Farm Town

She's elderly,
and she says she hates being called elderly.
She says, "I'm an old, old woman
and I refuse to dye my hair.
I earned every gray hair on my head."
And she lives in a small farm town in the Northwest

where they have Victorian houses.
You can buy one for ten, fifteen,
twenty thousand dollars,
and that's not a lot of money.
They're fixer-uppers
but you get five bedrooms, hardwood floors,
and hardwood trim around the windows.
And the reason they're so cheap is all because
if you would buy one
you would have to live there in this farm town
where nobody wants to live.

And I'm not about to tell you where it is.
You can forget it.
I've been all over and
I've seen the little farm towns
where the people from the cities drove the prices up.
But they haven't found this one yet.
This one is mine.

In this farm town
the people there are friendly
and the grocer's is where they stop and talk
at the checkout where there's never any lines.
They need a person to be on the town council.
You'd be welcome if you bought a house in this
farm town where I know an old, old woman.

She says my sons remind her of the kids she had when she was younger
and she says that I remind her of her husband.
She makes me smile. She makes me sad.
She says that every year they have a celebration.
Everyone in town shows up and brings a salad
and they have a barbecue
and they watch the fireworks.
Everyone in town:
All ninety-three of them.
They'll even feed outsiders
if you bring your own placesetting.
They don't mind.
You're no trouble.

In this farm town
they leave their keys outside in their cars at night,
and they never lock the doors to their houses
when they sleep at night.
And they sleep at night, all night, just fine.

And I'm not about to tell you where it is.
You can forget it.
I've been all over and
I've seen the little farm towns
where the people from the cities drove the prices up.
But they haven't found this one yet.
You'll have to find it for yourself.
Don't look at me to help.
Go ask that old, old woman how to find it.
And I'll see you there.
I'll see you there.