Jenny and James

Oh Jenny
With your wicked laugh and a crooked grin
Every morning you'd come in
Singing a song to your rolling pin
Dusting down the biscuit dough
Seven hours on your shift to go
You wouldn't pick up on Jimmie
Or take any notice when he

Decided to change his name
From Jimmie back down to James
Took it down by one letter
And hoped you might like it better

But mostly James was scared
Keeping out of your pinned up hair
Like a rug or a folding chair
He was always just kind of there
But he knew how to harmonize
When you shut the place down at night
He lived for your sideways chucklе
Whenever hе got it right

But you never picked up a phone
So he wrote you a two-word poem
For you to read when you were alone
You tore it open when you got home

And it said "Oh Jenny"

You could read what he didn't say
Couldn't make yourself feel that way
Let him down the best you could
And he made a face like he understood

But he quit with the harmony then
Started going by Jimmie again
Taped his heart up along the tear
And you two had to leave it there

But now once in a couple years
In the back of your memory's ear
Reedy voice you can almost hear
Singing Oh Jenny