NO CHARGE

MY LITTLE BOY CAME INTO THE KITCHEN THIS EVENIN’

WHILE I WAS FIXIN’ SUPPER AND HE HANDED ME

A PIECE OF PAPER HE’D BEEN WRITING ON.

AND AFTER WIPIN’ MY HANDS ON MY APRON, I READ IT AND

THIS IS WHAT IT SAID.

FOR MOWIN’ THE YARD – FIVE DOLLARS

MAKIN’ MY OWN BED THIS WEEK – ONE DOLLAR

AND GOIN’ TO THE STORE – FIFTY CENTS

AND WATCHIN’ LITTLE BROTHER WHILE YOU

WENT TO THE STORE – TWENTY-FIVE CENTS

FOR TAKIN’ OUT THE TRASH – ONE DOLLAR

GETTING A GOOD REPORT CARD – FIVE DOLLARS

AND RAKIN’ THE YARD – TWO DOLLARS

TOTAL OWED – FOURTEEN – SEVENTY-FIVE

WELL I STOOD THERE LOOKIN’ AT HIM EXPECTANTLY

AND A THOUSAND MEMORIES FLASHED THROUGH MY MIND

SO I PICKED UP THE PEN AND TURNIN THE PAPER OVER

THIS IS WHAT I WROTE

FOR THE NINE MONTHS I CARRED YOU GROWIN’ INSIDE OF ME –

NO CHARGE

FOR THE NIGHTS I SAT UP WITH YOU, DOCTORED YOU,

PRAYED FOR YOU, - NO CHARGE

FOR THE TIME AND THE TEARS AND THE COST THROUGHT THE YEARS

NO CHARGE

WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP THE FULL COST OF MY LOVE IS

NO CHARGE

FOR THE NIGHTS FILLED WITH DREAD AND WORRY OF PAYIN’

NO CHARGE

FOR ADVICE AND THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE COST OF YOUR COLLEGE

NO CHARGE

FOR THE TOYS, FOOD AND CLOTHES AND FOR WIPIN’ YOUR NOSE

THERE’S NO CHARGE SON

WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP THE FULL COST OF MY LOVE IS

NO CHARGE

WELL, WHEN HE FINISHED READIN’ HE HAD GREAT BIG OLD TEARS IN HIS EYES AND HE LOOKED UP AT ME AND HE SAID,

MAMA I SURE DO LOVE YOU

THEN HE TOOK THE PEN AND IN GREAT BIG LETTERS HE WROTE

PAID IN FULL

WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP THE COST OF FREE LOVE IS

NO CHARGE