A Tale of Three Brothers

April 5, 2001

This poem was used (with minor modifications) in this song by Kharlie M on his album, The Child in You, released in 2021.


Three brothers named Umma and Mumma and Mum
Once lived in a very large pink plastic drum.
Observe very carefully what did become
Of the brothers named Umma and Mumma and Mum.

Three brothers in pink drum

Now Umma was strong—as strong as an ox,
And all of his muscles were harder than rocks;
But one day he fell down and broke off his arm—
He couldn’t play baseball or work on the farm.

Now Mumma was smart, like Albert Einstein.
With anything technical, he was just fine;
But one day he fell down and smashed up his brain—
He just wasn’t quite the same, ever again.

Now Mum loved the ladies and treated them well,
And one day he married a fine Southern belle;
She fell sick and died, and it broke his poor heart,
So soon to experience “…death do us part.”

So each met misfortune, when tragedy struck,
Each one of their lives ran completely amok;
In hopeless despair, they moved out of their drum,
Unable to cope with what life had become.

Then one day they came to their senses and said,
“This life that we’re living is deader than dead!
We must find some hope, and some remedies too,
Or else we shall die, for we’re feeling so blue.”

Then Umma saw doctors and got a prosthesis,
And Mum found his peace through the love of Christ Jesus;
And as for poor Mumma, whose brain was messed up,
His brothers persuaded him not to give up.

They took him to therapy—helped him along,
So Mumma became more determined and strong.
They moved to this website to spread inspiration—
We hope you will love them, without reservation!