[Slug]   She lost one to pneumonia, gave the other to prison   and now she spends mother's day sitting in her kitchen   Looking at the pictures of her past felt surreal   She had a couple of people, some friends that helped her heal   But days like today, she doesn't want to be a bother   and as far as she's concerned, them boys didn't have a father   Nuh uh, she had to teach 'em the ways   Teach 'em how to behave, be brave and even how to shave   Some days it makes her feel like a soldier   and other times it makes her feel like a failure   Why did the stronger one die from a cold, huh?   Why did the smarter one end up in jail? Nah   She gave them boys everything that she could   Two full-time jobs to keep 'em in a good neighborhood   They understood how to love and how to live   Now she doesn't understand how it comes down to this   Maybe she should go work in her yard   and take her mind off the past and try to let the days start   But she's waiting on one of those annual calls   while she's looking at the photos on her hallway walls      [Slug]   His big sibling died, and mom's by herself   and now he spends every day inside of that cell   Looking at the photos of his past makes him crash   So he never takes 'em out that folder under his mattress   Days like today he doesn't think about what happened, no   Still gotta call mommy, wish her a happy one   Uh huh, mom, if only she'd had been around   Maybe big brother would still be living now   Some days it makes him feel like a traitor   and other times it makes him feel like a martyr   Seems like some displacement of anger   Seems like he blames her more than his father   She was gone all the time at work   Never around to play the part of the police or the nurse   She understood how things fall apart   So why'd she let the nest hit the ground this hard?   Well maybe he should go walk in the yard   and take his mind off the past and try to let the days start   Cause it's so difficult to admit it's his fault   when he's looking at the faces in his hallway walls