First Nineteen

First nineteen
(count it twice)

Eleven years old with a push mower blade
Mr. Pruitt's yard in the August shade
Four hours cutting with a rock in my shoe
Grass in my socks and the sweat ran through
He came out slow with a church envelope
Said, "Boy, that's clean," and he gave me the note
Nineteen dollars, two tens minus one
I held it so tight that the paper went numb
Walked that money home like it might blow away
Mama at the table with the bills in a tray
I put the ten down, she looked at me long
Said, "Count it twice," so I counted it twice
Nine in a white sock, back of the drawer
Nine little reasons to go cut some more

Ten for the house
(ten)
Nine for the plan
(nine)
Small and clean
That's how it began

First nineteen, fold it slow
Ten on the table, nine in the sock
Nobody clapped by the kitchen door
First nineteen, I cut one yard more

Fold it slow
(slow)
Watch it grow
(grow)
First nineteen
(count it twice)

Twenty years later, first real wire
Six figures landed, the screen lit up like fire
Lawyer on the line, "You should feel the shift"
I felt the floor and I didn't feel different
Drove to Mama's house, didn't say a word
Pulled that drawer like a muscle remembered
White sock faded, nine still there
Soft old bills with the same old tear
I didn't add nothing, I didn't take none
Nine stays nine 'til I hand it to my son
Lawyer asked, "What did you buy with it, boss?"
I said, "A lawn, a Tuesday, a lesson in loss"
The bank got the wire and the sock got the truth
First nineteen bought the whole of the proof

Ten for the house
(ten)
Nine for the plan
(nine)
Same two hands
That's how it ran

First nineteen, fold it slow
Ten on the table, nine in the sock
Nobody clapped by the kitchen door
First nineteen, I cut one yard more

Nineteen dollars never made me rich.
It made me somebody
who gets paid
for keeping his word.
That's the only wealth
I ever learned to count.

First nineteen, fold it slow
(fold it slow)
Ten on the table, nine in the sock
(in the sock)
Every check still counted by the kitchen door
First nineteen, I cut one yard more

Count it twice.