It Was the Middle of December; In the Yard, a Brown Shed

glass shattered in the night
i lay in bed staring at the ceiling
just listening to my parents fight
anger and sadness was what i was feeling

another monday has come along
i hurry to finish my work
turning on the radio, i find a good song
i hate my calculus teacher - what a jerk

walking through the halls - i'm in a daze
going from class to class
it's like a huge maze
exam week - hope i pass

not wanting to go home
i walk slowly to my car
guess i'll just roam
i don't care. my house - it's not far

i come home and walk in
find my stepdad on the floor
he'd been drinkin' vodka and gin
said he wouldn't do it no more

he is sooo pathetic
i drag him and put him in bed
i have to be sympathetic
"hmm," i said, "atleast he's not in a car and dead

he gets into these rages
like a chargin' lion
nothin'll hold him, not even cages
he makes these sounds like he's dyin'

he went to A.A.
but it didn't last
they tried to make him stay
he said it wouldn't help his past

i remember the last day i was here
they had the biggest fight
he'd been drinkin' beer
in the middle of the night

glass shattered and doors slammed
i got in the middle and tried to stop it
i'll be damned
blocked my mom from getting hit

we ended up in the garage
me and my mom hid behind a chair
stuff was so blurred, it was like a mirage
i could smell his breath in the air

the next thing i knew
he found us
the rage just grew and grew
then, there was a big hush

it was the middle of december
in the yard a brown shed
and the last thing i remember
i felt a chair leg hit my head . . .

January, 1995