Oh, Blessed Mother,
\nwhat must we do
\nto go back to Sicily?
\nI hide in my house.
\nI hide in my children.
\nWhere is my doll by the door,
\nthe one I set outside to receive the sun?
\nWhat has happened?
\nWhere will my babies go?<\/p>\n
I am so tired.
\nWhere are my sisters?
\nThey would share my burden.
\nHelp me with the children.
\nI miss my mother.
\nWhere is she?
\nWe left her with her stone.
\nWho cuts away the weeds now?
\nWho tends to her on holy days?<\/p>\n
Save my soul!
\nI wash my babies.
\nThey are clean and holy.
\nThey play and I protect their souls
\nto bring them to you free of sin.
\nTry to protect my family,
\nand Antonio, to find a little rest.<\/p>\n
Did I bring that dolly with me?
\nNo, no.
\nWhy did I forget?
\nShe was my joy of joys.
\nLittle bundle of rags in the dust.
\nlittle angel with her scrap of lace.
\nWhere are the laces my mother had?
\nOh I wish I had a piece.
\nI would prepare a blanket from them
\nfor my dolly.<\/p>\n
I would not have to worry
\nhow my children stray.
\nWhy did we ever came to this place?
\nI can hide in my house, Blessed Mother.
\nI can keep the bastards out!
\nWhy, oh why, are our beautiful
\nSicilian men not enough?
\nOur beautiful girls.
\nWhy do they marry Germans, Irish?
\nI pray for their souls.<\/p>\n
Someday, Blessed Mother,
\nlet me see the rooftops of my home again.
\nLet me see Papa return in his cart.
\nLet me hear the singing of my family
\nthe priest moving among us with his blessings
\nthe bread soaked in oil
\nthe good food
\nthe children of Sicilian blood
\nAntonio with the face of a boy again.
\nand my mother wrapping me
\nin her black shawl.<\/p>\n
Forgive me, Blessed Mother,
\nfor I have sinned.
\nI will say the rosary
\nas often as I am able,
\npure mother of God.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Oh, Blessed Mother, what must we do to go back to Sicily? I hide in my house. I hide in my children. Where is my…<\/p>\n