Three Storied Life

from: I Was In Love With A Difficult Man

At 46 years old she got divorced
doesn't matter who left who
this marriage was done
so she bought a house and corner plot
in a California seaside town
a tiny cottage big enough for one

Though she was 3 blocks from the ocean
she had no view of it
the surrounding houses were two stories high
so she made the best of a sad situation
worked her job mananged to get by

Though she had lots of friends
her nights were long and lonely
though she worked in her garden
and those seedlings came to bloom
and her grown son called her often
but she missed her ex-husband
did the best she could with that tiny house
and tiny rooms

Thirteen years went by
and the seaside town grew prosperous
and her house and land were worth
many times what she had paid
and her garden was the envy of the entire neighborhood
and she looked forward to the sunrise every day

But one day at her job it was an ordinary Monday
shattered by a frantic phone call
by the time that she got home
all that was left standing was a
back deck and a single wall

All of her possessions in that lovely little house
were smoldering beneath the California sky
though her friends and her ex-husband
were quick to offer help
her heart was broken
the light had left her eye

Thank God she had insurance
and knew a creative architect
who lived in this same town by the sea
he said for not much more
I could rebuild a 2-story house
for not much more than that it could be three
it could be three

Now she's got a view of the ocean
from her new bedroom deck
and a bouncy baby grandson adds
more new joy to her life
and she 's got a sweet new boyfriend
and her ex-husband confided
he's having lots of trouble with his wife
yes her ex is having trouble with his wife

No that part isn't true
they are all on good terms
after all it's California
land of open heart and mind
and as the sun sets over
the glorious Pacific
I'm so glad to report that
my friend is doing fine
doing fine
doing fine
doing fine
doing fine