

Dressed for church in your Sunday best
Your holey-est socks in honor of the blessed Savior Neighbors, family and friends
Gathered around you

Everyone’s a sinner and everyone’s a saint The kind of small town living
Where everybody knows your name
And there goes Bobby with his eyes of blue The kid version of a man that I once knew

Did you rule the rink
When the temperature dropped? Like Bobby Hull taking a slap shot Like Bobby Ore dancing on ice Your namesakes on your mind
But you were one of a kind

Bobby

Mind your little sister
While Mum cans the peaches
Swear it wasn’t your fault when she screeches Get outside and leave the kitchen in peace
Just for once

All the aunts and uncles around the piano Cowboy tunes and gospel like the Grand Ol’ Opry right there in your living room
Long past bedtime

Bobby
Who did you know and who did you love? What kind of life were you dreaming of?

Sometimes I like to imagine you
The kid version of a man that I once knew