TC Carter
Colors Perhaps I’ve told you before about how smart she was Possibly I’ve told you more than once about how smart she was No matter, I will tell you again about how smart she was She knew the colors of all the crayons in the box She knew her numbers She could count to one hundred and understood the simplicity of going beyond one hundred She could read all of her Little Golden books She could tie her shoes She could button her coat She knew when to say yes mam, no sir, please, thank you She knew all these things and more before her first day in kindergarten because her mother and I spent the time to teach her and because she loved to learn Despite all that she never completed second grade The drunk driver who slammed his car into the school bus she was on one beautiful spring afternoon ended all that Later I wrote him a letter and mailed it to the prison where he was incarcerated for way too little time
I told him all these things about how smart she was I told him it was my intention to take his life when he was released from prison When I wrote the letter I meant what I said and for a long time could have carried out my threat But my wife and I still had each other and we had two other children to raise so I decided I had to let him live in order for us to live That was forty-five years ago This morning I read his obituary in the paper It was a typical obituary that highlighted the milestones of his life named those family members who preceded him in death and those he left behind who loved him and mourned his passing It told of the positive things he contributed to the community and to society in general I had to admit they were impressive I wondered how many of his good deeds and how much of his community involvement had hinged on his quest for redemption I wondered if he had made peace with God I wondered if he had thought with his last breath as we will of our smart girl who knew her colors
TC Carter started writing in February of 2012 with a special interest in cowboy poetry. His first public reading was at an open mic in Dahlonega, GA four months later. Poetry lead to songwriting which lead to guitar lessons in 2014. He would sum up a bio statement with a line from one of his songs: Don’t count me out. I ain’t done yet. I ssue
10 the BLUE MOUNTAIN REVIEW | 13