
          ,I ,,0 ,,=TY-?REE'''
             0,$G> ,SAMMONS

  ,Z ,EXECUTIVE ,DIRECTOR (! ,N,NAL
,F$],N (! ,BL ,I RCV _M LRS4 ,"S >E
5C\RAG+2 O!RS HE>TR5D+4 ,B ,I ?9K ,I H
N"E RCVD A M EXPRESSIVE & REV1L+ LR ?AN
! "O ,I AM AB 6%>E ) Y4 ,X 0 WRITT5
0,$G> ,SAMMONS1 :O LIVES 9 ,M.TA9 ,C;Y1
,T5;SEE1 & SP1KS )! LANGUAGE & CL>;Y (
,ELIZABE?AN PROSE4 ,I H N"E MET ,$G>
,SAMMONS1 B ,I H ?"\ L;G AB 8 LR & H -E
6FEEL A DEEP A6EC;N & HI< RESPECT = HM4
,HE IS N A -PLA9]1 N A :9]8B HE HAS "KN
CU/ODY1 T]RI# L"OLI;S1 BLI<T$ HOPE & R1L
DEPRIV,N4 ,YET1 HE HAS MADE A LIFE =
HMF4 ,8 LR IS Z SIGNIFICANT = :AT X DOES
N SAY Z = :AT X SAYS4
  ,I ?"\ ,I WD GIVE Y A LL HI/ORY ( MY
LIFE4 ,I 0 BORN ,OCTOB] #CJ1 #AIAC4 ,!Y
SD ,I LO/ MY SI<T AT ?REE WEEKS OLD4 ,I
GREW J L ! RE/ ( !M4 ,I ?9K A BL P]SON
%D 2 BR"\ UP J L A SI<T$ P]SON B MO/ (
!M >E N4 ,MO/ ( !M WD LE>N A LOT M IF !Y
WD LET !M4 ,WE J _H AN OLD BOX$ H\SE &A
LL L&4 ,N 5 6MAKE A LIV+ ON4 ,MY "F ALW
R5T$ CORN GR.D = HALF ( X4 ,MY "M PUT UP
A LOT ( /UFF1 & WE ALW _H PL5TY 6EAT4
  ,MY "F "W$ ON ! F/ HI<WAY T -E "? "H4
,!Y BLACKTOPP$ X 9 #AIBD4 ,7,I 9T]RUPT !
LR 6PO9T \ T HE IS N[ ELEV5 YE>S OLD1 &
? IS ! F/ ?+ T HAS HAPP5$ 6HM T HE FEELS
WOR? NOT+47'3
  ,MY "F R5T$ A LL F>M1 & WE MOV$ 6X4 ,X
0 N V F> F "H4 ,WE LIV$ "! A YE> & MOV$
BACK4
  ,MY "M ALW WANT$ 6S5D ME 6S*OOL1 B MY
"F N"E WD GIVE UP = X4 ,MY GR&"M & MY "M
& LL BABY SI/] ALL DI$ 9 #AIBD4 ,"! 7
FIVE ( U *N LEFT4 ,"S P WANT$ 6PUT U 9 A
HOME4
  ,WE _H A H>D "T1 B WE MADE \4 ,IF !
FAMILY CD H _H _! WAY ,I DON'T GUESS ,I
WD H BE5 ALL[$ 6GET (F ! PLACE )\T "S "O
( !M ) ME4 ,!Y CDN'T WAT* ME ALL (! "T4
  ,MY GR&"M ,SAMMONS 0 / LIV+ & !Y WD
S5D ME D[N "! :5 !Y WD G 6"W 9 ! CORN4
,T SUIT$ ME J F9E4 ,MY GR&"M WD 2 DO+ H]
H\SE"W1 & ,I WD G D[N ! ROAD AB HALF A
MILE 6MY AUNT'S & /AY A :ILE4 ,"S"TS "S
( !M WD F9D X \ & TELL ON ME1 B ,I
DIDN'T C>E :AT !Y D"O AB X4 ,I WD RUN (F
E *.E ,I GOT4 ,"! 0 J MUD ROADS1 B ,I
GOT AL;G4
  ,!Y WD TAKE ME PLACES ) !M AT NI<T4
,!Y W5T A LOT ( PLACES AT T T ,I WD H L
6H W5T1 B !Y LEFT ME AT MY GR&"MS4 ,I
?9K ! BL %D 2 ALL[$ 6GET \ & LE>N 6GET
>.D J L ! SI<T$ :5 !Y >E GR[+ UP4 ,A LOT
( U DON'T H T *.E4
  ,MY BRO!R & "F W5T 6"W 9 A COTTON MILL
AT ,JOHNSON ,C;Y1 & WE MOV$ D[N "! 9
#AIBG4 ,7,HE 0 BORN 9 #AIAC1 S HE IS N[
F\RTE5 YE>S OLD47' ,! MILL CLOS$ D[N 9
#AIBH1 & WE MOV$ BACK4 ,7,N[1 HE'S
FIFTE547' ,9 #AICC ,7,HE'S N[ TW5TY47'
ALL (! *N GOT (F OV] AT ,A%VILLE1 ,NOR?
,C>OL9A1 & GOT JOBS4 ,7,Y NOTICE T HE
DIDN'T GET A JOB47'
  ,MY "F M>RI$ AG 9 #AICC4 ,I /AY$ AT
HOME MO/ (! "T4 ,AF T MY JOB 9 ! SUMM]"T
0 PA/UR+ ! C[S 9 ! ROAD4 ,I _H BELLS ON
!M S ,I CD TELL ": !Y 0 AT4 ,I SET ON !
BANKS )! C[S1 WOND]+ H[ ,I CD GET A LL
M"OY 6GET "S TOBA3O4 ,I 0 A "Y MAN !N4
  ,! WELF>E />T$ 9 #AICG4 ,7,HE'S N[
TW5TY-F\R47' ,I GOT A LL4 ,A LOT ( BL
DIDN'T GET ANY4 ,"! WASN'T V M* "W =! BL
!N4 ,I WD G 6,A%VILLE & /AY A :ILE & -E
BACK "H & /AY A :ILE4
  ,9 #AIDD ,7,HE'S N[ ?IRTY-"O47' ,I W5T
6,A%VILLE & GOT ME A JOB SORT+ MICA4
,7,REMEMB]3 ,? IS 8 F/ JOB4 ,X 0 !
,SECOND ,_W ,W>1 & MANP[] 0 SC>CE4 ,B
BACK 6HIS LR7'3 ,!Y SD WE WD D ! JOB
BETT] ?AN ! SI<T$ P4 ,I J GOT 6"W N9E
WEEKS1 & \R "P (! JOB CLOS$ D[N4 ,I /AY$
A :ILE L;G] OV] "! 6SEE IF X WD />T BACK
UP1 B X N"E DID4
  ,T 0 A GD JOB1 B 9 "O WAY ,I DIDN'T L
X4 ,I /AY$ ) MY SI/] & H] HUSB&4 ,!Y 7 Z
GD 6ME Z !Y CD BE1 B !Y WANT$ ME ) !M
ALL ! "T4 ,!Y WD -E AF ME AT NI<T & TAKE
ME 6"W 9 ! MORN+4 ,I DIDN'T WANT T4 ,I
WANT$ \ ON MY [N L O!R P4 ,I WANT$ 6GET
\ & GET ME A GIRL J L O!R P4
  ,WELL1 ,I -E BACK HOME & /AY$ >.D "H
MO/ (! "T4 ,MY /EP"M DI$ 9 #AIEA4 ,7,N[1
HE'S ?IRTY-EI<T47' ,GRADY ,W1V] />T$
T1*+ ME 6R1D & WRITE ,BRL 9 #AIEA4 ,I
C'T SPELL V GD1 B T HELP$ "S4 ,I /AY$ AT
HOME ) MY "F UNTIL #AIEG4 ,7,HIS LIFE IS
PASS+4 ,HE'S N[ =TY-F\R47' ,MY "F GOT S
BAD SICK T !Y PUT HM 9 A RE/ HOME1 & ,I
W5T 6,MORRIST[N & GOT ME A JOB 9 !
%ELT]$ "W%OP4
  ,MATTIE ,RU? 0 "W+ "! AT T "T4 ,%E
TOLD "S"O1 ,8! ,SAMMONS HAS -E2 ! BASS W
2 "H NEXT4' ,SURE 5 9 A FEW "DS A MAN
DID -E 0! "N ,BASS4
  ,J A LL :ILE AF ,I W5T 6"W1 ,MATTIE
,RU? GOT SICK & W5T HOME4 ,%E L 6H DI$4
,%E DIDN'T -E BACK ANY M = AB ?REE YE>S4
,%E "W$ =A :ILE1 & H] "F GOT SICK & %E
W5T HOME 6TAKE C>E ( HM4 ,HE DI$ 9
#AIFB4 ,7,N[1 HE'S =TY-N9E47'
  ,AF T1 ,I W5T UP & GOT ,MATTIE ,RU?4
,H] "M SD %E "\ 6H RUN ME (F ! F/ "T ,I
"E -E UP "!4 ,%E SD ,I TOOK ! LA/ GIRL
%E _H4
  ,I 0 =TY-?REE YE>S OLD 2F ,I GOT \ ON
MY [N1 B X HAS BE5 ! BE/ "P ( MY LIFE4
,IF ,I _H /AY$ ) MY P1 ,I DON'T GUESS ,I
WD H BE5 LIV+ 0N[4 ,I DIDN'T H ANY?+
6LIVE =4
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,SAMMONS SP1KS = ALL BL P4 ,! IMPRISON;T
& LACK ( OPPORTUN;Y 7 J Z CRUEL Z IF !Y
_H BE5 DELIB]ATELY IMPOS$4 ,!Y 7 J Z
DEGRAD+1 J Z BLI<T+1 & J Z PA9;L4
  ,WE M/ SEE T X N"E HAPP5S AG4 ,T IS :Y
WE H 6/R5G!N ! ,N,NAL ,F$],N (! ,BL & :Y
WE H 6SP1K \4 ,\R CLIMB UP ! /AIRS
6FREEDOM HAS BE5 SL[ & DI6ICULT1 B WE >E
NE>+ ! TOP4 ,WE C>RY ) U A TRU/ = ,$G>
,SAMMONS1 &= ALL (! O!RS :O W5T 2F U4
,WE AL C>RY A TRU/ = ^? :O W FOLL[8=! BL
(! DECADES AH1D4











