Oh, Ain’t Life a Charm?

She sat on the porch in her calico gown
As the heat of the day cooled to night.
There were dozens of things I wanted to say
But knew wouldn’t come out right.

I wanted to tell her how perfect she was
The one I’d been waiting for.
But all I could do was swallow my words
And stare at the boards of the floor.

I should have brought flowers, or candy and such.
I should have given a card.
But I spoke of the weather, the rain that would come
And the good it would do for her yard.

She asked of my work, and I said it was fine.
She mentioned she’d seen me in town…
Somethin’ about smiling at somethin’ I’d said
And me always acting the clown.

I felt a lump rise at the back of my throat.
I didn’t want her thinkin’ that way.
She asked me to dinner if I’d make her laugh
And I told her that I couldn’t stay.

She said that was too bad, because she’d baked ham
Some cornbread and Dutch chocolate cake.
I grinned as I told her that sounded good
As the sun slowly slipped toward the lake.

So, I changed my mind, and followed her in
Where she motioned me into a chair.
She brought out the food, steaming and hot
While I gazed at the shine of her hair.

In an hour the dinner, so well prepared
Was finished, so we chattered and joked.
Something I’d said about something she did
Was funny, and she laughed till she choked.

I asked if she was okay, would she be all right?
She smiled and said she’d be fine.
She said I was funny, that it’d been so long
Since she’d laughed, and I said it was time.

Then something happened, I don’t know what it was
But I got up and walked to her side.
She took my hand, and rose from her place
And it washed over me like a tide.,

I started to hum The Tennessee Waltz
And right there we started to dance.
It was so crazy, we were out of our minds
And I knew I was taking a chance.

That’s when it happened. She started to laugh
And I asked if she thought I was dumb.
Through a look of surprise I saw her react
And from my head to my feet I went numb.

“Dumb?” she repeated, and assured me she didn’t.
“I find you quite charming, and more!”
So, I kept on humming, as we continued our dance
And whirled her all over that floor.

Then the dance ended. There was nothing to say
But I still held that girl in my arms.
In her eyes I saw Venus, Saturn, and Mars
And the good, fertile fields of Earth’s farms.

I wish I could tell you I kissed her right then.
I wish I could tell you it’s so.
But the truth is I didn’t, I just gazed in her eyes
And told her she stood on my toe.

She said that she knew it, she meant to do that
And gripped me by both of my sleeves.
“You’re going no where. You’re staying right here.
And what’s more, I’m not letting you leave.”

And that’s when I kissed her, and she kissed me back.
I guess we both tasted like cake.
And all these years later, I tell you it’s true
I still taste it, in the love that we make.

She calls me her clown, and I call her lady
And sometimes we still dance ‘round the place.
Though our steps may be slower, and my humming more soft
I still see the stars in her face.

Oh, now ain’t life a charm, and isn’t it grand
The way things can turn out to be?
And if you don’t think so, I promise it’s true.
I know, ‘cause it happened to me.