Strawberry Blonde

She was not the girl next door

But the girl from 'round the corner

It was at the tail end of grade four

When she came to school one morning

And all eyes were upon her as she took her seat

Her name was Amanda with pretty eyes of green

And hair of blonde, strawberry blonde

Springtime and dandelions

And summer 'round the corner

Was at the tail end of age nine

With a million dreams before her

She lived with her mother in an old decrepit house

If there was trouble she kept it to herself

All summer long, the strawberry blonde

And by her face there was no way to tell

It seemed like all was well in her world

But the neighbors said

Her mother had lost her will

To gin and sleeping pills

It was no life for a little girl

Still I see her face framed in blue sky

At the top of a slide coming down

And when the sirens wailed

(Her mother had failed to rise)

All the neighbors stood outside

As Amanda just stared at the ground

Time flies and years are piled

I'd forgotten all about her

When I saw her down the aisle

Of a streetcar with her daughter

Then I heard Amanda say as she got up

"C'mon, Samantha, girl, this is our stop"

And they were gone, two strawberry blondes