Jitterbug

Sitting in her rocking chair
Chihuahua on her lap
Sweet little old woman
A smile she'd not hold back

I looked up at my grandma
Asked her how she got this way
"I just jitterbugged on by
That got me through the day."

"I was once your age," she said.
"And we knew how to have fun:
Crashed weddings on the weekends
And friendship was number one

"We all lived a carefree life
Didn't need a reason why
Went out and had some good clean fun
We just jitterbugged on by."

"There must be more than that," I begged.
"You're never not content."
With this woman, this wisest owl
Hours oculd I have spent

And my grandmother went on:

"My sisters and I were
What you kids call 'tight':
We're each others' best friends
Didn't ever fight

"If we went on dates
you know
Our sisters were there too

"That's how I met Edgar."
she smiled
"It may sound strange to you.

"I was out with someone else
My girlfriend was with Ed
Little did I know back then
T'was he that I would wed

"My friend did not kiss him goodnight
And he looked a little sad
A friend and I kissed him for her
'Cause we felt a little bad.

"Before too long, that Ed was mine
Daddy said, 'That boy has class.'
You can bet my daddy approved
Ed's lack of vulgar and sass

"When we ate popcorn at the movies
And grease clung unto him
An immaculate white handkerchief
Came forth to clean his skin.

"And then I knew I loved him
I knew he would be mine
I enjoyed his company
As we jitterbugged on by.

"He wasn't always around
But I could suppress my sigh.
He provided for us all.
We just jitterbugged on by.

"Here I am, all my kids are gone
I look back at it - oh my
The best days of my life were spent
Just jitterbugging on by."

"Kids don't jitterbug no more
Grandma, what else do you got?"
"...Besides what I've said before,
I really can't say a lot.

"'Cause the way kids live their lives
Reflects the way they dance
Fast, mindless, thrusting about
You kids don't stand a chance.

"Sixty years, you'll be old as me
You'll see your friends and sigh
They'll never look like you grandma
Who jitterbugged on by."