cherokee bend

his father was a man who could never understand

the shame on the red man's face. so they lived in the hills and they never came down

but to trade in the white man's place. early in the spring when the snow had disappeared

they came down with a bag of skins. in the fall of the year of 1910

daddy died by the rope down in cherokee bend. daddy didn't like what the white man said

'bout the dirty little kid at his side. daddy didn't like what the white man did

nor the deal or the way that he lied. there was blood on the floor of the government store

when the men took his daddy away

but the boy stayed back till he'd come to his end

then he run like the wind from cherokee bend. now the mother was alone and the winter was at hand

and she prayed to her spirit kin. it was warm in the lodge in the kentucky hills

on the day when the boy came in. then a blizzard came down and it covered up the door

till they thought that it never would end

and he told her the tale of the terrible affair

in the government store down in cherokee bend. daddy didn't like what the white man said

'bout the dirty little kid at his side

daddy didn't like what the white man did

nor the deal or the way that he lied. for three long days and three long nights

they wept and they mourned and then

she returned to her work and her weavin'

and they tried to forget about cherokee bend. now the boy wasn't big but he hunted what he could

and they lived for a time that way

but the food run low and the meat went bad

and she said to the boy one day. i'm leavin' tonight and i never will return