Pickin' That Cotton

To my mother: Linda Dean / Thanks for your support!

Hush now child! Pickin' that cotton, wasn't all that bad,
Don't you be embarrassed for me, that was the only skill I had.
Hush now child! Pickin' that cotton wasn't very hard for me to do,
the biggest problem I saw - is I only had one raggedy shoe!
Pickin' that cotton, it made me just what I am today,
So you betta' stop that cryin'..you shouldn't have much to say!
Masta' thought pickin' that cotton would eventually make me frown,
What he didn't realize is that nothin' I did ever broke me down!
See my child, songs of glory, that's what filled my little old heart,
That's the only way that my days got off to a good start!
Lookin' up in the big blue sky, knowing God was watching over me,
I knew a day would come, and me pickin' cotton...it just wouldn't be!
Yo' mamma' and yo' pappa'..they didn't do what I did to get ahead,
they got a good education..so you'd have a place to lay yo' head.
So hush now child! Pickin' cotton, yeah that was done back in the day,
I bent over backwards, tired and hurtin' so you won't do it today!
So you lift yo' head, stand up tall, it's time for you to wake up,
you betta' understand and recognize this family don't ever give up!

Cathryn LaVern Smith