Silent Farewell

Back in ninety-eight, she waved goodbye

Little yellow backpack, grey autumn sky

She said 'see you at three,' with a gentle smile

But that road stretched out for a million miles

(where did you go?)

And the silence

was a heavy weight Standing frozen

at the schoolyard gate

No footsteps

coming down the hall

Just the bitter chill of the coming fall

Two long years of a quiet house

Then the telephone rang,

cutting through the doubt

Her stepdad's voice

on the static line

Saying 'she passed away,

but you'll be fine' (he lied)

Sixteen winters passed on by And the truth crawled out to the

open sky He was the monster

in her mother's bed He was the reason

that her mother bled

And the Wilkes county deputy

buried the files

Behind crooked badge grins

and dusty miles

No more secrets in this county clay

We know what you did (we know)