Seems we hardly ever do.

went by the house the other day

funny how I always find myself driftin' back

seems no matter where I'm headed

it's forever on the way

just restin' there all big 'n' white

with everyone set right out front

Gram in her wicker chair

wearin' her favorite purple flowered dress

that battered garden cap

'n' those dark clip-on sunglasses

Honey, the devoted daughter

stationed close by

readin' the newspaper out loud

Aunt Mayna slouchin' on the side door stoop

my Dad roostin' on the hood

of his prized two-toned Buick

lip jugglin' a long Pall Mall

with his signature two inch ash

'n' the two young boys

sittin' on the stairs at the end of the walk

smilin' 'n' wavin' to traffic

countin' Chevys 'n' Fords

been just so

as long as I can remember

'til the other day

the smaller boy was missin'

'n' when I hollered over

to ask about him not bein' there

the folks only looked at me

as if I should've known

'course it happened to Uncle Ralph

'n' we'd heard all 'bout Buddy in the war

then the rest

one by one

but it never seemed it'd come to us

not to us

for Christsakes no

not after all that growin' up

was me who creamed you

with that length of pipe

'n' you who shovel slammed me

when my back was turned

I remember the day you won

the homecomin' road race

lungin' over the finish line

all foamy mouthed and pukey

in record time too

I was so fuckin' proud

you 'n' me

we made the Reardon girls

'n' watched the dawn crashin'

after all night talkin'

on dreams to come

and things we'd done

what about the time...

yeah the time

just didn't look right though

at the house the other day

that kid sittin' on his own

I should've known

https://youtu.be/0CVLVaBECuc