Mama Tried Poem by Marilyn Lott

It was a hard life for my family
Red dirt poor the way we were
But we all knew Mama tried
That was one thing that was sure.

She scraped out a little garden
And planted vegetables each year
She stored potatoes, beets and carrots
Lack of food we had no fear.

Yes, Mama always fed us good
‘Course we didn’t have many sweets
‘Cause it took a lot of money
To put shoes upon our feet.

But you know, we felt no shame
‘Cause there were folks worse off than us
But mama always gave us love
Certain occasions she made a fuss.

No one could be raised better
Not a thing we had to hide
Because at the end of every day
We always knew that Mama tried!